CPSC approves adult apparel enforcement discretion to reduce paperwork
March 4, 2016, cpsc.gov
Effective March 25, 2016, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that it “will not pursue compliance or enforcement action against makers, importers, or private labelers of certain adult apparel determined exempt from testing under CPSC’s flammability standards for not having a general conformity certificate (GCC) for adult wearing apparel. The new enforcement policy was unanimously approved by the 5-member commission, which also noted that wearing apparel must still comply with all flammability requirements under the Flammability Fabrics Act.
THREE ANGLES ON “MADE IN CHINA” TRADING AND MEDIA TRENDS
>Media-driven attitudes about ‘Made in China’ label affect product and country
March 4, 2016, Phys.org
A recent CDC report that it had underestimated formaldehyde health risks posed by Chinese-made laminate flooring is another development shaping American attitudes about imports from that country. An Iowa State University professor says the “Made in China” label has become synonymous with low cost and low quality. A study shows how media framing of stories about China can affect readers’ attitudes on the risks versus benefits of Chinese-made products.
>Beware Ides of March: Consumer products and challenges of professional consumers in China
March 4, 2014, The National Law Review
Sophisticated companies know to be especially circumspect in advance of March 15, when “World Consumer Rights Day” descends on China. The observance of this day began in 1983 in honor of a speech by President Kennedy on March 15, 1962, when he proclaimed that the American consumer had the right to safety, choice, information, and to be heard. Today, the day’s focus brings extensive media exposure on China Central Television and government scrutiny of substandard products and companies marketing them as potential challenges from “professional consumers.” Not surprisingly, foreign firms and their products get increased attention at this time.
>Lumber Liquidators: A letter to our customers
March, 2016, lumberliquidators.com
The flooring retailer explains to its customers that it has not sold since May, 2015 certain Chinese-sourced laminated floor that contained formaldehyde that resulted in elevated risks of cancer. An initial report by the Center for Disease Control called the risk “negligible” and then discovered it had made a basic math error that, when corrected, tripled the risk it had originally calculated. While the elevated risk level did not suggest an immediate life-endangering threat, there were “screaming headlines” in the media that resulted in a “muddled” response from the company.
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Why colleges are banning hoverboards from campus
March 3, 2016, mlive.com
As the list of bans on the presence of hoverboards on college campuses grow, some universities have differing responses to the threat posed by the product due to fire and injury. Michigan’s Grand Valley State University has a Risk Management Advisory Committee that approved a partial ban on the two-wheeled, self-balancing scooters applying only to their use and storage in campus residence halls and apartments. “ Additional campus restrictions will be considered in the future,” according to a campus spokesman. In contrast, a mid-Tennessee university has announced a ban on the use, possession or storage of the self-balancing scooters across campus until safety standards are developed and implemented for the device.
Blog: New chemical mapping technique could help fill big gaps in safety knowledge
March 3, 2016, scienceblogs.com
A Johns Hopkins University professor of toxicology has taken the EU’s REACH database, considered the world’s largest and richest data base of its type, and designed a computer program that uses the data to predict the toxicity of the thousands of chemicals for which there is little or no data. The map has the potential for reducing safety testing costs by its predictive features applied to the toxicity of 90,000 chemical substances in consumer products for which there is no safety data.
Australia: MBIE not concerned product a safety risk
March 4, 2016, scoop.com
An Australian Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment press release says the state agency is not concerned that a safety risk exists in newly-built homes where steel-mesh products for strengthening concrete flooring does not meet Australia/New Zealand standards (AS/NZ 4671:2001). An investigation is underway based on the lack of conformity and the Commerce Commission is advising that the product not be used in concrete slabs that haven’t yet been poured.
Chartiers Valley mulls safety concerns of synthetic turf
February 26, 2016, TribLive.com
A Pittsburgh area school board has been considering replacing its synthetic turf playing fields following the release of an ESPN video “The Turf War: Synthetic Turf Safety to Play On?” There is uncertainty due to limited research on the potential hazard, which has led to a federal announcement that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have partnered to study health questions tied to the use of recycled tire rubber, known as crumb rubber, in synthetic turf. The school board estimates it would cost $400,000 to replace its current playing field synthetic turf.
Businesses address weak links in supply chain to boost productivity
March 3, 2016, pandct.com
Large employers can boost their productivity levels by improving the management and leadership skills across their supply chain, according to a UK Commission for Employment and Skills. In an innovative series of productivity projects, the Commission promoted such techniques as coaching and mentoring, along with other training programs to improve management practices.
Editorial: It’s time to regulate e-cigarettes
March 4, 2016, The Los Angeles Times
A disturbing tendency to spontaneously combust has led the Los Angeles Times to call for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to start regulating the e-cigarette industry. Lithium ion rechargeable batteries, suspected to be the cause of fires in hoverboards that can overheat during recharging, are also used in e-cigarettes. The batteries are suspected to be the cause of fires that have erupted in e-cigarette chambers, and causing dozens of people to suffer serious burns and disfigurement.
Next generation public safety
March 2, 2016, Emergency Management
Ten years from now, the worlds of public safety and emergency management will look like what’s on TV today. The Internet of Things will be making new wearable technologies that will help locate a firefighter in an emergency situation. It will also be possible to generate power with the body’s own movements through a range of body fabrics that can eliminate the need for hauling extra batteries and chargers.
