How Environmental Testing Makes Products Safer

By Guest Blogger Scott Huntington

The safety of a product is integral to its success — an item with any potential of danger is likely to be superseded by a competing product in abrupt fashion. As a result, manufacturers often go through a lengthy testing process to ensure safety and minimize legal liability. This has been the case for a long time, though a recent development is the rise of environmental testing, which is beneficial for both the consumer and the environment.

The various aspects of environmental testing — which is anything from weather-testing a product to determining the most eco-friendly packaging — provide numerous benefits that will be of interest to both business owners and consumers alike.

 

Weather Compatibility

Product engineers do their best to use material that is weather-proof, but it’s extremely difficult to predict how certain material interactions or moldings will react with certain weather conditions, whether it’s rainy and wet or hot and humid.

Environmental testing in regard to weather compatibility is integral for a variety of product types, from cell phone manufacturers testing if their product can withstand the heat of being in a user’s pocket to airplane materials that undergo a wide variety of weather exposures.

Many of these industries are obligated under law to ensure their products are safe in these types of environments. Mass distribution of a product that fails to meet these requirements can run a company out of business, highlighting the contemporary importance of environmental testing and weatherproofing.

 

Eco-Friendly Packaging

Environmental testing can help make sure products can be packaged in material that can stand up to high stress. This stress usually occurs during transportation. Some manufacturers ignore this part, and allow for costs of replacing damaged goods.

However, that can become costly, depending on the product. You’ll often seen trucks on the highway transporting cars. Luxury and sports cars get wrapped up to prevent damage from weather or debris from the road. The last thing you want on your new car is a scratch from the shipping. Companies are switching from the traditional plastic shrink wrap to a more eco-friendly solution. This lets the packaging be reusable, and is also safer if pieces get blown off and end up on the side of the road. This packaging needs to be tested to be able to stand up to high winds and rain.

 

Litigation Aid

In the case that an isolated product does go awry, a business that conducted and recorded comprehensive environmental testing will find themselves in a much better legal position in comparison to a business that didn’t conduct environmental testing — which shows neglect. Every successful business experiences a variety of frivolous lawsuits even when their products are fine, so hard environmental testing data is a great resource to quickly shut accusations down.

 

Modern Standards Are Adapting

While it may not have been the case decades ago, years of scientific research on the environment have led the government to implement more mandatory standards for testing among products on the market. While not every industry must abide by strict environmental testing mandates, many established standards state a necessity for environmental testing, especially in technological sectors.

With environmental simulation testing, compliance across various environmental tests ensures a product is ready to be in the hands of customers. Plus, businesses will find it easier to market a product when they can flaunt the fact it can be exposed to a variety of weather environments. The risk involved in releasing a marginally tested product is extreme. In addition to facing legal liability with a weak defense for any mishap, headlines regarding a faulty product will be a PR nightmare for the business in question.

The precautionary and in-effect benefits of environmental testing makes undergoing the process a no-brainer for any savvy business leader in a high-demand niche. Whether it helps to serve as compliance with modern standards, a legal aid or a weather-proof marketing asset, environmental testing has a multitude of benefits.

 

About the Author

Scott Huntington is a writer and author from Harrisburg, PA. Check out his site, offthethrottle.com and follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington.