More fidget spinner incidents as concerns spread
Firefighter warning of fidget spinners after metal piece ends up in daughter’s stomach
June 9, 2017, Fox59TV
A new fad many kids have their hands on is prompting a warning from some firefighters. A Decatur Township fireman said a few minutes with a fidget spinner ended up with a trip to the hospital for his 9-year old daughter, when a small part broke off of the gadget and into her mouth. The incident prompted a statement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission: “CPSC is investigating reported incidents involving children and fidget spinners. We advise parents to keep these away from young children, because if a part liberates from the fidget spinner and is a small part they can choke on small parts. Warn older children not to put fidget spinners in their mouths. We urge consumers to report any incidents with this product to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.”
Your Fidget Spinner is reshaping the retail industry
June 6, 2017, BuzzFeed
As trending gadgets are sold directly from Chinese manufacturers to American consumers, traditional middlemen and regulators struggle to keep up.Thanks to companies like Amazon, Alibaba, Facebook and Google, Chinese manufacturers can now reach American consumers without the traditional middlemen, and without the need for expensive advertising campaigns.
Fidget spinners becoming very popular with kids but concern some parents
June 6, 2017, KY3
They’re suddenly the hottest toy for kids of all ages. Fidget spinners are popping up in stores all over the Ozarks, and kids are collecting them. But some parents have mixed feelings about the toys. The latest concern: a lead-poisoning prevention advocate, Tamara Rubin, tested several fidget spinners, and found high levels of lead and mercury in a couple of them.
Provisional Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.; Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.; and Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A., Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order
June 5, 2017, 4-Traders
This specific document states the details of the events leading up to Kawasaki’s acceptance of a $5.2 million settlement agreement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission based on its alleged failure to report and misrepresenting information presented to the CPSC. The document states that “Kawasaki’s settlement of this matter does not constitute an admission by Kawasaki, or a determination by the Commission, that Kawasaki violated the CPSA.”
Commissioner Robinson: It’s never too early for safety: looking for the next consumer protection safety all stars
May 25, 2017, cpsc.gov
Commissioner Marietta Robinson’s Blog has unveiled details of a new youth incentive program, the Consumer Protection Safety All-Stars, that she and then Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle, now Acting Chair of the CPSC, introduced in 2016. The Consumer Protection Safety All-Stars is a free lesson plan that incorporates standards-based activities designed for elementary and middle school students ages 8-12 in grades 3-7. This program teaches children to identify recalled products; informs them of the importance of product safety warnings; and encourages them to share their consumer product safety knowledge with their families, friends, and communities. The seeds of the initiative were planted in a brainstorming session led by Commissioner Robinson on ways to increase recall effectiveness, during a 2014 product safety management program held at Saint Louis University.
Medical costs of bike crashes on the rise
June 9, 2017, Reuters
Over the last two decades, the number of people injured in bicycle accidents in the U.S. has been rising and the cost of each crash has also gone up, according to a recent study based in part on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Injury Cost Model to determine costs of work missed and quality of life lost due to crashes. The total cost of bicycle injuries over the study period was $ 209 billion for nonfatal injuries and $28 billion for bike-related deaths.
CPSC: Testing and Certification
business information, cpsc.gov
Federal law requires manufacturers and importers to test many consumer products for compliance with consumer product safety requirements. Based on passing test results, the manufacturer or importer must certify the consumer product as compliant with the applicable consumer product safety requirements in a written or electronic certificate. Certificates are required to accompany the applicable product or shipment of products covered by the certificate, and a copy must be provided to retailers, distributors and, upon request, to the government. This guide from the CPSC provides descriptions and types of testing and certificates.
Consumer product additives examined
June 5, 2017, Chemical and Engineering News
Consumer products maker SC Johnson and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), an advocacy group, have separately undertaken initiatives seeking to limit consumer exposure to potentially harmful additives in consumer products. Consumer product firms are being pushed to better disclose ingredients in household and personal care products. Retailers Target and Walmart, for instance, have pressured suppliers on ingredient transparency and insisted that many products be reformulated to remove problematic preservatives such as parabens and formaldehyde donors.
EPA To Promulgate SNURs for 37 Chemical Substances
Thursday, June 8, 2017, National Law Review (Bergeson & Campbell, PC)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a pre-publication version of its direct final rule signed on April 5, 2017, which states that EPA will be promulgating significant new use rules (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 37 chemical substances which were the subject of pre-manufacture notices (PMN). This action will require persons who intend to manufacture or process any of these 37 chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use (SNU) by this rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity
European Commission Directorate General for Inte: Consumer confidence in chemicals improving 10 years after Reach entry into force
June 8, 2017, 4-Traders
On 1 June 2007, the REACH Regulation, cornerstone of EU chemicals legislation, entered into force. One of the reasons for developing REACH was to improve citizens’ confidence in the EU regulatory framework and the safety of products. Today, 44% of EU citizens consider that safety of chemicals contained in products has improved in the last 10-15 years, and have a higher level of confidence in products manufactured in the EU compared to those imported from outside.
Texas A&M professors publish research on automaker recalls
June 4, 2017, The Eagle
The automobile industry experienced an average of 122 recalls per year between 1995 and 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most consumers, though, don’t conduct a study on crisis management strategies and the long-term effects of product recalls on a firm’s value, which is what two professors at the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University did.
