tinyhandsgems

The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is a European Union regulation designed to ensure that all products sold within the EU meet strict safety standards. It applies to all consumer products and aims to protect consumers from unsafe items, regardless of their origin. GPSR is important because it ensures that the products you buy are safe to use. It protects consumers by requiring sellers and manufacturers to identify and mitigate risks, provide clear safety information, and take action in the event of a safety issue.

Product safety has always been a number one priority when making my products, so if you shopped here before not much has changed in that sense. These are the steps I take to ensure my products are safe to use:
Risk Assessment: I conduct risk assessments for every product I offer to identify and minimize potential safety hazards. These risks are always included in the product listings so you are aware of them too.

Beaded bookmark charms have a risk of breaking under pressure (if you accidentally drop them for instance). How do I assess risk in this case? Every few batches I do a drop test to see if there are any damages or if the product would break. So far every test done showed no damage. Additionally, I make sure that all jump rings are securely attached so the parts cannot detach that easily. However, if there is frequent rough handling the risk increases, and shattered glass and acrylic can potentially injure you.

Clear usage instructions and safety warnings (if applicable) are provided with each product. This was already included in online listings before, but now as well as packaging labels that come with the products you purchased.

When it comes to paper goods, I only work with big brands like Canon and similar brands, which are guaranteed to not just have products that meet EU standards, but also care about sustainability. My acrylic & wooden charms (like the dragons) are not commercially available items, they are my own designs and they are produced in Spain.

The suppliers I work with are responsible for checking the products for any harmful substances. Even though my products don’t have prolonged skin contact, and they are not jewellery - categorizing them “low risk” for any potential risks and damages, I still want to ensure that I use quality materials. Testing and Certification: Where applicable, suppliers I use also take care of any testing for the materials to verify their safety and compliance with EU regulations. For example: wooden and acrylic charms are tested by my production partner for any hazardous substances (according to REACH).

I maintain detailed records of my products, including their materials, suppliers, and batch details, to ensure full traceability. Each product comes with its own batch number so it is easier to escalate any potential safety issues and take care of recalls. In the rare event of a safety issue, you can contact me via post, email, phone or via Etsy messaging. You can find this information in my shop information, product listings as well as product packaging. Any potential issues/ questions will be handled promptly. In case of a recall you will be fully refunded, incl. for the return shipping costs.

I have a variety of products and materials that I use for creating them. I want to cover all potential risks in this case, and provide you with full and detailed instructions on how to properly use my products. This is not to say that the product is coming with a high risk (as a matter of fact, there was never any issue with any of the products I sold so far), but just to inform you what potentially can happen even with the low chances of their occurrence. All risks listed have a probability of low to moderate. A wooden Christmas ornament has a moderate risk of catching on fire, but if you do follow instructions provided with the product (do not expose the product to open flame), the risk is very low.

While some of my products may have designs or colors that could appeal to children, they are created as decorative items for adults. Many of my products contain small parts, which can pose a choking hazard if handled by young children. To ensure safety, I strongly recommend keeping these items out of reach of children and using them solely for their intended decorative purposes. Products that are designed for kids also undergo different tests and have to comply with additional standards - you should always make sure to have this in mind when purchasing anything for your children. I do not advise buyers to shop my products with the intention of gifting them to children, as that is not their purpose or who they were designed for

Of course! If you’d like to know more about materials used or the production process, feel free to reach out to me via Etsy messages. I am happy to provide further details. In general, my product listings already include all information about materials used, even for the smallest parts. If I am using a production partner for any of the products, those are also listed. All in all, you are able to find full information about the products in the listings themselves.