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Abstract

OBJECTIVE For market control to be successful, two conditions have to be fulfilled. The first is that the authorities succeed in collecting sufficient data on the products and their safety hazards. The second condition is that, after finding a hazardous product on the market, the authorities have sufficient means and methods available to make the manufacturer or importer repair the product or withdraw it from the market. In Finland, the product safety authorities have organized market control in practice through local control authorities, aiming to reach a common goal by means of cooperation. The aim is to clear up and further develop the control of the products placed on the market. The ‘field control’ and testing of the products should form a well-functioning whole. Market control activities must be escalated. There is a need for a common control practice.

METHODS The guidance and training of local authorities is the key element. In order for market control to function efficiently, the local control bodies should be given detailed guidance on all aspects of the products to be controlled, the methods of control and the reporting, feed-back and exchange of information. The motivation of the control bodies is also important. The method used in Finland is to choose a few product groups at a time, each of them being subjected to a short-term control according to the instructions of the leading control authority.

RESULTS In 1992 five product groups were inspected. These were chocolate eggs containing a surprise toy, the fire safety of upholstered sitting furniture, markings on toys, the amount of formaldehyde in textiles and markings on heat candles and lanterns. The number of inspected market places totalled 1268 and that of inspected samples 1919. The control measures used were oral remarks, written demands for changes, product specific instructions and others, which amounted to 1093. In the spring of 1993 four product groups were inspected, namely the markings on jacks, chocolate eggs containing a suprise toy, the markings on cosmetic products (shampoo, hair care, and shower gel) and the markings on toys. In total, 2370 market places

CONCLUSIONS Market control has had a favorable reception at the local level, perhaps because the need for this kind of guidance and training has been so evident. This has helped the authorities to chart the various problems of market control, which is assumed to increase the efficiency of the control. In addition, the local authorities have gained much valuable experience, which will be of great assistance when developing market control into a uniform and commensurable system. The leading control authority must know the results of the control in order to be able to set priorities for its activities and to have a truthful picture of the market situation. What is the best way of organizing continuous collection of control data at the local level is a question that must also be solved.