CPSC, Britax Settle Lawsuit Involving BOB Jogging Strollers
November 20, 2018, cpsc.gov
“The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that it settled an administrative lawsuit against Britax Child Safety, Inc., of Fort Mill, South Carolina. The lawsuit, filed in February 2018, involves certain single- and double-occupant BOB jogging strollers, imported from 1997 through September 2015, by Britax and B.O.B. Trailers, Inc. (“strollers”). The consent agreement was approved by a vote of 3-2. The consent agreement resolves charges in the Complaint that the strollers contain a defect and present a substantial product hazard because the quick release on the front wheel of the strollers can fail to secure the front wheel to the fork, allowing the front wheel to detach suddenly during use,” according to a statement issued on November 20, 2018.
Dissenting opinion of Commissioners Robert S. Adler and Elliot F. Kaye on the matter of Britax Child Safety, Inc.
November 20, 2018, cpsc.gov
“On November 9, 2018, by a vote of 3-2, the Commission voted to accept the proffered settlement. Although we commend the parties for reaching agreement after what appears to be a lengthy and exhaustive negotiation, we respectfully and reluctantly dissent from approving the agreement. In any negotiation each party must compromise to reach an agreement. We have no problem with appropriate compromises, and we are well aware of the maxim that we should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” according to a statement on the CPSC website dated November 20, 2019.
Dissenting Opinion of Commissioner Robert S. Adler and Commissioner Elliot F. Kaye Regarding the Civil Penalty Settlement with EKO Development, LTD. And EKO USA, LLC
November 19, 2018, cpsc.gov
On November 19, 2018, the Commission voted 3-2 to provisionally accept a settlement with EKO Development, Ltd. and EKO USA, LLC (collectively, EKO) to pay a civil penalty of $1 million to resolve CPSC staff allegations that EKO knowingly failed to report a defect with its motion sensor trash cans. We cannot support this settlement agreement because we believe the size of the proposed penalty is too small and does not adequately reflect the seriousness of EKO’s violation.
State audit finds UB worst of five SUNY campuses in securing hazardous chemicals
December 4, 2018, wbfo.org
The University at Buffalo and auditors for New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli are in a fight over claimed bad security for hazardous materials, much worse than at Stony Brook and five other SUNY campuses. The audit suggests a pervasive problem at UB, from no accurate list of employees with access to dangerous chemicals to lack of information about what hazardous chemicals were around. Checking Stony Brook, Plattsburgh, New Paltz, Polytechnic Institute, Oneonta and Cobleskill, the auditors say nothing was found as bad as UB’s situation.
Cell phones could be a source of toxic chemicals, suggests study
December 4, 2018. news-medical.net
In a study published in Environment International, scientists from the University of Toronto found that levels of several toxic chemicals on the cell phones of Canadian women aged 18-44 were related to levels of those chemicals in their bodies and on their hands. It is the first study to identify handheld electronic devices as a potential source of exposure to organophosphate esters, chemicals often used either as flame retardants or plasticizers that make materials such as polyvinyl chloride more flexible and durable.
The irrational consumer: Decision making based on feelings rather than facts
December 3, 2018, phys.org (Society for Risk Analysis)
Angela Bearth, Ph.D., ETH Zurich, revisited work previously done on intuitive toxicology in her presentation, “Intuitive toxicology revisited: People’s understanding of toxicological principles and implications for the risk perception of chemicals.” Bearth related consumers‘ knowledge about toxicological principles to their risk perceptions and preferences for a variety of consumer products (e.g., cleaning products, medicines, foods). The study confirms that consumers have very limited knowledge regarding the processes undertaken to ensure the safety of consumer products. An area of particular concern was misconceptions held regarding man-made versus natural chemicals
NFPA, CPSC Issue Holiday Fire Safety Reminders
December 7, 2018, ohsoline.com
The winter holiday season is underway, and while Christmas trees, candles, and twinkling lights are festive, they contribute to an increased number of home fires during December. The National Fire Protection Association and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued timely fire safety reminders to help protect yourself and your home during the festivities. According to NFPA, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 800 home fires per year between 2012 and 2016 that started with decorations (excluding Christmas trees), and said fires caused an annual average of two civilian deaths, 34 civilian injuries, and $11 million in direct property damage.
Smart home privacy: Are high-tech appliances spying on your routines?
December 8, 2018, The Star
You may find it handy to turn on your sitting room’s radiator from your car or start the slow cooker from your office desk. But consumer protection agencies are urging fans of smart home tech to consider what kind of personal details they’re giving away in the manufacturer’s data protection policies before they go and purchase a smart appliance.
Every other industry has a safety label. Now tech does too.
December 7, 2018. Fastcompany.com
Think of the Trustable Technology Mark as an “organic” sticker for connected devices. When you buy a smart toaster, you don’t know how much of your data it’s beaming up to cloud or whether its lax security has allowed it to become part of a bot network (which happened in 2016). How are you supposed to know which smart lightbulb you can trust? Enter the Trustable Technology Mark.
At J&J Consumer, packaging is a team sport
December 3, 2018, Packworld.com
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (JJCI) is a subsidiary of New Brunswick, NJ-based Johnson & Johnson, whose other two businesses are pharmaceuticals and medical devices. What an editor learned from this $13.6 billion consumer juggernaut is that more than anything else packaging has become a team sport that brings all functions together to deliver a rich experience to consumers.
