Detecting Critical Safety Issues Before Shipment
National Distributor · 2 weeks (inspection + rework + re-inspection)
Founder & CEO, Tetra Inspection
The Challenge
A US-based toy distributor contracted a new factory in Shantou, China to produce a line of 25,000 wooden educational toys for the holiday season, destined for major retail chains. The factory had limited production history with this product type, and the distributor needed assurance that the entire batch met ASTM F963 and EN 71 safety standards before containerization.
The Solution
Tetra conducted a comprehensive pre-shipment inspection with specialized safety testing protocols. Our inspector performed the small parts cylinder test on sampled units and coordinated paint composition testing against CPSIA limits. When critical failures were identified — 8% of units failing the small parts test and lead content exceeding the 90 ppm limit — the shipment was rejected with a detailed corrective action plan requiring component resizing and re-finishing with certified non-toxic paint.
The Results
25,000
Units Protected
The entire batch of 25,000 units was caught before shipment, preventing a mandatory product recall.
2 Critical
Compliance Issues Found
Small parts choking hazard and lead paint content — both critical safety violations under US and EU regulations.
Yes
Recall Avoided
Without the pre-shipment check, the distributor would have faced CPSC enforcement action, retailer penalties, and severe reputational damage.
“That one inspection saved us from a recall that would have cost us our retail relationships. The inspector caught what the factory's own QC missed entirely.”
— National Distributor
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