Dollar Tree To Reform Children’s Products Testing Nationwide Following Washington State AG Investigation
August 1, 2024, Big Country News
In response to an investigation by Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Dollar Tree has agreed to implement new testing procedures for children’s products and pay $190,000. This after findings revealed school supplies sold by the retailer contained illegal levels of toxic heavy metals, lead, and cadmium. This legally binding resolution, filed in King County Superior Court, aims to prevent future occurrences of unsafe children’s products reaching consumers. The investigation, led by the Washington state Department of Ecology, discovered that various children’s bracelets and pencil pouches sold at Dollar Tree stores in Washington contained more than four times the legal limits for lead and cadmium.
EU AI Act Comes Into Force: Understanding The World’s First Artificial Intelligence Law
July 31, 2024, The Stack
The European Union’s historic AI Act is now in force. Termed the “world’s first comprehensive AI law,” it is likely to set the tone for similar policies across the globe. The goal is to ensure that AI systems used in the EU are safe, transparent, traceable, non-discriminatory, and environmentally friendly. The legislation works on the principle that “AI systems should be overseen by people, rather than by automation, to prevent harmful outcomes.” The AI Act includes all AI providers, deployers, importers, distributors, and product manufacturers working within the EU and those outside the region if the system’s output is intended to be used in the EU.
How To Ask For Help Without Making Yourself Look Bad
August 1, 2024, Harvard Business Review
In a work world that values ownership and personal initiative, many assume that asking for direction or seeking clarification will make them look incapable, or worse, will prove to others — and themselves — that they have no idea what they’re doing. Asking for help without appearing weak requires a delicate balance of convening vulnerability and strength. In this article, the author offers advice on how to ask for help from a position of strength — and how to get what you need without making yourself look bad.
CPSC: Disable Biometric Feature On Owsoo And C Acagoo Biometric Gun Safes Due To Serious Injury Hazard And Risk Of Death
August 1, 2024, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers about the risk of serious injury or death posed by Owsoo or Cacagoo branded biometric gun safes sold on Amazon.com and Walmart.com. CPSC evaluated these safes and found that the biometric programming feature can fail and open to any fingerprint without consumer awareness. The agency is aware of six reports of the safes being accessed with unauthorized fingerprints. The gun safes were sold by various sellers based in China. Foreign sellers of the safes contacted by CPSC have not been responsive to requests for a recall.
Consumer Reports Comments To The CPSC On The Proposed Safety Standard For Bassinets And Cradles
August 1, 2024, Consumer Reports
As a foundational infant product, a bassinet is often one of the first products that parents purchase for their new baby. It is designed to provide babies with a safe sleep environment for the first months of their lives. Parents and caregivers should always be able to trust that the bassinet they choose meets strong standards that align with evidence-based safe sleeping practices, which include placing a baby alone, on their back, on a firm, noninclined surface in a safe sleep environment without soft objects or loose bedding.
Amazon Product Safety Ruling Reignites Trading Standards Warning About Safety Of Products Sold Online
August 1, 2024, WiredGov
A stark warning was issued by Trading Standards in the wake of the ruling made in America by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for Amazon to recall over 400,000 products. The CPSC has ruled that the online marketplace should be responsible for the safety of the products sold by third-party sellers. Currently under UK law online marketplaces are not responsible for the safety of goods sold by third-party sellers on their platforms and this is a concern that has been highlighted by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) in their recent report “Mind the Gap Between the Chain and the Platform.” Trading Standards Officers in London are now so concerned about the safety of products like toys and electrical items being sold by online platforms that they are issuing a stark warning – don’t take the risk, think extremely carefully before buying from platforms.
New EU Rules Encourage Repair Of Goods
August 1, 2024, EUReporter
A new EU Directive to promote the repair of goods has entered into force. The new rules encourage more sustainable consumption by making it easier to repair faulty products and encouraging consumers to repair their faulty products rather than replacing them. This Directive will benefit consumers by avoiding the costs of buying new products, and will lead to less waste, less resources and less greenhouse gas emissions. Member states now have until 31 July 2026 to transpose the Directive into their national law.
CPSC Says Stop Using These Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors
July 31, 2024, Family Safety&Health
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning people not to use various combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that can “fail to alert consumers to the presence of smoke.” An agency press release urges against the use of models JKD512 and JKD512-COM, sold under brand names including Juzhiann, YANLOYZW, JIKAIDA and Yieryi. The products don’t meet UL’s voluntary safety standards covering smoke alarms, the CPSC says, and may not sound an alert during a fire. Product importer Shenzhen Juzhian Electronics Co. Ltd. hasn’t responded to the CPSC’s request for a recall, the agency says.
2024 Implications For Manufacturers As EPA Executes On Its PFAS Strategic Roadmap
July 31, 2024, National Law Review
In 2021 the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued its strategic roadmap to address a broad group of thousands of manmade chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). So far in 2024, EPA has taken a number of steps to execute on the goals of its 2021 roadmap. Among those steps were finalizing designation of certain PFAS as “hazardous substances,” and proposing a rule for defining certain PFAS as “hazardous constituents.” The breadth of EPA’s rules and guidance is far reaching as the manufacture and use of PFAS are not limited to small or discrete sectors of regulated industry. The imposition of restrictions and limits on PFAS are likely to have broad implications for manufacturers all along the supply chain.
Current Trends In Legislation – June & July 2024
August 1, 2024, National Law Review
An overview of federal legislation and regulations, state legislation and regulations introduced and passed.
Industry Coalition Calls For UK Government To Urgently Legalize E-Scooters
July 31, 2024, ZAG Daily
An industry coalition has signed an open letter pressing the UK government to urgently legalize e-scooters. Organized by shared transport charity CoMoUK, the letter to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh and her ministers says providing e-scooters with a legal class is the only solution for “entirely unregulated” private e-scooters. The open letter, signed by 14 organizations, comes after the latest King’s Speech again found no mention of micromobility legislation. CoMoUK Chief Executive Richard Dilks said: “As we said at the time of the King’s Speech, it is disappointing that the new government has not addressed the issue of e-scooter legalization more swiftly. We believe that legislation is the only way to give this form of micromobility – which has proved extremely popular both in the English shared e-scooter trial schemes and abroad – a long-term future.”
