Designers Of 17-Story Waterslide Face Murder Charges In Boy’s Decapitation
March 27, 2018, NPR
Roughly 18 months after a child died on what was once the world’s tallest waterslide, authorities have indicted two water park executives in connection with the gruesome death. Their indictments — on charges ranging from second-degree murder to aggravated battery — cap a wide-ranging investigation launched after the 10-year-old rider was decapitated at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan.
Three men have been charged: the ride’s two principal designers, Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeffrey Wayne Henry and John Timothy Schooley, as well as the park’s director of operations, Tyler Austin Miles, who had been indicted earlier. Henry and Schooley, together with Schlitterbahn’s private construction company, face 18 felony counts including second-degree murder — while Miles and the Kansas City park face 20 felony counts.
APNewsBreak: California Judge: Coffee needs cancer warnings
March 30, 2018, Washington Post
A Los Angeles judge ruled on March 28, 2018 that California law requires coffee companies to carry an ominous cancer warning label because of a chemical produced in the roasting process. Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle wrote in the proposed ruling that Starbucks and other coffee companies failed to show that the threat from the chemical was insignificant.
Companies replacing BPA with potential risky chemicals-CHEM Trust
March 30, 3018, Chem Trust
Companies are putting public health at risk by replacing one harmful chemical with similar, potentially toxic alternatives, according to a new report by a UK advocacy organization. Manufacturers should not be permitted to replace BPA in consumer products with other Bisphenols, according to CHEM Trust. The UK-based charity says some firms are claiming, when selling to downstream users, that BPA has no hazards. European Commission regulation means stricter measures on bisphenol A (BPA) will apply from September, 2018 forward.
CPSC to hold hearing connected with product hazards
March 30, 2018, National Law Review (Keller and Heckman LLP)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hold a hearing focused on unique challenges and considerations that connected products pose for product safety. Carefully establishing that the CPSC’s remit exclusively involves product safety, and not data privacy or information security, a staff-prepared draft notice (which was approved unamended by the Commission) identifies a number of possible safety-related questions about connected consumer products to be considered at the May 16, 2018 hearing.
Consumer Product Update – Health Canada warns of safety hazards with several uncertified USB chargers
March 26, 2018, Business Insider
As part of a planned national sampling and compliance project, Health Canada tested a number of uncertified USB chargers. The following products were found to pose an unacceptable risk of electric shock and fire and are being recalled. This table will be updated if and when new products are recalled.
How to achieve faster more precise recalls
March 29, 2018, Manufacturing Business Technology
Based on a renewed sense of urgency stemming from the release of a new report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s office, it has never been more critical for food manufacturers to implement traceability to ultimately enhance food safety and instill consumer confidence in their brands. Coupled with a changing climate where more consumers value information transparency, clean labels, and authentic ingredients, it’s absolutely essential for a food manufacturer to implement traceability for survival in the digital age. There are three ways to improve a manufacturer’s traceability, according to one industry official.
Artificial intelligence: McKinsey talks workforce, training, and AI ethics
December 26, 2017, ZDNet
AI is a vague umbrella concept that ties together data and a set of technologies, such as pattern recognition and other techniques, that emulate human learning and intelligence. The term “artificial intelligence” is an imprecise marketing or presentation phrase used for the sake of convenience. Business buyers should dig deeper to understand the technologies that make the most sense for their organizations. Two recent reports from the McKinsey Global Institute focus on the business value of AI and the impact of automation and demographics on work and the economy.
Op-Ed: Why The Barcode Will Soon Become The World’s Largest Consumer Engagement Platform
March 27, 2018, PSFK
Pay attention to the humble barcode, it’s about to become the world’s largest consumer engagement platform. Named by the BBC as one of 50 inventions to have shaped the modern economy, the barcode is used by more than two million manufacturers globally on more than four trillion individual products each year. Now, following updates to iOS and Android that mean more than two billion smartphones around the world can automatically scan standard codes, GS1 (the standards body that manages the barcode and other product coding standards) has kicked off a program to effectively update the barcode.
Predicting a post-Brexit future is as hard as ever
March 30, 2018, Irish Times
An EU report last week found loose parts on cheap fidget spinners from China were causing serious injuries to children. The EU’s rapid alert system for dangerous goods blocked their entry into Europe. The weighted-pronged toys are apt metaphors, too, for where Brexit negotiations are right now. There is constant spinning and the hypnotising whirling motion creates the impression of dynamic movement. Then the wheel stops. The actual Brexit board-game that all sides are playing is squaring the circle: how can the UK government achieve the goals of leaving the EU’s customs union (the tariff-free zone) and single market (the common trading zone) and pursuing international trade deals, while avoiding a hard Border where the two territories meet in Ireland?
The best bike helmets you can buy
March 28, 2018, Business Insider
The publish of a magazine that gets a percentage of sales from manufacturer’s whose products they endorse, says that wearing a helmet when you ride a bicycle can save your life. “Our top pick is the stylish Schwinn Thrasher Adult Bike Helmet because it’s durable, comfortable, cool, and very affordable.” The endorsement points out “your helmet should have a sticker indicating that it meets required safety standards. Since 1999 in the US, bicycle helmets must meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission standard.
