A product is not compliant because a factory says it is. It is compliant when there is evidence, from the right laboratory, in the right form.

What must be tested, and what must be justified

Not every product needs a laboratory report. Some categories require testing against a named standard. Others require a documented assessment of the risk. Either way, the obligation is to be able to show your reasoning when someone asks.

Standards are specific

Standards are published, numbered, and particular to the product and the market. The same product sold into the European Union and into Great Britain can fall under different documents, and a test against one is not automatically good for the other.

Who can test

An accredited laboratory. The accreditation matters, because the report is evidence you may have to stand behind – in front of a customs officer, a retailer’s compliance team, or a market surveillance authority.

What a usable report contains

  • the standard it tests against, cited by number
  • the exact product and model tested
  • the identity of the sample
  • the date of testing
  • the laboratory’s accreditation
  • a clear conclusion: pass or fail

If any of those is missing, the report will not do the job you are relying on it for.

The three traps we see most often

  • A factory certificate of compliance. That is an assertion, not a test report.
  • A report for a different model, or for a sample that is not what will actually ship.
  • A CE mark applied by the factory. The mark is a claim made by the person placing the product on the market; applied by the factory, it proves nothing.

Evidence goes stale

A change of material, design or sub-supplier can invalidate it – and a factory can change a sub-supplier without telling you. Testing is not a one-off purchase. It is something you keep current, and something to re-check when anything about the product or its supply changes.

How we help

We tell you what needs testing and against what, arrange it with a laboratory we trust, arrange the sampling, and read the report properly before you rely on it. If it is not usable, we say so, and we say why.