File 06: Testing and standards
What testing proves, what it does not prove, how to choose a lab and a plan, and how to read a report honestly.
The file guide
Working guides in this file
06Checking chemical compliance without pretending a lab report is a guarantee Chemical compliance for a printed apron means asking which substances were checked, in which parts, after washing, and what a pass for one substance does not say about other substances or other batches. 06How harmonised standards work as a route to showing a product meets the rules Following a harmonised standard for a high chair can provide a recognised route to showing the chair meets the rules, provided the standard's scope matches the chair, its version is current, and its tests were actually performed. 06Picking a test lab and writing a plan the lab can actually follow Choosing a lab for a silicone tray means checking what the lab actually tests, what its report covers, and whether it understands freezing, tearing, and repeated use, then writing those points into a brief. 06Reading a test report line by line so the listing says no more than the report does Reading a bamboo cutlery report honestly means checking which fork, which grain, which test, and which result, before writing a listing claim about splitting, durability, or safety. 06Testing a connected product again after its software changes After a firmware update, a connected door sensor must be tested again for alerts, schedules, and sensor readings, because an update can reset a timer, silence an alert, or change how the sensor talks to its app. 06Testing basics for a seller who has never commissioned a test For a wooden puzzle board, testing basics mean deciding what question needs an answer, such as whether a piece splinters at a joint, choosing a check that answers it, and reading the result without claiming more than it shows. 06The difference between testing a type and testing a batch, and when each matters Type testing checks whether a design, such as a jam jar, works in principle, while batch testing checks whether a particular production run, such as a run of enamel mugs, actually matches that design. 06The moments when an old test result stops being good evidence An old test result for a lunch container stops being good evidence when the material, supplier, shape, or use changes, because the result describes the container that was tested, not the container now being sold. 06What an electrical safety test looks at, in plain terms Testing a fairy light string for electrical safety means checking insulation, connections, heat where wires bunch, and behaviour when the string is left on, draped, or covered, not merely checking that it lights up. 06Why testing a children's product asks different questions from adult testing Testing a stacking ring toy means chewing, dropping, stacking out of order, and pulling rings apart, because children test toys far more thoroughly, and far less gently, than any adult in a laboratory.