Exposed: Wal-Mart’s Not-So-Independent Product Safety Testing Lab

[DainBramaged]

http://walmartwatch.com/blog/archives/exposed_wal_marts_not_so_independent_product_safety_testing_lab/

Today’s Wall Street Journal article entitled “Bills Give Labs Job of Finding Risks In Kids’ Products” exposes the cozy, 20-year relationship between Wal-Mart and it’s product testing lab, Consumer Testing Laboratories (CTL). In the wake of massive toy safety recalls, shaken consumer confidence and ramped up efforts by Congress to add some teeth to the CPSC, Wal-Mart magnanimously rolled out its own toy safety testing programs touting its “independent” lab testing of toys and other products.

As it turns out, Wal-Mart’s testing laboratory is far from “independent.” The story mentions that CTL (conveniently located near Wal-Mart headquarters) gets 85% of its business from Wal-Mart. Plus, CTL hasn’t even had the accreditations to actually test for the some of the substances it was supposedly testing. So, who is really running the testing program? It sure sounds more like it’s just another extension of Wal-Mart. Is it any wonder that unsafe toys and products continue to make their way to Wal-Mart’s shelves? Once again, Wal-Mart shows it can’t be trusted – especially not when it comes to ensuring the safety of its customers.

>Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, describes CTL on its Web site as both “independent” and “a joint effort.” Former CTL executive Ron Caviness says 85% of the lab’s business derives from Wal-Mart. The retailer has provided CTL with customer referrals, computer networking and equipment and, at one time, even office facilities, according to former CTL employees. In a 1991 Wal-Mart newsletter, CTL’s current president described the arrangement as “independent in-house testing.”

Despite a nearly 20-year relationship that has included testing clothing, furniture and food, CTL until recently didn’t have any of the laboratory accreditations that are common at large test labs. Last year, Wal-Mart stopped selling children’s toys that were found to contain lead. At that time, CTL was testing all Wal-Mart’s toys. But it was only last week that CTL was granted a Chemical Testing certificate by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation to test for lead in nonmetals and metals.