CPSC warns consumers to stop using Summer Infant USA’s SwaddleMe By Your Bed sleeper
January 16, 2020, cpsc.gov
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently warned the public about infant inclined sleepers. Now CPSC is warning consumers about Summer Infant, Inc.’s SwaddleMe By Your Bed Sleeper. Based on CPSC staff’s evaluation of the product, how it is used, and outside expert analysis, CPSC staff believes that the Summer Infant SwaddleMe By Your Bed Sleeper puts infants at risk of suffocation. Although CPSC is not aware of any incidents or deaths involving the Summer Infant SwaddleMe By Your Bed Sleeper, CPSC urges consumers to stop using the product immediately.
Some parents illegally selling recalled baby sleepers
January 16, 2020, WRAL
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently issued an urgent recall of inclined infant sleepers, but it appears many people either still don’t know about it, or just don’t realize the level of danger. Dozens of infants have died in the sleepers after suffocating, yet parents are still using them. 5 On Your Side found plenty of people reselling them online.
EPA looks at 3D printing emissions with CPSC
January 14, 2020, Material, Handling, Logistics
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is increasing its scrutiny of 3D printing emissions just as recent predictions say the technology is just beginning to revolutionize manufacturing and the supply chain. Working in cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), EPA is studying possible harmful emissions that are emitted during the 3D printing process. Also conducting research on 3D printer nanomaterials is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
2020 CPSC outlook: A busy year unlikely
December 17, 2019, The National Law Review
As 2020 dawns – and with it jokes about perfect vision – the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is feeling its way through a foggy vision of its future, but there are a few signs in view for CPSC-regulated companies. The CPSC’s future, of course, hinges on what its leadership will look like, and that is an open question.
Counterfeits hitting home: Consumers are being foiled by fake water filters
January 15, 2020, Fair Warning
For years, Montreal resident Brent George bought replacement water filters for his refrigerator from a local appliance store. Then one time he turned to Amazon, where he often shopped for other products. Besides being more convenient, the online filters he selected — sold by a third party and not by manufacturer Whirlpool — were also cheaper. Ultimately, George got more than he expected: an introduction to the hidden and potentially harmful world of counterfeit refrigerator water filters. Many consumers may be unaware of the risk of buying fake filters online, but sources in law enforcement and the appliance industry say it’s significant — and likely growing.
How secrecy in U. S. courts hobbles regulators meant to protect the public
January 17, 2020, Reuters
Something wasn’t right with the Rhino. Reports started trickling in to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 2005 of people being killed or injured in the Yamaha Motor Co. off-road vehicles when they tipped over. But no clear pattern emerged, and in the rough and tumble off-road world, accidents are common. The agency took no action.
Lifting inaccurate CPSC disclosure legislation
January 17, 2020, The National Law Review
As we wrote last year when the U.S. House of Representatives was debating a series of bills on narrow issues related to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a broader push to reform the agency was likely to come in late 2019 or early 2020. Now, at least one shoe of that overhaul has dropped. Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) has introduced the “Safety Hazard and Recall Efficiency Information Act,” or the SHARE Information Act (H.R. 5565), which would make two significant changes to the CPSC’s primary organic statute, the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA)
Editorial: You shouldn’t have to wait years to learn that a product you bought might endanger your child’s life
January 15, 2020, Chicago Sun Times
When an unsafe product puts children’s lives at risk, the public ought to know about it, without delay. Americans should be able to trust that the consumer and household products they buy don’t pose a danger in their homes, especially to children. When Mom and Dad buy a dresser for their toddler, they shouldn’t have to worry that it could topple over and severely injure —perhaps even kill — their child.
Europe mulls tougher rules for artificial intelligence
January 17, 2020, Bloomberg (Yahoo Finance News)
The European Union is considering new legally binding requirements for developers of artificial intelligence in an effort to ensure modern technology is developed and used in an ethical way.
The EU’s executive arm is set to propose the new rules apply to “high-risk sectors,” such as healthcare and transport, and suggest the bloc updates safety and liability laws, according to a draft of a so-called “white paper” on artificial intelligence obtained by Bloomberg. The European Commission is due to unveil the paper in mid-February and the final version is likely to change.
Recent IoT class actions highlight the need for manufacturers & vendors of connected products to be aware of liability risks
January 15, 2020, JD Supra
“Smart” products are present in our everyday lives, including such standard products as refrigerators, watches, fire alarms, door locks, security systems, and fitness trackers. These are only a few examples of the many IoT products on the market today. However, in spite of the significant benefits provided by connected products, the new technology raises thorny legal issues and is leading to litigation.
