Hoehn-Saric To AHFA Board: CPSC “Wants To Hold 3rd Party Sellers Accountable For The Products They Sell”
May 23, 2024, Furniture Today
Alexander Hoehn-Saric was confirmed as chair of CPSC in October 2021. Since then, “things have moved to a much better place” with regard to furniture stability,” he told American Home Furnishing Alliance (AHFA) board members during a meeting. Among the priorities he has advanced during his tenure are: Expanding outreach to consumers on product safety issues; addressing product safety issues around ecommerce; and emphasizing compliance and enforcement activities. As the agency now focuses on enforcement of the new federal standard for clothing storage furniture, online platforms present a challenge, Hoehn-Saric said. He said the agency wants to hold third-party sellers accountable for the products they sell.
Commissioners Feldman And Dziak: “Table Saw Lawsuit Underscores Sawstop’s Intention To Act As A ‘Gatekeeper’ With Its Patents”
May 21, 2024, cpsc.gov
The commissioners’ statement reads in part, “Last week, SawStop Holding LLC, a subsidiary of Germany-based TTS Tooltechnic Systems, filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against yet another manufacturer of table saws in U.S. federal court. SawStop continues to litigate vigorously the reach of its extensive portfolio of patents, this time against Felder KG. This is notable because Consumer Product Safety Commission staff identified Felder’s safety technology as a potential competitor to SawStop’s. The latest case provides clarity about SawStop’s true intentions and calls into question the testimony it has provided so far to the Commission. We support protecting intellectual property rights, but the evidence in the record raises serious concerns about SawStop’s monopolistic intentions and its exploitation of CPSC’s rulemaking process to further such aims.”
All Business Strategies Fall Into Four Categories
May 23, 2024, Harvard Business Review
The problem with strategy frameworks is that they generally don’t help you in the task of identifying the opportunity or crafting the strategy. This article introduces a framework, built on an in-depth analysis of the creativity literature, that aims to fill that gap by providing a systematic approach to identifying potential strategies. The framework categorizes all strategies into the following four groups, from the least creative to the most creative: Adapting an existing industry strategy, combining different existing industry strategies, importing strategies from other industries and creating a brand new strategy from scratch.
Protect Your Family From CO Poisoning And Other Post-Storm Dangers This Hurricane Season
May 23, 2024, cpsc.gov
June 1 marks the start of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. It could be an extremely active one, according to some forecasts of 2024 hurricane activity. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers about the increased risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, fires and electric shock after hurricanes and severe storms hit. “Hurricanes and major storms in the U.S. cause widespread damage that impacts millions of Americans each year,” according to the CPSC.
Bringing An Umbrella To The Beach? Make Sure You Know About These New Safety Standards
May 22, 2024, WTSP.com
If you’re bringing along a beach umbrella to keep you and your friends shaded from the hot sun, you should make sure you know the latest safety standards and how to properly anchor it. To help prevent more people from being hurt by beach umbrellas, ASTM International issued new specifications and standards for manufacturers to adopt. This was done to address hazards identified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Senate Passes Cruz Resolution Blocking Biden Rule Against Gas Furnaces
May 21, 2024, Senator Ted Cruz
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after the Senate voted in a bipartisan manner to pass a resolution he authored disapproving of a Department of Energy rule on gas furnace efficiency standards. The rule would effectively ban non-condensing gas furnace models, dramatically increasing costs for American families. About the vote, Sen. Cruz said, “Today was a win for Texas families, and indeed families across America, who under this rule would be forced to spend thousands of dollars to change their furnaces. This rule was proposed and finalized by the Biden administration’s Department of Energy as part of a broader, radical campaign against fossil fuels, clean natural gas, and other sources of energy critical to the American economy and American families. I am proud that the Senate passed my resolution in a bipartisan fashion, and I urge the House to take up this Resolution expeditiously and pass it.”
Advocacy Opinion: U.S. Senate’s Rollback Of Furnace Standards Would Add Costs And Pollution
May 22, 2024, Consumer Federation of America
A resolution passed by the U.S. Senate to block new furnace efficiency standards would raise costs for households and cause needless pollution. The standards—finalized by the Department of Energy last fall—are set to reduce energy costs for many households by about $50 annually while cutting 332 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years of product sales. The Senate-passed resolution and one pending in the U.S. House of Representative would block the standards. President Biden has said he would veto the resolution.
CPSC: Stop Using Reflections High-Powered Neodymium Magnetic Bracelets/Heart-Shaped Magnets Due To Ingestion Hazard; No Recall/Remedy
May 23, 2024, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to immediately stop using and dispose of reflections Neodymium Magnetic Bracelets and heart-shaped magnets because the loose, hazardous magnets pose a risk of serious injury or death if ingested by children. CPSC testing determined the magnetic bracelets do not comply with the requirements of the mandatory federal magnet regulation. The seller, Reflections of California, has not agreed to a recall or a remedy to consumers.
What You Need To Know As New Regulations For E-Scooters And E-Bikes Come Into Effect
May 20, 2024, The Irish Mirror
E-scooters are now legal for adults to use on Irish roads for the first time under long-awaited regulations which are now in effect. The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 layout the rules of the road for people choosing to use light electric vehicles which will be enforceable under Irish law. With e-scooters and e-bikes becoming an increasing feature in all cities, towns and villages in Ireland, the introduction of these new rules provides a legal basis for the range of vehicles available and the correct way of using them.
New York Senate Advances Slate Of Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Standards
May 21, 2024, New York Senate.gov
The New York State Senate has passed a legislative package aimed at enhancing safety standards for lithium-ion batteries. The standards seek to address recent tragedies where severe property damage or death was caused by faulty batteries and improper usage. As the popularity of e-bikes and scooters continues to rise, the Senate Majority is “prioritizing public safety and proactive governance by setting higher standards and providing necessary resources and training to mitigate risks and ensure New Yorkers are kept safe.”
