CPSC reaches second civil penalty agreement in as many weeks; Sunbeam Products to pay $4.5 million to resolve late reporting allegations
June 6, 2016, The National Law Review (Mintz Levin)
The CPSC is set to announce yet another civil penalty. Sunbeam Products d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions has agreed to resolve charges that it knowingly failed to immediately report certain defects and an unreasonable risk of serous injury involving some of the company’s coffeemakers.
Statement of Commissioner Joseph P. Mohorovic regarding the Commissioner’s provisional civil penalty settlement with Sunbeam Products, Inc. D/B/A Jarden Consumer Solutions
June 6, 2016, cpsc.gov
The Commissioner returns to “…a familiar cry. We are insufficiently rigorous in our penalty calculations, with the results being a penalty settlement that I feel is too high and unsupported by the facts.” He doesn’t disagree that Jarden had a reporting obligation, “and that the company took too long to fulfill that obligation.” He cites a penalty involving more serious injuries to children that had a lower penalty.
Congress passes landmark chemical regulations reform
June 10, 2010, National Law Review (Barnes and Thornburg LLP)
By a voice vote, the U.S. Senate approved a sweeping bipartisan amendment to the federal law regulating chemical manufacturing and use, the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). The measure, known as the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576) already passed the U.S. House of Representative with broad bipartisan majorities and now will reach the White House where President Obama is expected to sign the legislation into law.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission seeks action against Dr. Reddy’s
June 9, 2016, Business Standard
The commission alleges the drug maker failed to report a ‘non-compliance, defect, unreasonable risk’ relating to blister packs as is legally required. The agency asked the U.S. Department of Justice to seek civil penalties from Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Limited in a five-year old case related to non-reporting of a possible hazard posed to children from non-child resistant packaging for five prescription drugs. The Commission’s vote was 4-1 favorable to pursuing the charges and recommend the action covering penalties and other remedial measures.
After tip-over deaths, Casey proposes mandatory safety standards for dressers
June 9, 2016, GMT Philly (phily.com)
Citing the “alarming number of children” killed in furniture tip-overs, Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Bob Casey introduced legislation that would force all dresser manufacturers to meet the same stability standard. The senator, citing the deaths of 3 toddlers since 2014 who died when their Ikea MALM dressers toppled onto them, said major companies are taking advantage of the fact that the current standard is voluntary. The STURDY Act – short for Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth – would give the CPSC the ability to streamline the typically onerous process for mandating a safety standard.
Some companies break ranks to halt risk of kids dying from window cords
June 9, 2016, alternet.org
(Story reported by FairWarning, a non-profit news organization focused on public health, safety, and environmental issues). This spring SelectBlinds.com did something once unheard of in the window-covering industry: it stopped selling blinds and shades with pull cords. Over the last 30 years, corded window coverings have killed or injured hundreds of children. Now a few companies from the industry have started breaking ranks. CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye called the decision by SelectBlinds.com “a great step forward for safety.” In recent months, big box chains including Target and Ikea have stopped selling corded blinds and shades.
And it all came tumbling down
June 6, 2016, MicroScope
Products in all areas of life are being recalled. That includes the computing and IT areas, and the risks posed by products in this channel, and all of levels of its supply chain. So consider the recent recalls of battery packs from Sony (March, 2016 – risk of overheating), Toshiba (January, 2016 – fire hazard), and Fujitsu (August, 2015 – fire hazard). These issues affect the UK and extend beyond it to the EU.
The Takata airbag recall is now a full-blown crisis
June 10, 2016, Fortune
While 70 million vehicles in the U.S. have been recalled by Takata to fix potentially life-saving airbags, only 8 million have actually been fixed. U.S. regulators estimate the fixes could take 2 years to complete. Honda is at the center of the recall with some 10 million Honda and Acura cars recalled. The largest safety recall in America’s history has drawn the ire of safety advocates and Congress.
U.S. and European footwear industries unite, urging meaningful provision in trans-Atlantic trade pact
June 8, 2016, 4-Traders.com
Three trade associations representing the U.S. and European footwear industries issued a joint statement urging the United States and the European Union to eliminate footwear trade barriers in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP). Harmonization of footwear standards and regulations and duty free access will reduce cost and add benefits to members and their customers according to one of the association leaders. CPSC Commissioner Joseph Mohorovic was present to witness the signing.
FDA moves too slowly on food recalls, report finds
June 9, 2016, nbcnews.com
The Office of Inspector General at the Health and Human Services Department found that it took a producer of Hispanic-style cheese more than 2 months to recall listeria-contaminated products. The report says that the Food and Drug Administration often moves too slowly on recalls, letting companies take their time in recalling contaminated food, and leading the public uninformed and in danger.
