Senators Welch, Blumenthal And Markey Urge CPSC To Implement Stricter Safety Measures To Protect Infants And Toddlers
March 15, 2024, VermontBiz
U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the Consumer Protect Safety Commission Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric urging the CPSC to pursue a recall for Mattel’s Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker and the similarly-designed Kids2 Bright Starts Rocker, both of which have been linked to numerous infant deaths. The Senators also pressed CPSC to more aggressively protect infants from the risks associated with rockers as it develops the first federal safety standard for infant and infant-to-toddler rockers. “CPSC has the authority to recall products from the market that pose a substantial hazard to consumers’ safety. We urge you to act now and work toward securing a recall of the Infant-to-Toddler and Bright Starts rockers from the market. We cannot continue to stand by as unsuspecting parents and innocent babies are put in preventable danger,” the Senators urged.
Europe’s World-First AI Rules Get Final Approval From Lawmakers. Here’s What Happens Next
March 14, 2024, PBS News Hour
European Union lawmakers gave final approval to the 27-nation bloc’s artificial intelligence law, putting the world-leading rules on track to take effect later this year. Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Artificial Intelligence Act, five years after regulations were first proposed. The AI Act is expected to act as a global signpost for other governments grappling with how to regulate the fast-developing technology. “The AI Act has nudged the future of AI in a human-centric direction, in a direction where humans are in control of the technology and where it — the technology — helps us leverage new discoveries, economic growth, societal progress and unlock human potential,” According to Dragos Tudorache, a Romanian lawmaker who was a co-leader of the Parliament negotiations on the draft law.
Harnessing Imagination To Drive Innovation
March 14, 2024, Harvard Business Review
The decay of rules-based trade means that companies can no longer find growth as easily by expanding to new locations or expanding demand through low-cost single point sourcing. In this context, companies seeking growth must develop innovative offerings to expand demand. These offerings are, essentially, products of imagination — conceiving of and realizing new possibilities — a challenge that companies struggle with. In this article, the authors present a six step-cycle that is at the foundation of a corporate “imagination machine.
Statement Of Commissioner Mary T. Boyle On Electric Bike Advance Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking
March 14, 2024, cpsc.gov
I am pleased the Commission recently voted unanimously to issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to address the risk of injury associated with the mechanical hazards of electric bikes. This is an important step forward in evaluating e-bikes holistically, an effort that extends beyond the vital work the Commission is conducting in a separate rulemaking related to batteries and battery fires across a number of micromobility products, including e-bikes. Data from the agency’s most recent report on micromobility deaths and injuries paints a picture of increasing e-bike injuries and fatalities attributed to collisions, braking and user control issues.
CBP Seizes 280 Unsafe Toddler Travel Beds And Baby Playpens
March 14, 2024, Customs and Border Protection
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the seizure of 280 toddler travel beds and baby playpens for Consumer Product Safety Act violations. The China-based shipment was appraised at a domestic value of about $11,000. Upon inspection, CBP officers seized 88 toddler travel beds and 192 baby playpens for safety violations of infant sleep products and infant play yards. “Our partnership with Customs and Border Protection is a critical piece in protecting consumers by stopping hazardous products before they end up on store shelves or in consumers’ homes,” said Jim Joholske, Director, Office of Import Surveillance for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.”
No More Delays To PFAS Cleanup, State Department Of Ecology Tells Spokane Airport
March 13, 2024, The Spokesman-Review
After several extensions and five months of negotiations, the Washington State Department of Ecology is telling the Spokane International Airport it will not accept any more delays for the initial stages of PFAS contamination cleanup. Alerted to the airport’s PFAS exposure in 2023, Ecology began negotiations with the airport in October. Initially supposed to take place over 60 days, Ecology extended this process three times over five months at the airport’s request. In a letter to the airport, Ecology said further delays and negotiation are “not in the public’s interest,” and denied a request for another 60-day extension.
Keeping EU Consumers Safe: Cosmetics Top The List Of Products Notified In Safety Gate In 2023
March 14, 2024, European Commission
The European Commission published its annual report on Safety Gate, the European Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-foods products. The report covers alerts notified in 2023, as well as the corresponding follow-up actions taken by national authorities of the EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. In 2023, cosmetics was the most frequent type of product notified as posing a health risk. Last year marked the highest amount of alerts recorded since the launch of the system in 2003, which speaks to its increasing effectiveness and the crucial role it plays.
Advocacy: Toxic Lead Levels In Fashion Accessories At Two Retailers
March 14, 2024, KTVU Fox 2
A report called “Toxic Fashion” released by CEH, the Center for Environmental Health, said their investigators found high levels of lead in fashion accessories sold by two retail chains, Ross and Burlington. “What we found is handbags, belts, wallets, shoes, whether they’re leather or faux leather disproportionally have high levels of lead,” said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, CEO of the Center for Environmental Health. The report says lab tests showed hundreds of items, under a wide range of brand names, had lead levels above 300 parts per million, compared to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s safety limit of 100 parts per million for children’s items.
Rhode Island Senate Committee Advances Firearm Storage Legislation
March 12, 2024, WPRI.com
The R.I. Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation that would require gun owners to safely store their firearms when not in use. The proposal states that firearms must be either kept in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock that renders the weapon inoperable. The legislation would make the unsafe storage of firearms a civil offense punishable by a fine of up to $250 for the first offense and $1,000 for the second. Subsequent violations would be punishable by up to six months in prison and fine of up to $500.
CPSC: Stop Using XHJRI Braided Crib Bumpers Due To Suffocation Hazard; Violation Of The Ban On Crib Bumpers; No Recall Or Remedy Offered
March 14, 2024, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to stop using braided crib bumpers sold by XHJRI-US, because they pose a suffocation hazard to infants. The crib bumpers are banned by the federal Safe Sleep for Babies Act. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act declared crib bumpers a banned hazardous product as of November 12, 2022. CPSC issued a Notice of Violation to the seller, XHJRI-US, of China, but the firm has not agreed to recall these crib bumpers or offer a remedy to consumers.
CPSC: Stop Using Faddare Extension Power Cords Due To Shock And Fire Hazards; No Recall Or Remedy Offered
March 14, 2024, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to immediately stop using Faddare 16.4-Foot Extension Power Cords because they have undersized wiring, posing shock and fire hazards. The extension cords do not comply with the wire gauge requirements of the mandatory federal safety standard for power cords. CPSC notified the seller, Great Effort of China, but the firm has not responded to requests for a recall.
Introduction: What Is Supply Chain Management?
March 13, 2024, Foley & Lardner LLP
Supply chain management is the combination of art and science to coordinate the flow of goods and services from the point of origin to the point of consumption, in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. But supply chain management is not only about moving products from point A to point B. Some of the keys to successful supply chain management are optimizing every step (or link) in the supply chain, including forecasting demand, managing inventory levels, streamlining production processes, and mitigating. In essence, supply chain management is the invisible hand that keeps our shelves stocked, our businesses running smoothly and our lives moving forward seamlessly.
