Safety checks do not inspire confidence
One in five hairdryers does not meet basic safety standards, according to tests done by a group of scientists who said yesterday that checks on consumer products are not carried out properly. The network of scientists and researchers who make up the Greek Union of Laboratories (HellasLab) found that 90 percent of market checks made by public officials are on food products, which allows other unsafe consumer goods to slip through the net. During its tests, HellasLab found that two in five toys were dangerous. One of the toys tested contained more than double the level of lead allowed by law. «The checks carried out are mostly suppressive, done only if a problem arises,» said the head of HellasLab, Vassilis Belesiotis. «There are no planned and properly organized checks on products carrying the safety mark.»
