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UK retailer withdraws radioactive Cobalt belts from sale

ASOS, the online clothing retailer, has withdrawn from sale a batch of belts that were found to be radioactive.

By

11:03AM BST 28 May 2013

The Telegraph

Belt

The metal-studded peplum leather belts could cause injury to the wearer if worn for over 500 hours, according to an internal report by the retailer.

It is understood the radioactive reading on the items was recorded in routine product testing, sparking a global recall.

Around 49 have been sold across 14 countries and all those who have bought one have been contacted.

The belts are now being held in a radioactive storage facility, having tested positive for Cobalt-60.

A report seen by The Guardian said: “None of these belts are suitable for public use or possession.”

Paperwork on the belts linked them to Haq International, an Indian group, but there is some uncertainty over whether they were indeed the supplier.

If the group did make the belts, they are likely to have bought in the studs from elsewhere.

The report, called Project Purple Flower, said: “Unfortunately this incident is quite a common occurrence. India and the Far East are large consumers of scrap metal for their home and foreign markets.

“During the refining process of these metals, orphaned radioactive sources are sometimes accidentally melted at the same time.

“This in turn [contaminates the process] and traps the radioactivity in the metal as an alloy or in suspension.”

No-one has been harmed by the belts.

An ASOS spokesman said: “A product supplied to ASOS did not meet UK health and safety standards. ASOS worked with all relevant authorities and undertook a precautionary product recall, in line with our high standards of quality and customer care. No other ASOS product lines are affected.

“ASOS continues to work with the relevant regulatory authorities and is in dialogue with the supplier and the factory workers involved to ensure a satisfactory outcome.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10083678/ASOS-withdraws-radioactive-belts-from-sale.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/may/27/asos-withdraws-belts-radioactive-scare

May 29, 2013 - Posted by | Uncategorized

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