Month: October 2015

(Prague, October 27, 2015) Within continuous monitoring of the inner market, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority detected a product which poses serious risk of injury by electric current due to construction defects of its electric unit’s cord plug and cover. Christmas chain with 100 bulbs and light effects is also equipped with deceitful information about the way of the product’s use. The Czech version states that the product is suitable for both outdoor and indoor use, but a visible text INDOOR is displayed on the upper part of the packaging....

(Report from extraordinary inspection action)(Prague, October 26, 2015) During an extraordinary action, CTIA officers of the Středočeský and Prague Inspectorate inspected in total 87 workplaces operated in evenings and minimarkets. Various flaws and violations were detected in 66 cases, i.e. in almost 80% of inspected workplaces. 46 vendors were imposed on-the-spot fines amounting to 77,000 CZK. In other 12 cases, flaws are still investigated or administrative proceedings will start with inspected persons. The complete press release is availabl...

(Prague, October 26, 2015) In the internal market, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority detected a product which is not in compliance with safety requirements for this product assortment. Laboratory tests proved that the steering column can break down within ride due to insufficient strength – this could result in an uncontrolled fall of a child with the risk of serious injury. With regard to this fact and a number of other detected flaws, inspected persons were ordered to immediately withdraw the defective product from offer and distribution. ...

(Prague, October 20, 2015) During regular monitoring of the market, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority detected that there is a xylophone which poses serious hazard to smallest users. The toy wasn’t labelled with required identification data and Czech information about the age of children to which it is intended was in contradiction with manufacturer’s pictogram on the product’s packaging. During laboratory pull test, foam underlay of the plates tore. Undesirable small parts and 4 pins carrying the xylophone’s metal plates hence separated and...

(Monitoring of fuel quality – September 2015)(Prague, October 19, 2015) In September 2015, one of 238 fuels samples collected by the Czech Trade Inspection Authority failed determined quality requirements. It was a sample of the petrol “Super” with lower octane number than determined by the applicable technical standard and it failed the distillation test. These defects cause imperfect fuel burning and hence higher consumption. Violation of the upper acceptable limit of content of organic ingredients was not detected in monitored fuel samples. ...

(Continuous report of 1st half of 2015)(Prague, October 16, 2015) Inspection of marking of tobacco products and the regime of sale governed by the Act on Excise Duties is included in the activities of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority every year. During the 1st half of 2015, violations of this law were discovered in 14 of 1,806 inspections, i.e. 0.7% of cases. These breaches concerned unmarked tobacco products, products sold for higher prices than displayed on tobacco stamps and sale of separate cigarettes from an open unit packaging. In tot...

(Prague, October 12, 2015) When monitoring the market with toys, CTIA inspectors detected two types of rattles that are intended for smallest users but can seriously endanger their safety and health. The risk is posed by small parts in one case and by fragments of used material in the other case. The Czech Trade Inspection Authority prohibited sale of both types of rattles and ordered their recall from distribution. All information about both toys were published in the RAPEX database. The complete press release is available in the attachment.

(Interim report of 2nd quarter of 2015)(Prague, October 5, 2015) The Czech Trade Inspection Authority pays permanent attention to monitoring of toys distribution chain and inspection of toys within the Czech market using all available means to search for entities responsible for distribution of toys from other EU countries as well as non-EU countries. During the 2nd quarter of 2015, flaws were detected in almost two thirds of 310 inspections. Only one of 12 samples collected for safety inspection met the requirements. Inspectors imposed prohibi...

(Prague, October 6, 2015) Parents who don’t buy imitations of guns to their kids do the right thing as not all such toys are safe. This was also proven by a recent CTIA officers’ finding. They detected a revolver offered in the Czech market which poses a serious risk of health damage. It can happen that within a usual and predictable way of use of the product, a child can get injured as a result of inhalation or swallowing of released small parts or a whole missile. Danger is also there when a child shoots a different object from the gun, for e...

(Prague, October 2, 2015) The Czech Trade Inspection Authority repeatedly discovered products that pose risk for smallest users in the retail market with toys. We speak about softly stuffed toys with a suction cup which can be easily released and cause choking or suffocation due to its size. This risk of child’s health damage is posed by two cuddly cudtoys from an unknown manufacturer – a toucan and a dog. Not only dog’s suction cup, but also its eye that fitted into the test tube for small parts released within pull test and the sample ...