Lawmakers Prioritize Consumer Safety And Introduce CAP Act
January 25, 2024, Kids in Danger
On January 25, Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) introduced the Consumer Advocacy and Protection (CAP) Act. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) uses a variety of tools to protect consumers from unsafe products, including civil penalties for violative companies. Currently, the statutory caps on CPSC civil penalties – $100,000 per violation and $17,500,000 for multiple violations – are too low to reflect the gravity of violations or deter future bad behavior, especially for large corporations.
National Floor Safety Institute Submits Petition To CPSC Mandating Slip Resistance Testing And Labeling Of Products
January 25, 2024, Chronicle-Tribune
The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) is petitioning the CPSC to initiate rulemaking to mandate testing and labeling regarding the slip resistance of commercial and residential grade floor coverings, floor coatings and treatments, residential and commercial floor cleaning agents, and consumer footwear. Falls are the leading cause of accidental injury and death for our nation’s elderly. Research has revealed that half of all slip and fall injuries are caused by hazardous floors. The NFSI believes that if provided with a label, the consumer will be able to make a more informed choice and reduce the risk of an accidental fall.
2023 CPSC Annual Report To The President And Congress
January 24, 2024, cpsc.gov
This report is submitted to the President and Congress under section 27(j) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) (15 U.S.C. § 2076(j)), as amended by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The report describes many of the activities the staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) performed to protect the public from hazardous consumer products in fiscal year 2023 (2023).
How To Answer, “What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses?”
May 3, 2023, Harvard Business Review
Don’t take common interview questions lightly just because they’re predictable. Underpreparing for them can make the difference between moving ahead and moving on. One question that often comes up: What are your strengths and weaknesses? In this article, the author outlines clear steps for how to describe your strengths and weaknesses along with sample language to use as a guide.
Children Still Exposed To Laundry Detergent Pods At High Rate
January 24, 2024, Healio
Calls to poison control centers to report exposures to liquid laundry detergent packets — commonly called pods — remain high in the U.S., although exposures appear to have declined among young children. This according to researchers including Christopher Gaw, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Researchers told Healio that the study was inspired by an interest in consumer product safety and in preventing child injuries and poisonings. From 2014 to 2022, there were more than 114,000 calls to U.S. poison control centers related to laundry detergent pods.
U.S. And China Should Collaborate On AI Safety, White House Adviser Says
January 25. 2-24, INC
Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, says the two countries should work together on AI development, particularly when it comes to technical and safety standards. Prabhakar was previously the founding CEO of Palo Alto-based tech nonprofit Actuate. “Steps have been taken to engage in that process,” Prabhakar told the Financial Times. “We understand that we’re in a moment where American leadership in the world depends on American leadership in AI.”
Artificial Turf Companies Take Action On Forever Chemicals
January 23, 2024, KRON 4
PFAS have been linked to several health issues. In response to concerns about the use of PFAS in artificial turf, multiple manufacturers and wholesalers have taken voluntary steps to make sure their products are free of PFAS chemicals. PFAS are found in everyday products such as non-stick cookware, clothes, stain-resistant carpets, and food packaging. There is currently no federal regulation or standard for PFAS in the environment.
California: Changes To Prop 65 Warning Requirements On The Horizon
October 13, 2023, Crowell
OEHHA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking contains significant amendments to the Prop 65 short-form warnings. These include identification of a listed chemical; modifications to the warning methods for internet and catalog purchases; short-form food exposure warnings; new signal words; and new sections regarding warnings for motor vehicle and marine vessel parts.
2023 Fatality Data: Another Devastating Year For Off-Highway Vehicle Riders And Occupants
January 25, 2024, Consumer Federation of America
As 2023 wraps up, Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has documented 498 off-highway vehicle (OHV) fatalities last year. Children under the age of 15 years and younger accounted for 19% of all deaths. Children six years and under continue to make up a sizeable portion of the OHV fatalities, and multiple children as young as three years old were killed last year while riding an OHV. CFA has been working to minimize deaths and injuries from OHVs for decades by petitioning the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban adult-size ATVs for children, convening a coalition to prevent OHV road access, compiling fatality information in real time with that coalition, and urging the CPSC to collect annual Recreational Off Highway vehicle (ROV) data among other requests to take steps to reduce OHV deaths and injuries.
Exposure To Fireproof Chemicals Found In Everything From Pajamas, Sofas And Electronics May Cause Birth Defects And Pregnancy Problems – And Scientists Say They Are Unavoidable
January 24, 2024, Daily Mail, UK
Fireproof chemicals found in furniture, clothes and many household items may cause obesity in children, scientists have warned. Researchers studied thousands of cases and found a ‘compelling’ link between overweight youngsters and mothers who were exposed to organophosphate esters (OPEs) when they were pregnant. The chemicals, introduced in the mid-2000s to replace toxic alternatives, are used to make textiles, children’s toys, building materials, TVs and household appliances fireproof. Researchers found they can affect thyroid hormone levels and cause inflammation in pregnant women, leading to high birth weight and premature births.
Sen. Duckworth Urges FAA To Deny Boeing’s Petition For Safety Standards Exemption
January 25, 2024, Central Illinois Proud
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday in response to Boeing’s petition for an exemption from safety standards. According to Duckworth’s letter to FAA administrator Michael Whitaker, Boeing’s petition would allow the 737 Max 7 to enter commercial service prematurely. In the letter, the Illinois Democrat said the exception involves an anti-ice system that can overheat and cause the engine nacelle to break apart and fall off, which would create debris that could injure passengers.
