Lumber Liquidators agrees to $2.5 million settlement with California clean air agency
March 22, 2016, reuters.com
The company said it has reached a settlement with the California Air Resources Board to resolve an inquiry into its laminate flooring products sourced from China. It agreed to pay $2.5 million to the agency to resolve the matter, concluding the review by California with no formal finding of violation or admission of wrong doing by Lumber Liquidators. The company’s shares rose as much as 15.6% following the announcement in a regulatory filing.
CPSC: Record $15.45 million settlement from manufacturer
March 24, 2016, cpsc.gov
Three different Gree Electric entities reached a provisional settlement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission for the sale of dehumidifiers under 13 different brand names that posed unreasonable risk of serious injury to consumers. Fact patterns that drove the civil penalty included: failure to report, making misrepresentations to CPSC staff, and falsely displaying UL safety certificates on their products. The settlement is provisional until the public has had an opportunity to comment. Commissioner Joseph Mohorovic, who voted to accept the agreement, voiced reservations that too few of the “compelling facts” were reflected in the public-facing settlement statement.
NFL: Deeply flawed concussion research and ties to big tobacco
March 24, 2016, The New York Times
Confidential data obtained by the Times shows that more than 100 diagnosed concussions were omitted from a highly touted NFL study, making the rate of concussions appear less frequent than they actually were. League officials acknowledge that they did not make clear that “clubs were not required to submit their data and not every club did.” A neuropsychologist says that by excluding so many concussions, “you’re not doing science here, you are putting forth some idea that you already have.” Ties between the NFL and tobacco industry organizations and lobbyists indicate sharing information and strategies in dealing with critics.
CPSC Commissioner Buerkle: Cautions against ‘one size fits all’ regulatory approach
March 17, 2016, Blog by Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle
In remarks at a recent Toy Industry Association conference, CPSC Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle said that “as a government regulatory agency we should proceed with caution. While regulations are a necessary part of government, we must take a reasonable and balanced approach.” Her blog describes her visit to the annual toy fair in New York City.
CPSC Commissioner Robinson: Why she urged Commission to revise previous Delegation of Authority
March 1, 2016, The Robinson Report, cpsc.gov
During the recent ICPHSO (International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization) product safety symposium, Commissioner Marietta Robinson explained her rational for revising a previous Delegation of Authority approved by the Commission in 1981. In that revision, approved by the Commission, it was stated that voluntary correction action plans for cases in which a death has occurred (Category A classification) be approved by the Commission, while also delegating to the Executive Director the authority to approve voluntary Corrective Action Plans in cases where hazards were determined to be in the categories B, C, or D. The definition of category A hazards are those where a “risk of death or grievous injury or illness is likely or very likely, or serious injury or illness is very likely.” Since 1999, she notes, there has not been a single hazard that staff determined was a “Class A”, even in cases involving a very serious hazard.
Fewer children’s products recalled, but too many still in use
March 22, 2016, Chicago Sun Times
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said “this past year was the lowest rate of children’s product recalls that we’ve seen n probably 10-15 years, so we’re very happy about that.” But she cautioned that there is still danger in the marketplace at a press conference where a report released by advocacy group Kids In Danger showed that of each product being recalled, only 8% of units were being taken out of use.
Australia: CHOICE calls for cot mattress firmness test to be made mandatory
March 23, 2016, Sidney Morning Herald
Three well-known brand name cot mattresses failed a safety check designed to reduce the risk of infant suffocation, prompting calls from consumer group CHOICE to make Australia’s voluntary “firmness” test mandatory. The companies vowed to further investigate their products that failed the test as Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission prepares to review the cot standard this year.
Blog: Applauding agency action on recycled rubber and artificial turf
March 23, 2016, The Hill
Three industry spokespersons praised the announcement of a comprehensive study by the federal government on the safety of recycled rubber infill used in thousands of artificial turf fields across the country. Due to the public discourse on the topic being ‘fraught with misconception,’ the bloggers note that they “reaffirm that…existing studies clearly show that these products are safe and have no link to any health issue,” while at the same time supporting additional research by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Stamford boosts water safety with help from Federal Grant
March 22, 2016, greenwichtime.com
The Connecticut city is one of 5 municipalities receiving money from a new program announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission targeting swimming pool safety. The CPSC is distributing $780,000 to help local governments enforce the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Act of 2007. Stamford received $131,000 in grant funds to support children swim safety education programs, as well as to train health and recreation staff in water safety skills to pass on to the public.
Australia goes beyond recall, bans hoverboards
March 20, 2016, theregister.co.uk
Self balancing scooters, the source of numerous product alert notices in Australia are now subject to a wide-ranging ban from the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission. Ignoring the ban would put manufactures and retailers at risk of million dollar fines. The source of the scooter problems are lithium ion batteries which have the potential to explode or start fires. A French shipbuilder says that it’s not just scooters or other vehicles that are at risk due to the shoddy products offered by some producers. Japan submarines, a French executive claims, require a vessel packed with lithium batteries in order to win a competition for Australian ship orders, even though “there’s no proven lithium ion technology today.”
Hoverboards face new ban, but not for safety reasons
March 17, 2016, journal-news.com
The controversial scooter product is under fire again but not for safety violations. The U. S. International Trade Commission has issued a ban on “certain personal transporters” that infringe on a patent held by Segway, the company that created a two-wheel electric-powered vehicle. Thirteen companies were cited in a complaint filed with the Commission by Segway, leading to the international agency’s decision to institute a ban on the products.
Study from Irish Food Safety Authority Supports BPA safety, says American Chemicals Council
March 16, 2016, reuters.com
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has released a study that analyzed nearly 150 goods and beverages representative of the normal Irish diet for a range of chemicals, including bisphenol A (BPA) that is primarily used in connection with protective coatings for food and beverage cans. An official with the American Chemistry Council says that “based on compelling research, government bodies around the world have clearly stated that BPA is safe as used in food contact materials.”
Software, autonomous tech, raise vehicle recall stakes
March 17, 2089, wardsauto.com
Nascent advanced technology and safety systems already are showing up on vehicle recall lists and will become an increasing factor in industry warranty and compliance efforts, according to some experts. Based on one firm’s analysis, a typical luxury vehicle contains more than 1 billion lines of software code, compared to less than 1 million lines of code for the Space Shuttle, or 2 million lines for the average fighter jet.
