A Challenge to Lumber Liquidators’ Tests
April 17, The New York Times
Three California consumers file suit in federal court accusing company of hiring unaccredited lab for consumer testing of formaldehyde. Company calls suit “entirely without merit.”
ROV Industry Fighting Pending Safety Regulations it Says Could Backfire
April 5, 2015, Fox News
With the growing popularity of off-road vehicles, CPSC has proposed regulations that will force ROVs to perform more like cars in an effort to reduce the number of accidents. Industry says rules directed to paved road use can have negative impact on off-road use that’s intended.
Target Says Items Violating Safety Regulations Never Hit Shelves
April 8, 2015, ABC-Kstp.com
Retailer says problems sited in report were caught as a result of 3rd party testing and “never made it to the store’s shelves.” Company says its own branded products are “tested more frequently than required to ensure compliance with federal and state laws.”
Bloomberg Product Safety Article Misses the Mark; U.S. Product Safety Economy Safer Than Ever
April 10, 2015, Lexocology
Article reaches “an incorrect conclusion,” attorney says, about toys and the overall safety of consumer products in the U.S. He notes that CPSC, itself, reports that toy recalls “remain low”.
Canada’s food safety system praised for quality assurance, product controls
April 16, 2015, The Western Producer
WHO study finds country’s food safety system one of tops in the world, while Conference Board ranks its performance first among 17 countries in OECD> Food Safety Information Network improves response times from laboratories and regulators.
Cot Company Owner Given Suspended Sentence at Amersham Crown Court
April 14, 2015, Bucks Free Press, UK
Judge says that “lack of intent” to cause injury in supply “potentially deadly cots” enabled her to suspend a jail sentence. Guilty please results in business owner getting suspension of 3-month sentence after he pleaded guilty to a charge of placing an unsafe product on the market – contrary to the General Product Safety Regulations.
Fears over Roundup Herbicide Residues Prompt Private Testing; NDSU Agronomist Reports Traces in Flour
April 10, 2015, Agweek
U.S. consumer groups, scientists and food companies are testing food substances for possible links to disease. Request for glyphosate tests spikes after WHO unit classifies it as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Blog: How to Ensure Long-Term Success with Risk-Based Product Design
April 6, 2015, Design News
A standards-based approach may meet regulatory requirements, but it does not do a complete job of mitigating overall risk. Risk-based design considers the broader impact of a product on manufacturers and the general public.
Hong Kong’s Clashes Over Mainland Shoppers Show Rising Cultural Tensions With China
April 8, 2015, International Business Times
Growing number of Chinese mainlanders cross border to Hong Kong to purchase products and take back for resale. “Parallel traders” clogging city’s infrastructure is creating backlash.
State Attorneys General ask Congress to Probe Supplement Industry
April 15, 2015, Lexocology
Fourteen staff officials sent a letter calling on Congress to conduct a broad investigation into the herbal supplements industry, which they state is less rigorously regulated than pharmaceutical products. This letter is consistent with mounting efforts by states to take enforcement action against a class of products regulated nationally by the FDA.
