Safety group highlights recalls of children’s products in 2016
April 3, 2017, abc7chicago.com
The number of recalls of children’s product has increased, hitting the highest level since 2004, with 2016 showing a 12% increase alone. However, while praising the report which was issued by Kids in Danger, CPSC Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle noted that classification of products was of “concern” through such references as a “clothing storage unit” being classified by the report to be a “children’s product.”
Arkansas mother shares tragic story to promote safety in national campaign
April 5, 2017, kait8.com (ABC)
The tragic loss of a 2-year old daughter to a TV tip over has led an Arkansas mother to share her story in order to promote safety in a national campaign. The campaign, “Anchor It” was launched by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to alert parents and caregivers to the dangers of tip overs of furniture and televisions.
CPSC Safety Academy: Best Practices for Companies
cpsc.gov
Building safety into product design, developing a high performing and qualified supply chain, and being aware and knowledgable of the business and regulatory environment are some of the essentials for reducing risk and developing products that do not pose an unreasonable risk of injury or death. A list of best practices and suggestions by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission are offered through the agency’s Safety Academy by the CPSC Small Business Ombudsman.
Frustrations rise over millions of recalled dehumidifiers
April 4, 2017 WHTR (nbc)
Five months after a massive recall involving 3.5 million dehumidifiers that caused fires and millions of dollars in damage are still waiting for a replacement unit promised under terms of the recall. One consumer, who found his eight week promised replacement unit delivery time turn into twelve weeks, complained on air to a local television station that aired his grievance. His unit arrived shortly after.
Apparel and textiles rank third on EU product safety list
March 31, 2017, just-style.com
Apparel and textiles were the third-highest product category posing a risk to health and safety of European consumers last year, with China ranking as the number one offending country of origin. The figures are contained in an annual update of notifications under the Rapid Alert System (RAPEX). Toys remain the most notified category, followed by motor vehicles, while clothing, textiles and fashion items slipped from second to third place in the listing with 266 notifications, or 13% of the total.
CALIFORNIA:
>Proposition 65 reformulation of DEHP in consumer products
April 5, 2017, 4-traders.com
A number of Proposition 65 settlements involving DEHP, also known as bis(2-ethylexyl) phthalate, have been reached for a wide variety of products. Since the second half of 2016, alone, there have been a number of Prop 65 settlements requiring the reformulation of DEHP and/or a Prop 65 warning label in a wide variety of products.
>California adds new priority consumer product for Green Chemistry regulation
April 6, 2017, Morrison-Foerster
California’s Safer Consumer Products regulations, also known as the Green Chemistry Initiative has included Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Systems , used for insulation, roofing or sealants. This is the second priority product proposed for listing, following the inclusion of children’s foam-padded sleeping products with fire retardants.
Government to start Internet safety programme with Google
April 7, 2017, indiatvnews.com
India’s Food and Consumer Affairs agency has collaborated with Google India for raising awareness about internet safety among consumers. The digital initiatives include databases and transparency portals and grievance redressal mechanisms. A mobile application has been introduce for registering complaints in the National Consumer Helpline and web chat facilities have also been introduced.
Culture changes at VW may take time, HR chief says
March 30, 2017, reuters
Creating a new era of accountability at Volkswagen after its emissions scandal may take tike, as it requires radical changes to the German carmaker’s decades-old corporate structure, according to their Human Resource director. Some investors think the task is made harder by a tightly-knit ownership dominated by the company’s founding families and home state of lower Saxony.
Poland: Tougher controls of product safety
April 3, 3017, Lexology (Eversheds Sutherland International LLC)
Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is the watch dog for compliance with consumers’ rights, monitoring products for their adherence to basic requirements. In 2015, at the agency’s request, trade inspectors conducted 15,825 inspections of products, including knitwear, toys, beds, garden furniture, and children’s eating utensils.
