Obama Nominates Robinson to CPSC Marietta S. Robinson, a Michigan trial attorney, is President Barack Obama’s choice to fill the vacant commission slot.
HP Settles for $425K; Adler Rejects Amount as Too Small CPSC members January 19 voted 3-1 to accept provisionally an agreement by which Hewlett-Packard (HP) will pay $425,000 to settle agency allegations it did not report incidents in a timely manner.
Conspiracy Charges Target Importation of Violative Toys Two Florida residents, and associated companies, face federal conspiracy charges related to allegations of smuggling toys and other children’s products with violative levels of lead and small parts.
Tenenbaum Promotes Safety Design in China CSPC’s Chairman Inez Tenenbaum’s recent trip to China included focus on the design aspects of product safety and on training manufacturers on U.S. safety requirements.
ECHA Gives Product Labeling Advice The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) January 23 recommended two practices for communicating chemical risk information on product packaging.
Two Reviews of CHAP Work Might Precede Any CPSC Proposal from the January 23, 2012 issue Results of the phthalates appraisal by the chronic hazard advisory panel (CHAP) could be doubly reviewed before CPSC issues a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR), according to agency staff January 17.
Products Involved in About 50 Electrocutions per Year from the January 23, 2012 issue Consumer products were associated with an average of 53 electrocution deaths a year from 2006 to 2008, based in annual estimates, according to data made available January 18 by CPSC.
EPA OIG Says Agency Must Handle Nanotech Better from the January 23, 2012 issue The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to come up with better ways of handling information related to the potential health and safety effects of nanotechnology, its inspector general office (OIG) said January 12.
EPA and California Sign MOU on Product Ingredients from the January 23, 2012 issue The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) January 12 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at cooperation in the state’s effort to push for alternatives to certain chemicals in consumer products.
Gel Fuel Maker Tells CPSC It Is Open to Firepot Ban If No Fix from the January 16, 2012 issue A maker of gel fuels and ventless fireplaces January 9 told CPSC commissioners it supports creation of voluntary standards for open-flame firepots and even a potential ban.
Non-Fire CO Incidents Led to About 189 Deaths in 2008 from the January 16, 2012 issue There were some 189 unintentional, non-fire carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning deaths associated with consumer products in 2008, according to CPSC estimates made available January 10.
Section 104 Switch for Infant Swings Targets Numerous Changes from the January 16, 2012 issue CPSC staffers want changes in many areas of ASTM’s infant swing standard as part of a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) on a CPSIA Section 104 switch for the products.
How To Innovate While Protecting Public Safety? New Haven Independent (New Haven, Conn.( Joining a chorus of concern about the long-term implications of products that include super-small particles, an all-star National Academy of Sciences panel is pushing for prioritizing research on the health and environmental effects of nanomaterials.
NRC Report Calls for New Nano Safety Research Strategy Science (Washington, D.C.) Despite billions of dollars spent on nanotechnology research and development over the past decade, the human and environmental safety of nanomaterials remains unclear.
CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR
Crocs Dangerous to Kids, OC Lawsuit Claims Orange County Register (Santa Anna, Calif.) A Westminster couple is suing Colorado shoemaker Crocs Inc., claiming their 4-year-old daughter lost her little toe while wearing the soft clogs in an escalator accident at the Westminster Mall.
FURNITURE
Is Bedsharing Dangerous for Infants? DCFS Says 'Yes' Chicago Daily Herald (Chicago, Ill.) As she had done so many times before, Kakuna Smith placed her 11-week-old daughter, Kamilah, beside her on the bed and went to sleep.
HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS & CLEANING PRODUCTS
Household Chemicals Can Make Vaccines Less Effective Modern Medicine (Santa Monica, Calif.) Common household chemicals such as those found in nonstick cookware, food packaging, and fabrics—even microwave popcorn bags—can reduce the immune response to routine childhood immunizations.
Statehouse Sparks Debate about Novelty Lighters Bill Indiana Daily Student (Bloomington, Ind.) A bill to ban toy-like novelty lighters in Indiana is currently working its way through the Indiana House of Representatives.
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January 30, 2012
GENERAL INTEREST
Federal Regulators Have Failed to Act on Toxic Chemical, Report Says Huffington Post (New York, N.Y.) Despite growing fears over the health effects of a chemical found in many baby bottles and a host of other products, federal regulators have done little to protect the public, according to a new report from a nonprofit research group.
Agencies Know When to Lead, but What About When to Follow? Next Gov (Washington, D.c.) Federal agencies know they want Twitter followers but figuring out when and who to follow back is a thornier issue, based on questions during a webinar titled "Engaging Audiences with Twitter," sponsored by the General Services Administration's Web Manager University.
Chicago Officials Seek to Expedite Fire-Safety Updates for High-Rises Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Ill.) City officials say they intend to move faster to bring older high-rises into compliance with tougher fire safety standards adopted in 2004, reacting to a front-page Tribune story that detailed how hundreds of residential towers still have not even submitted plans to do so.
CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY
The Risks of Child Car Seats The Atlantic (Washington, D.C.) Participating in a TEDx event at a nearby library, I heard one of the other speakers, the founder of our local Waldorf School, reflect on the hazards to a child's physical and mental development from confinement to a car seat.
SPORTS, FITNESS & RECREATION
Head's up on Helmet Safety Standard-Freeholder (Cornwall, Ontario) With a nice fresh layer of snow on the hill after recent storms, conditions are great for hitting the slopes. But don’t forget the helmet, doctors warn.
Hazardous Toys Headed to Mid-Michigan Seized WNEM (Detroit, Mich.) Officials say they have seized a container of rag dolls and transformable cars after a lab analysis found that the toys contained high levels of lead and small parts that presented a choking hazard.
In an October 16, 2011 New York Times op ed, Commissioner Robert Adler suggested that “many” of those who urge the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) and other agencies to conduct cost-benefit analysis “have no interest whatsoever in making regulation more focused and rational” and really want “to stop government from regulating, period.” Commissioner Adler further contends that safety regulators “rarely impose new costs” by regulating but merely reallocate the costs of injuries. While Commissioner Adler may be correct in his assessment of the motives of some Commission critics, that argument, as well as his commentary on injury costs, appear to be deployed to conceal, rather than reveal critical truths.
We are going to try a little experiment. For a moment, let’s try to put aside all of the arguments over whether the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (“CPSIA”) is a good law, whether it should be changed, and if so, how. Forget about everything we know about the law and how it was written and implemented by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”), and forget about partisan politics. Instead, we want to consider something very basic: what does the word “safe” mean?
Starting on March 11, 2011, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s new searchable database of product safety information was up and running. Depending on which side you are on, this new database will either be a boon for consumers or doom for manufacturers. I don’t think it will be either. To the extent the submissions are true, it will be one more piece of post-sale information, among many others, that a diligent manufacturer should consider in evaluating post-sale risk and deciding whether any reports to the government need to be made or corrective actions need to be undertaken.
Several federal agencies regulate substances and materials in consumer, commercial, and industrial chemical products. Depending on the federal statute and the regulatory scheme, controlled and banned chemical substances are governed by multiple key regulations that identify individual hazardous substances or the product into which its ingredients are placed. Federal agencies also control chemicals by requiring labeling or testing of chemical substances and specific products before they enter the marketplace or are used in the workplace.
Once a product has been recalled, can it ever be re-sold? Yes. Take for instance last week’s recall by Summer Infant involving baby monitors. In that corrective action, the company is offering consumers warning labels and safety instructions aimed at preventing the strangulation deaths of babies.
