Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) yesterday signed a collaboration agreement with German-based technical services provider TUV Rheinland Group for testing and certification of personal protective equipment (PPE).
“In the past, products had to be approved here first and then taken to Europe to be certified,” said Bai Chi-chung, TTRI president, during the signing ceremony at TTRI. “Now they can be certified right here in Taiwan so that saves a lot of time and cost.” In fact, the collaboration reduces the lead time from six to eight weeks, down to three weeks, noted Bai.
TTRI labs have been audited and accepted by TUV Rheinland for CE certification, a mandatory marking on many products placed on the single market in the European Economic Area (EEA) to indicate conformity with the market’s essential health and safety requirements. The agreement covers PPEs such as high-visibility clothing, thermal protection workwear, cut-resistance gloves, and motorcyclist knee and back protectors. According to the president, PPEs are one of the most value-added products among technical textiles, the main research and development (R&D) focus of Taiwan’s textile industry.
“The cooperation ... translates into direct savings for the manufacturers,” said Ralf Scheller, managing director of TUV Rheinland Taiwan.
The collaboration also reassures retailers, buyers, as well as end consumers that products meet all the legal environmental requirements, and that manufacturers are compliant with social and ethical aspects, which is an increasing concern among European consumers, added Scheller.
“Another opportunity is the support that we can provide to brand name owners ... to protect their own brand name,” said Scheller, citing an 8 percent global trade figure of counterfeit products. “I think brand name owners as well as retailers are looking increasingly at the possibility to lose their reputation when products that do not comply are discovered in the European market.”
“We do not only help manufacturers discover the risk and mitigate this risk, but we can also make sure that within the supply chain, products are traceable so that the retailers, consumers and authorities can verify through an internet-based platform that the products ... are authentic,” added the managing director. “In the end, this will increase the confidence in the products and will open up new opportunities.”
Scheller further advised Taiwanese manufacturers “to cover all the different market requirements with their product at once,” not only going for compliance in the European market but also for others such as the American, Japanese, and Chinese markets in order to be able to export globally and without modification.
“Compliance can in many cases easily be reached, and very often, at least with the European market, manufacturers are responsible to verify that their products comply and ... to provide data to the market surveillance authorities,” explained Scheller. “There is not necessarily any third party mandatory certification required, only in some cases where ... products pose a certain risk that exceeds the acceptable levels.”
According to Scheller, TUV Rheinland has been working for over a decade on the certification of PPEs in Taiwan, particularly related to sports activities, such as protection equipment for knees and elbows, as well as helmets.
