Act On Control Of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances
The Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances is a law that establishes standards for covered products and harmful substances and regulates manufacturing, import, sales, and other activities in order to prevent health damage caused by household products containing harmful substances.
Contents6 sections
Definition and Overview
The Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances is formally called the Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances. It is a Japanese law that regulates the presence of harmful substances in household products, including clothing and bedding, that may pose a health risk.
This is not a certification system granted to fabrics or products. If an item falls within the regulated products, businesses must make it comply with the prescribed standards; this is a regulatory requirement, and its purpose and operation differ from voluntary certification.
Regulated Items and How the Standards Are Defined
The household products, substances, test methods, and standards subject to regulation are defined based on factors such as the product's applications and the degree of contact with the wearer. For textile products, confirmation is especially important for products intended for infants and young children or products that come into direct contact with the skin.
Attention is required not only for fabric itself, but also for processes and components that affect chemical management in the finished product, such as dyeing, printing, resin finishing, adhesives, and accessories. Even if the roll complies, conditions may change due to post-processing or secondary processing after sewing.
- Does the product fall within the regulated products?
- Do Japanese standards apply to the sales destination?
- What regulated substances and standards correspond to the product category?
- Has confirmation been completed for the finished product or the necessary constituent parts?
Checks for Fabric Procurement and Product Development
At the planning stage, clearly state the applications, target age group, whether the item will come into direct contact with the skin, and the sales country in the specifications. Based on that information, check with suppliers of fabric, processing, printing, and auxiliary materials about the management status of regulated substances, whether test reports are available, and the scope of application.
When receiving a test report, check the sample name, test subject, test method, results, issue date, and correspondence to the lot. The same results cannot always be applied as is to different colors, different lots, items with changed processing, or after product washing.
In overseas production, it is important to share requirements among the raw material supplier, dyeing factory, printing factory, and sewing factory. If management conditions are agreed upon at the time materials are selected and processing instructions are given, rather than after production starts, missed checks can be reduced.
Points to Note on Labels and Certificates
Compliance with this law generally does not involve a system in which a uniform certification mark is displayed on products. Even when displaying a statement of compliance, it is necessary to avoid confusing statutory labels, voluntary labels, and management documents for business partners, and to clearly identify the basis and scope of testing.
Care tag labels are for informing consumers about fiber composition, care instructions, and similar information, and are not in themselves proof of compliance with the Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances. In addition, third-party certification or proof of compliance with overseas regulations does not automatically mean that the Japanese legal requirements for the relevant product category have been met.
Differences from Similar Terms
Formaldehyde is the name of a chemical substance that may be subject to regulation and quality control, while the Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances is the law that regulates household products containing such substances. Azo dyes is also the name of a dye group, not the name of a law.
Oeko-Tex, GOTS, and GRS are voluntary certifications and standards related to product safety, the environment, raw materials, and similar matters. By contrast, the Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances is a legal regulation concerning regulated household products distributed in Japan, and the items to be checked, supporting documents, and approach to responsibility are different.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances also apply to fabric alone?
Judgment is made not only at the stage where the fabric is distributed, but also based on what household product it will ultimately be sold as. For fabric for clothing, check the finished product's applications, target age group, contact with skin, and whether there is post-processing, and manage the finished product as needed.
If the fabric maker has a test report, is confirmation of the finished product unnecessary?
It cannot be said to be unnecessary. The test report must be checked to confirm whether the sample, color, lot, test subject, and time of testing match the product specifications. If printing, processing, accessories, or product washing are added, confirmation including the finished product or additional processes is required.
Does a material that has obtained overseas certification comply with the Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances?
Compliance with the Japanese Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances cannot be determined solely from obtaining overseas certification or voluntary certification. The certified substances, covered parts, test methods, limit values, and scope of application of the certificate must be checked, and the necessary verification for the product category sold in Japan must be carried out separately.
