A Grateful Group Salutes Product Safety Professionals
A grateful group of industry associations and safety advocates pause to thank the community of product safety professionals who have worked so hard over the past year to design, make, and sell safe products during one of the most challenging periods in our history.
E-Scooter-Related Injuries Are On The Rise; CPSC Releases New Study And Public Service Announcement
September 16, 2020, CPSC
Use of micromobility products, including e-scooters, hoverboards, and e-bikes, has grown in popularity in recent years. Injuries and deaths associated with their use have also increased, says a new report released by the CPSC.
Glass Tables Cause 2.5 million Injuries Annually
September 15, 2020, Science Daily
Faulty glass in tables cause serious injuries, according to a Rutgers study, which offers evidence that stricter federal regulations are needed to protect consumers. The study was recently published in the American Journal of Surgery.
Mom Warns Of Trampoline Dangers As Daughter Recovers From Accident
September 14, 2020, People
A Pennsylvania mom warns about the dangers of trampolines after her 13-year-old daughter was paralyzed from the chest down after falling while jumping. Mary Maloney’s family hopes her paralysis will not be permanent.
Innovate with Urgency — Even When There’s No Crisis
September 18, 2020, Harvard Business Review
We’ve seen that we can innovate quickly when we’re faced with a major existential crisis like the coronavirus, but how do senior leaders create a sense of urgency for major innovations like systems introductions, new product rollouts, major process shifts, and the like? Because the truth is that these major change initiatives are urgent and existential; it’s just that they don’t always feel that way. There are three ways leaders can make that sense of urgency more apparent: 1) Engage in small experiments; 2) Set “zesty” goals; and 3) Get personally involved.
First Amendment Litigation And California’s Proposition 65 – Conversation With Trenton Norris
September 15, 2020, National Law Review
Since Prop 65 affects speech, it implicates the 1st Amendment. It is established that businesses have free speech and that compelling speech (mandated notices or warnings), just like prohibiting speech, must meet First Amendment standards.
The No. 1 Emerging Litigation Risk? – “Forever Chemicals”
September 17, 2020, Insurance Journal
The top emerging litigation risk identified for the year ahead is PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals” used in a wide variety of products such as Teflon, Scotchgard, food containers, firefighting foam and ski wax, said the co-founders of Praedicat, the Los Angeles-based liability risk analytics company.
IKEA Underlines Commitment To Child’s Play As It Joins The Toy Association
September 16, 2020, Toy News
IKEA has highlighted its commitment to the toy space by joining the Toy Association a its newest member. The international brand is now among around 1,000 manufacturers, distributors, and retailers that make up the organization’s membership.
Pool & Hot Tub Alliance Issues Call For User-Consumer Members Of Standards Consensus Committee
September 16, 2020, EIN Presswire
The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) announced today that it has expanded its interest categories and is currently seeking User-Consumer interest category participants to serve on the Standards Consensus Committee (SCC) official consensus voting body. The SCC is responsible for reviewing and voting on all pool and hot tub performance standards to be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Study Finds Australia’s Product Safety System Failing Kids
September 12, 2020, Brisbane Times
Australia is relying too heavily on product recalls to keep children safe, instead of proactively keeping unsafe items off the shelves, a Queensland researcher says. QUT’s Catherine Niven examined how Australia deals with product recalls compared to other countries, in particular to the United States.
Blue Bell Ordered To Pay Record Fine Of $17.25M Over Listeria Outbreak
September 17, 2020, Houston Business Journal
A federal court in Texas sentenced ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries LP to pay $17.25 million in criminal penalties for shipments of contaminated products linked to a 2015 listeriosis outbreak. According to the Justice Department, the $17.25 million fine and forfeiture amount is the largest-ever criminal penalty following a conviction in a food safety case.
Supply Chain Disruptions Strengthen ‘Made In USA’
September 18, 2020, Home World Business
In the report, “The End of Made in China? A Potential Wave of Moving Sourcing out of China Amid Rising Tensions,” Coresight Research pointed out that 22.8% of consumers strongly agreed with the statement U.S. retailers should source fewer products from China, and 25% agreed. Only 6.3% strongly disagreed, 13.6% disagreed and 29.1% neither agreed nor disagreed, while 3.2% didn’t know.
