On 24 May 2024, the highly anticipated 2nd International Safety and Health Testing Academic Conference was grandly opened in Shenzhen. The conference was hosted by the Shenzhen Analysis and Testing Association and supported by the CMA Testing of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, the Secretariat of the International Organization for Standardization Laboratory Design Technical Committee (ISO/TC 336), the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Metrology, Testing and Certification Development Promotion Alliance, the Chinese Society for Metabolomics of the Biophysical Society of China, the Active Substance Testing Working Group of the National Biochemical Testing Standardization Technical Committee (TC387-WG3), the National Nutrition Food Quality Supervision and Inspection Centre, the National Isotope Engineering Technology Research Centre, the Editorial Board of the Journal of Instrumental Analysis, the Guangdong Science and Technology Journal Editors Association, and the Shenzhen Alumni Association of the School of Life Sciences of Sun Yat-sen University.
As one of the enterprises invited to participate in the conference, Mr. Dominic Lam Chun-hong, Chief Operations Officer of CMA Testing, Mr. Jason Xie Yue-liang, General Manager of Yubiao Testing and Certification Laboratory (Shenzhen) Limited, and Mr. Joseph Chiu Ka-yu, Chief Consultant of Sustainable Development of CMA+ coordinated with Mr. Chen Yu-gang, Director of the Quality Development Department of Shenzhen Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, and Mr. Yang Guo-wu, Executive Chairman of the Shenzhen Analytical and Testing Association, were present at the conference.
With the theme “Safety and Health Testing”, the conference set up seven special report sessions and a sustainable development-themed technological innovation seminar. Special reports encompass a range of topics, including the integration mechanism and integrated development of testing and certification in the Bay Area; research on new pollutants and health effects in the environment and water bodies; precision medical testing and clinical diagnosis and treatment applications; research and development of medicine food homology and its application in functional foods and the construction of quality standard control systems; new technologies, processes, and materials that serve as new engines for the development of the jewelry industry; testing of food and agricultural products, and characteristics of health effect tables of unknown substances; cutting-edge technologies for analysis and testing, and biologically active substances. The content of these report sessions covers a variety of fields from basic research to applied practice.
During the opening speech, Mr. Lam provided a concise overview of the collaboration between CMA Testing and Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the field of inspection, testing, and certification and expressed his high expectations for future cooperation between the two places in related fields.
Concurrently with the occasion, the Shenzhen Analysis and Testing Association held its 30th anniversary conference. Yubiao Testing and Certification Laboratory (Shenzhen) Limited was honoured to be awarded the “Outstanding Member Unit of 2023,” emphasising our dedication and accomplishments within the industry. In the future, the CMA Testing will persistently uphold profound collaboration with the conference, further strengthen cooperation and interactions with the Greater Bay Area and diverse domains associated with analysis and testing across the country. Moreover, it will actively expand its reach beyond borders, utilizing Shenzhen as its base, establishing a strong presence in the Bay Area, and contributing to the global advancement of the industry.
In the future, the CMA Testing will persistently uphold profound collaboration with the conference, further strengthen cooperation and interactions with the Greater Bay Area and diverse domains associated with analysis and testing across the country. Moreover, it will actively expand its reach beyond borders, utilizing Shenzhen as its base, establishing a strong presence in the Bay Area, and contributing to the global advancement of the industry.
CMA Testing with CMA+’s participation in Canton Fair 2024 received coverage on Ming Pao Daily on 15 May 2024. During the interview, Ms. Sarah Cui, General Manager of CMA Testing (Shanghai), highlighted the expansion of CMA+ services from Hong Kong to Shanghai.
This expansion aims to leverage the synergy between the two regions through deeper data exchange. Additionally, CMA+ is considering establishing a presence in cities within the Greater Bay Area, including Zhongshan and Shenzhen, etc., to build up the network for users and unlock infinite possibilities in technology commercialisation!
The Toys and Children’s Products Safety Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 1 and 2) Notice 2024 was officially released by the the Hong Kong government of China in the Gazette on 16 February 2024. The Notice seeks to update the safety standards for toys and six classes of children’s products listed in Schedule 2 (Schedule 2 products) under the Toys and Children’s Products Safety Ordinance (Cap. 424).
The six classes of Schedule 2 products are (i) baby walking frames; (ii) bunk beds for domestic use; (iii) child safety barriers for domestic use; (iv) children’s paints; (v) playpens for domestic use; and (vi) wheeled child conveyances. The Notice will take effect on 1 August 2024.
The Ordinance stipulates that a person must not manufacture, import or supply a toy or a Schedule 2 product unless it complies with all the applicable requirements contained in any one of the safety standards (international standards or standards adopted by major economies) specified in Schedule 1 (applicable to toys) or Schedule 2 (applicable to Schedule 2 products). The Government keeps in view any updates or amendments to the safety standards so as to apply up-to-date and operative versions of the standards to toys and Schedule 2 products supplied in Hong Kong. The last updates to Schedules 1 and 2 came into operation in September 2022 and August 2023 respectively.
The main changes are as follows:
| Products | Current International Standards and European Standards | New International Standards and European Standards |
| Toys | ISO 8124-1:2018 (incorporating Amendment 1:2020 and Amendment 2:2020) | ISO 8124-1:2022 |
| ISO 8124-2:2014 | ISO 8124-2:2023 | |
| ISO 8124-3:2020 | ISO 8124-3:2020 (incorporating Amendment 1:2023) | |
| BS EN 71-13:2021 | BS EN 71-13:2021 + A1:2022 | |
| Baby Walking Frames | ASTM F977-18 | ASTM F977-22e1 |
| Bunk Beds for Domestic Use | ISO 9098-1:1994 | ISO 9098-1:2023 |
| ISO 9098-2:1994 | ISO 9098-2:2023 | |
| Child Safety Barriers for Domestic Use | ASTM F1004-21 | ASTM F1004-23 |
| Children’s Paints | ISO 8124-3:2020 | ISO 8124-3:2020 (incorporating Amendment 1:2023) |
| Playpens for Domestic Use | ASTM F406-19 | ASTM F406-22 |
| Wheeled Child Conveyances | BS EN 1888-1:2018 | BS EN 1888-1:2018 + A1:2022 |
| AS/NZS 2088:2013 | AS 2088:2022 |
More details can be found at: https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr2024/english/brief/cedbcr08183_20240215-e.pdf