Letter

Daily

Forum

Volume 41 - Number 20

May 14, 2012

 
FREE
 

Click Here to sign up for daily email updates

Product Safety Letter
View the entire issue in PDF format.

Robinson Says Priorities Are Section 104, Imports and Education
Marietta Robinson May 10 at her confirmation hearing told the Senate Commerce Committee that her priories if she joins CPSC will be completing Section 104 switches, strengthening the agency’s import surveillance work, and expanding its education efforts.

Senators Call for Congenial CPSC at Robinson Hearing
Recent unanimous CPSC votes drew praise from Senators at the May 10 nomination hearing for Marietta Robinson.

Pryor Suggests Look of CPSIA Database Protections
Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) May 10 urged a meeting among his staff, that of Sen. Kay Baily Hutchinson (R-Texas), and CPSCers familiar with the CPSIA database.

Cooking and Play Rank High in Newest USFA Fire Injury Data
While cooking was the top cause of residential building fires in 2008 to 2010 that resulted in injuries, playing with heat source ranked highest for injuries per event.

CPSC Challenges ASTM Playground Equipment Proposal
CPSC will raise concerns about proposed changes to ASTM F1497-11, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playgrounds, to exempt non-traditional units not specified in the section from certain requirements.

DOT and Others Target Odorant Fade in LP Gas
The Department of Transportation (DOT), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and nine fire-related associations and groups May 9 discussed engaging in a multi-pronged approach to target under-odorization and odorant fade in liquefied petroleum (LP) gas tanks.

JPMA Seeks Longer Phase-In for Upcoming Stroller Proposal
An ASTM F15.17 task group May 7 discussed a Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) recommendation that CPSC extend from six- to 24-months an effective period in an upcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) for strollers.

EU Suggests Reasons for 2011 RAPEX Drop
DG-Sanco May 8 attributed the 2011 decline in RAPEX reports to numerous causes.

ECHA Wants Feedback on Phthalates Risk
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) seeks comments by July 31 on its review of scientific evidence of risks posed by the phthalates DINP and DIDP.

CPSC Briefs
Briefs on Privacy Act, recalls, meetings

Other Federal Briefs
Briefs on car seats, tanning devices.

Standards & Testing Briefs
Briefs on ASTM standards, UL standards.

Foreign & International Briefs
Briefs on cosmetics, EU policy, X-ray scanners, mandatory reporting, recalls, RAPEX.

Tenenbaum Weighs in on Ertl Decision
from the May 7 issue
CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum April 27 termed “an excellent precedent” the decision by Ertl in its recent lead-content petition not to seek a total exemption but rather only approval to meet the previous limit.

CPSC Staff Empathize over State-Level Problems but Cite Limited Power
from the May 7 issue
CPSC staffers April 25 expressed sympathy but limited ability to address an inflatables maker’s concerns about inconsistencies among federal and state rules.

USFA Data Show Cooking as Top Cause of Confined House Fires
from the May 7 issue
Cooking accounted for 45% of residential building fires according to an April 26 report from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).

White House Order Eyes International Regulatory Harmonization
from the May 7 issue
A May 1 executive order from President Barack Obama targets U.S. harmonization with international standards.

Commission Votes for Third-Party Testing Items
from the May 7 issue
Commissioners April 27 cast two 4-0 ballot votes to move forward proposals on third party testing.

EU Panel Looks at GPSD, RAPEX and More
from the May 7 issue
The EU General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) committee in Brussels recently discussed the following.

EU Committee Looks at Standards and More
from the May 7 issue
The European Commission’s Consumer Safety Network (CSN) in Brussels recently discussed the following:

CPSC Updates CPSIA Webpage
from the May 7 issue
CPSC’s recent updated to its webpage for the CPSIA includes a three-step process for finding requirements.

CPSC Reveals First Targets of Regulatory Review
from the April 30 issue
Third-party testing burdens, animal testing and toy caps would be the first targets of CPSC’s regulatory review project.

Adler Warns of Broad Interpretation of Ertl Decision
from the April 30 issue
CPSC member Robert Adler April 25 cautioned against reading too much into the commission’s recent unanimous decision to grant a 100 parts per million (ppm) lead content exemption.

ASTM Reviews Bunk Bed Standards
from the April 30 issue
ASTM ‘s F15.30 subcommittee April 17 discussed comments and concerns about current bunk bed specifications.

May 18, 2012

GENERAL INTEREST

Capitalism Is Still the Best System There Is
Financial Times (London, England)
Are capitalists clinical psychopaths?

Keeping Kids Safe from Swallowing Dangerous Items
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Curious children will put anything in their mouths.

Reported Increase in Older Adult Fall Deaths Due to Improved Coding
Newswise (Charlottesville, Va.)
The recent dramatic increase in the fall death rate in older Americans is likely the effect of improved reporting quality, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.


AMUSEMENT RIDES

Inflatable Slide Recall May Lead to Lawsuits‎
Reuters (New York, N.Y.)
The Banzai Splash inflatable slide is being recalled after reports of severe injuries and one death.


BEAUTY, COSMETICS & PERSONAL CARE

New Sunscreen Guide: 1 in 4 Products Deemed Safe
WebMD (New York, N.Y.)
With warmer weather on the way, the Environmental Working Group has just released a new edition of their popular sunscreen guide.


HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS & CLEANING PRODUCTS

Harmful Household Chemicals Must Be Banned – Health Before Commerce
The Guardian (London, England)
It has emerged that chemicals found in everyday household products may be contributing to rising rates of cancer, diabetes, brain diseases and fertility problems.


-----------------------------------------

May 17, 2012

GENERAL INTEREST

Health Canada Has Warnings for Garage Salers
CBC (Toronto, Ontario)
Just in time for summer, product safety officers with Health Canada are warning second-hand store owners and garage salers about safety regulations.

Child Products Tested for Safety
WJTX (Jacksonville, Fla.)
When Consumer Reports releases its studies and reviews on different products, we always let you know how things rank.


RECENT CPSC RECALL NOTICES

Boys' Hooded Jackets for Drawstrings


BIKES, SKATES, SCOOTERS, ETC.

The Ride of Silence: a Loud Cry for Bicycle Safety
Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Textbooks will tell you that statistics are the basis for most public health decisions


ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS AND DEVICES

Children at Risk as "Button" Battery Use Grows: Study
Reuters (New York, N.Y.)
Children face a growing risk from "button" batteries, according to a U.S. study showing a near doubling of emergency room visits in the past two decades as the objects can cause electrical or chemical burns if swallowed.


JUVENILE PRODUCTS & CHILDCARE ITEMS

My Kid's Pacifier Could Hurt Him. It's Worrying -- to a Point.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel) (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Some of the longest-lasting relics of my kids’ infancies and toddlerhoods have been their pacifiers and their sippy cups.


LEAD

Dems: GOP Budget Puts Kids at Risk on Lead Poisoning
The Hill (Washington, D.C.)
A group of House Democrats blasted Republicans Monday for budget language that pared back an effort against lead poisoning.


SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Watch Out For Toxic Chemicals In School Supplies, Public Told
Manila Buletin (Manila Philippines)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised the public yesterday to buy school supplies only from reputable vendors and those that are properly labeled.


TOYS

HK Firm Ensures Toy Safety with PLM Tool
Toy World (Framingham, Mass.)
Toys are fun to play with, but making them is serious business.


-----------------------------------------

May 16, 2012

ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS AND DEVICES

Swallowed Battery Hazards: ER Visits Double
MSNBC (New York, N.Y.)
Every three hours a child shows up in a U.S. emergency room with a battery that’s been swallowed or placed in the mouth, ears or nose, a new study shows.


JUVENILE PRODUCTS & CHILDCARE ITEMS

Everyday Baby Items Can Cause Serious Injury
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Of all the things parents worry about, the safety of bottles, binkies and sippy cups is not usually high on the list.


Product Safety Letter Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Product Safety Letter is turning 40. The inaugural issue was April 3, 1972. The lead story was on consideration by the FDA Bureau of Product Safety of warning symbols in ads for hazardous products. Other stories covered...

The Safer Products Database – What’s in It and What Does It Tell Us?
Lee L. Bishop and Steve McGonegal

Along with the new product testing and certification requirements and the adoption of several new standards for various juvenile products, 2011 was notable for the March 11th launch of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) public information database, available at SaferProducts.gov. The database contains reports of product-related injuries and other incidents provided by consumers, health care and child care providers, consumer advocacy groups, attorneys, and other third parties.


Obama Nominates Robinson to CPSC
Product Safety Letter staf

Marietta S. Robinson is President Barack Obama’s nominee for CPSC commissioner, the White House announced January 23.


ISO 10377 Provides Guidance to Create Safe Products
Mark Kinzie

Safety, especially product safety, can mean different things to different people. To an engineer, it’s hazard analysis. To a risk manager, it’s loss control. To a regulator, it’s compliance. To a lawyer, it’s liability. To the working group that created ISO 10377, it was orchestrating all views into one practical methodology that will turn out a safe, reliable consumer product every time.



Home | Subscribe | Login | Search | Contact Us

Publishing Systems Powered by Internet Production, Inc.

Search
Advanced Search