CRITICS' ATTENTION TO CPSC INTENSIFIES Three congressional hearings in two weeks, negative profiles in major newspapers, reinvigorated and resentful consumer advocates – all building momentum from each other – mean CPSC is facing the type of Washington-style orchestrated criticism that it has not seen for years.
BAROODY’S 5/24 REVIEW STILL SET; CONFLICT ALLEGED The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, as of Product Safety Letter’s deadline, still had Michael Baroody’s confirmation hearing scheduled for May 24.
CONSUMER AND INDUSTRY SOUGHT CONSENSUS ON ATVs Meetings in March between consumer advocates and ATV industry representative have led to some consensus on safety goals, but there remain areas of major disagreement.
TABLE SAW MAKERS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT DESIGN STANDARD Table saw manufacturers May 8 expressed concern in two meetings with Commissioners Nancy Nord and Thomas Moore about de facto design standards stemming from a rulemaking.
CPSC WARNS OF ELECTRIC COUNTERFEITS CPSC’s May 9 message for National Electrical Safety Month focused on counterfeits, which the agency warned can cause fires, explosions, shocks and electrocutions.
ASTM LAUDS RESPONSE SPEED ON MAGNET RISKS ASTM May 7 highlighted the fact that it took about nine months from the creation of a task group on magnetic toys to the approval of a revised safety standard.
EU WANTS FEEDBACK ON TOY DIRECTIVE REVISIONS The EU Enterprise and Industry Directorate General seeks comments by June 30 on possible revisions to the Directive on the Safety of Toys (88/378/EEC).
EU REPORT URGES MORE EMF HEALTH ASSESSMENTS An EU risk-assessment committee is urging more research on the potential health effects from electromagnetic fields (EMF), including from consumer products like mobile phones, video display units and household appliances.
CANADIAN GROUP CALLS FOR STRONGER ANTI-FAKES EFFORT The Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network May 7 called for increased government coordination to fight counterfeits, improvement of related border-protection efforts and enactment of strengthened intellectual property laws.
U.K. SEEKS QUADRICYCLE SAFETY REVIEW The U.K. Department for Transport May 8 said that it is seeking a review of safety standards for motorized quadricycles, including at the EU level.
CPSC BRIEFS Briefs on car seats, stools, emergency lights, carpet tiles, glassware, lamps, fireworks, soccer goals, CPSC meetings.
OTHER FEDERAL BRIEFS Briefs on personal protection gear, electronic waste, car seats, mold.
