Office Depot Agrees to Pay $3.4 Million Dollar Civil Penalty
May 27, 2015, CPSC News Release
CPSC charges retailer knowingly failed to report 186 incidents of failure and, in some cases, injuries in 2 models. The company agreed it “has, and shall maintain, a compliance program designed to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act and a related system of internal controls and procedures.”
Ruling Creates Pause on New York county ‘Toxic Toys’ Law
May 14, 2015, Times Union
Federal judge grants motion to stay Albany Country’s law banning the sale of “toxic toys” and other children’s products containing certain chemicals. Pause gives county a chance to address concerns raised by toy industry law suit, and develop regulations to show how law would work.
California Adds BPA to Prop 65 List
May 11, 2015, State of California , OEHHA
State scientific panel, in its capacity as the “state’s qualified experts,” votes unanimously to add bisphenol A (BPA) “to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause reproductive toxicity for purposes of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.”
The Age of Viral Recalls Is Just Beginning
May 27, 2015, The Huffington Post
Are we in the midst of an epidemic of product recalls? No, says one observer, but the rules have changed. Products are actually safer than ever, but the rules have changed. We’re in an age where PR consequences can force a company to over compensate as a result of viral media taking off.
Navigating Product Recalls re: Takata Vehicle Recall
May 29, 2015, The National Law Review
Recalls are in the news as much as ever. The Takata airbag recall has ballooned to 34 million vehicles, making 2015 the largest year on record, surpassing 2014’s record as the highest in recalled units. Allocating risks through the supply chain is more challenging, and fighting between OEMs and suppliers over blame helps no one. Instead, the focus should be on customers.
Why Automakers so Frequently Botch Product Recalls
May 26, 2015, Conversation US
A former auto executive turned academic describes why the dilemmas facing companies and executives are sometimes not quite so clear cut as they might seem in a public arena: “Recommend recall when you don’t know what’s failing? Not very likely. Recommend recall when you don’t have convincing evidence of a pattern? I don’t think so.”
Congress to Hold New Takata Air Bag Hearing
May 26, 2015, The Detroit News
A House panel will hold a hearing on the record setting recall of nearly 34 million vehicles with potentially defective air bags by 11 automakers. The purpose of the hearing is “to better understand the problems leading to the safety recall.”
Complexity of E-commerce Supply Chain Raises the Stakes For Manufacturers
May 26, 2015, Packaging World
With over 130,000 U.S. businesses selling products on line, and an annual growth rate of 6%, manufacturers must address challenges in shipping, communicating with 3rd party retailers, and secondary packaging marketing.
Tightening Supply Chain Security Yields Many Benefits
February 17, 2015, Supply Chain Brain
As companies face a wide range of security risks to their supply chain, as well as their sources of supply, they need a strategy to overcome vulnerabilities. It begins with a deep understanding of their internal and external supply chains, and the ability to quantify the likelihood and impact of security threats.
