House approves bill to regulate toxic chemicals
May 24, 2016, Associated Press/The New York Times
The U. S. House of Representatives by a vote of 403-12 in favor, approved a bipartisan bill that would for the first time regulate tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in every day products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture. Supporters said the bill would clear up a hodgepodge of state rules and update and improve the 40-year old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that has gone unchanged since its passage. The measure goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration where it is expected to be passed and sent to the President, who is expected to sign the measure.
Low response rates spur recall re-announcements from CPSC, companies
>Ace Bayou re-announces recall of bean bag chairs due to low rate of consumer response; two child deaths previously reported; consumers urged to install repair
May 25, 2016, EINpressswire
Another appeal has been announced by Ace-Bayou and the Consumer Product Safety Commission based on a December, 2015 press release that was issued urging additional response. Only 790 product owners of 2.2 million units in circulation have responded to the initial recall announcement. Two children have died from foam beads inside the chairs that are considered serious choking suffocation and choking hazards.
>Bed Handles Inc. re-announces recall of adult portable bed handles due to serious entrapment and strangulation hazards; less than 1% response rate to recall
May 25, 2016, einpresswire
The initial recall announcement on September 1, 2015 for 113,000 adult portable bed handles followed the deaths of 3 women who had become entrapped between the mattress and bed handles when the handles shifted out of place creating a dangerous gap. Following a fourth death, an October 7, 2015 news release reissued the recall notice. A May 25, 2016 re-announcement was prompted by continued concern over the low rate of consumer response.
>Rainbow Play Systems re-announces recall of plastic yellow trapeze rings due to low response rate; manufactured by Nylacarb
May 17, 2016, einpresswire
An October 24, 2015 news release announcing the recall of yellow trapeze rings drew a low response rate. The initial recall notice cited 100 reports of the rings cracking or breaking, resulting in 15 reports of injuries, including bruises, lacerations, and a broken finger. The re-announcement was issued in a news release dated May 17, 2016.
CPSC Commissioner Viewpoints:
Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle named honorary chair for education group
May 25, 2016, cpsc.gov
The Alliance for Consumer Education (ACE), a non-profit dedicated to the correct use, storage, and disposal of household and institutional products announced that Commissioner Buerkle will serve as the group’s honorary chair. Since 2000, ACE has promoted prevention and awareness education through its core program areas of Inhalant Abuse Prevention, Disease Prevention and Poison Prevention. “Education and awareness are critical components of consumer safety and injury prevention” the Commissioner notes in her blog, where the announcement appears.
The danger of laundry detergent packets to children’s safety
May 24, 2016, The Hill
The controversy over laundry packets as a danger to children under the age of 6 continues. A pediatrician, writing on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention, challenges an editorial opinion by a trade association leader claiming that the “rate” of poisoning incidents associated with laundry packets has declined. The pediatrician cites a “misrepresentation” based on the association leader’s use of the term “rate” of exposures going down; the pediatrician says that it must not be “confused” with an “incidence rate” which captures the number of incidents, a measure used “by public health experts for more than 150 years. “ While praising a new ASTM voluntary standard as a “good first step” in making the product safe, the pediatrician says it will be important to look at the number of children harmed after the ASTM standard goes into effect.
America’s water crisis goes beyond Flint, Michigan
March 24, 2016, cnbc.com (video tape)
Only 9 states have reported levels of lead in water that is within the limits recommended by the EPA, indicating that the public crisis over contaminated water will be with us for some time to come. The 9 states include Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Dakota, North Dakota and Hawaii. It will take a massive infrastructure investment to protect citizens from serious public health dangers. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 41 states had Action Level Exceedance (ALEs) in the last three fiscal years, meaning states have reported higher than acceptable levels of lead in drinking water.
California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA): The 2016 Proposition 65 list
May 20, 2016, 4-traders.com
The most recent published list of chemicals placed on California’s Prop 65 list has been posted. The list contains a wide range of naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals that are known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. These chemicals include additives or ingredients in pesticide, common household products, food drugs, dyes, or solvents. Proposition 65 requires California to update this list at least once a year. It has grown to include about 900 chemicals since it was first published in 1987.
New York, New York: The status of regulation of children’s products in the Empire State
May 24 , 2016, Stinson, Leonard, Street
Albany County, New York enacted the “Toxic Free Toys Act” prohibiting the sales of any children’s products in the county that contain certain heavy metals and chemicals. The Safe to Play Coalition, comprised of trade associations representing manufacturers of children’s products, challenged the law on federal preemption grounds in Federal Court. Albany County amended the Act Feb. 18, 2016, including a provision for a specific maximum total content value allowable for certain chemicals in children’s products. The amended act is currently scheduled to take effect July 1, 2016, though it is likely that the effective date of the amended act may be stayed pending the resolution of the litigation between Albany County and the Coalition.
New recall management tool matches alerts directly to hospitals’ equipment inventory data
May 23, 2016, pharmiweb.com
A Pennsylvania organization has announced in a news release that it has developed a tracker system that it claims automatically identifies equipment models and supplies within a healthcare’s facility inventory that are impacted by an alert or recall and notifies designated department staff.
