CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION APPROVES CAPITAL REGION BUSINESS' NEW BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY FOR DETECTING LEAD IN CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS - SCHUMER PUSHED FOR NEW WAYS TO VERIFY COMPLIANCE TO IMPROVE CONSUMER SAFETY
XOS Technology First Non-Destructive Technique to Reliably Detect Lead in Children's Products
XOS' Precise and Reliable Technology Helps Ensure Products Meet Safety Standards Set By 2008 Schumer-Sponsored Lead Legislation
Schumer: New XOS Technology Will Revolutionize Consumer Product Safety, All Out of Cap Region's Tech Valley
Yesterday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new technology made by XOS that will be used to detect lead and other regulated elements in children's products. Schumer has long fought for stronger safety rules regarding lead in toys and other consumer products, highlighted by the 2008 legislation which he cosponsored to protect children by banning lead in children's products. He also worked hard to push the CPSC to thoroughly investigate new testing technology, such as that offered by XOS, to reduce testing costs for industry and thus improve compliance with the new regulations. In response to the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requirement to test for lead in children's products, manufacturers have in some instances been screening products using hand-held x-ray fluorescence units, though the CPSC does not consider them to be effective for such testing. XOS determined to fill this testing gap by developing a technology, called HDXRF, that is precise, reliable and cost-effective for detecting lead in toys and other children's products. Unlike previous testing methods, HDXRF does not destroy products during the testing process. XOS's technology also can be used to test for cadmium and other heavy metals in both paint and substrate materials across a wide variety of consumer products. Schumer worked with CPSC and XOS to ensure consideration of XOS's machines that will improve consumer safety, ease the testing burden on manufacturers, and - now that they've been approved - boost a successful Upstate New York business.
"I have long fought to keep deadly toxic metals out of the reach of our children, especially out of the toys and other products they come in contact with on a daily basis," said Schumer. "In 2008, I fought for legislation that banned lead from all products for children, and this set a very high bar for oversight by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Luckily, and frankly not very surprisingly, XOS in the Capital Region's Tech Valley, is helping improve consumer safety while at the same time making inspections easier for manufacturers in New York, and throughout the world. With their new technology, New Yorkers can be assured that their children are safe, and the Tech Valley will become a hub for consumer product safety."
"This is a win for consumers of children's products as well as a win for Industry," said David Gibson, CEO of XOS, one of many innovative companies in New York's Tech Valley. "We are proud to have answered the call from the U.S. CPSC for precise and cost effective new techniques to verify compliance with new regulations."
XOS Inc., headquartered near Albany, NY, is a leading global provider of mission-critical materials analysis solutions for industries and regulators that must control material quality and performance in consumer products (e.g., toys, apparel and electronics) and energy (e.g., petroleum) industries. XOS pioneered the use of advanced X-ray optics in application-specific analyzers that measure environmental and product contaminants such as lead, cadmium, chlorine, and sulfur.
XOS and many other companies located in Tech Valley, are some of the most innovative companies in the world. In response to the Consumer Product Safety Committee's need for a technology to effectively and efficiently test for lead and other toxins in children's products, XOS applied its world-leading material-analysis capabilities to find a solution. As a result, XOS is the first provider of a testing technology that offers fast and accurate detection of lead in toys and other children's products. XOS' technique does not destroy or damage the product being tested and can be used to test for a range of other toxins of concern like cadmium, mercury and arsenic.
Schumer states that this is a win-win for children's safety and for manufacturers across New York and the US. While the safety improvements for children are clear, XOS' solution greatly enhances the accuracy and reliability of testing required by manufacturers to determine whether their children's products meet the lead law requirements.