In the News; January 23, 2023
The Battle Continues: CPSC And Furniture Industry At Odds Over Stability Standard
January 19, 2023, Furniture Today
In a filing Jan. 17 with the U.S. Court of Appeals 5th the CPSC responded to petitioners who have voiced concern over the current stability standard. “The Commission is evaluating the additional rulemaking steps required by STURDY,” wrote the CPSC. “Because that legislation was passed only weeks ago, it is currently unclear to what extent the Commission’s current standard might need to be changed in light of STURDY’s requirements. The Commission intends to perform the rulemaking steps required by Congress within the time limits specified and, as the Commission undertakes that process, will determine what steps are appropriate with respect to its current rule.”
Analysis: Two Shocking Studies That Likely Sparked A Gas Stove Ban Debate
January 15, 2023, CNET
While it’s unclear exactly what prompted a high-ranking member of Consumer Product Safety Commission to suggest natural gas stoves may be regulated, or even banned, two worrying studies on the common kitchen fuel may be at the root of it all. A Harvard study from 2022 found natural gas to be more toxic than previously thought and also a propensity for stoves to leak harmful pollutants. Another scientific work published just this January linked natural gas stove use to childhood asthma at an alarming rate.
Research: The Unintended Consequences Of Right-To-Repair Laws
January 19, 2023, Harvard Business Review
Right-to-repair legislation is designed to break manufacturers’ monopoly on the repair market, thereby allowing consumers to hold on to their old products longer. New research, forthcoming in the journal Management Science, challenges this conventional wisdom. The research says that right-to-repair legislation may in some instances lead manufacturers to flood the market with cheap goods or dramatically raise the price of goods, thereby hurting consumers.
Many Career Paths Lead To The Product Safety Profession
January 16, 2023, Education News Today
Product safety professionals work in a wide range of careers and professions. Just some of these are consumer product manufacturers, retailers, sellers, importers, supply chain companies test lab technical professionals and specialists, engineers with a product safety focus, attorneys practicing product liability or regulatory law, professional association executives and members of Non-Governmental Organizations, including educators. For all of these professions, the Consumer Product Safety Professional Certification Program offers another rung of the ladder of product safety career success and growth.
Apple’s Reliance On China Poses A Problem For The Company
January 19, 2023, Forbes
By far the biggest impediment to smooth running supply chains is how difficult it will be for many companies to disengage their supply chains from China. Apple provides a prime example.
Brexit: Clash Looms Over Plan To Scrap EU-Derived Laws
January 18, 2023, BBC News
Under government proposals, thousands of laws are due to expire automatically after December unless specifically kept or replaced. It has prompted concerns that important legislation could lapse by accident. So far, the government has identified more than 2,400 EU laws that were copied over to UK law to minimize disruption to businesses when the UK officially left the EU in 2020.
China Tariffs Trade Enforcement Could See Congressional Scrutiny
January 18, 2023, ST&R
Existing Section 301 tariffs and potential other trade enforcement actions could be among the U.S.-China trade policy issues considered by Congress this year. Lawmakers are expected to intensify their scrutiny of both China’s actions and the Biden administration’s responses with Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives and a known China hawk (Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo.) taking the reins of the chamber’s Ways and Means Committee.
Scientists Propose A Major Shift In Chemicals Management In The US And Canada
January 19, 2023, Phys.org
A new approach can help governments and businesses eliminate harmful chemicals from daily use and exposure, according to a paper published in Environmental Science & Technology. It’s a simple concept, but a drastic departure from the status quo of chemicals management in the U.S. and Canada. The authors lay out recommendations for implementing this approach to benefit public health, the environment, and the economy. They advocate for using an “essential use approach” to speed up and more efficiently take harmful chemicals out of the marketplace.
Risk Factors And Injury Patterns Of E-Scooter Associated Injuries In Germany
January 13, 2023, Scientific Reports
Since the introduction of widely available e-scooter rentals in Hamburg, Germany in June of 2019, our emergency department has seen a sharp increase in the amount of e-scooter related injuries. This study examines the various aspects of e-scooter associated injuries with one of the largest cohorts to date. Electronic patient records of emergency department admissions were screened for e-scooter associated injuries between June 2019 and December 2021. Patient demographic data, mechanism of injury, alcohol consumption, helmet usage, sustained injuries and utilized medical resources were recorded. Overall, 268 patients (57% male) with a median age of 30.3 years (IQR 23.3; 40.0) were included.
Tech Executives Could Be Jailed For Deliberately Failing To Protect Kids Under UK Proposal
January 17, 2023, CNBC
Tech executives could face the possibility of jail time for breaching online safety standards under a proposal in the U.K. after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government reached an agreement with Conservative lawmakers who sought to amend the Online Safety Bill. The legislation is a highly anticipated bill that aims to make the internet safer for kids by enforcing age verification requirements and putting more responsibility on tech platforms to shield minors from harmful content.
Vermont Lawmakers Seek Ban On Compostable Products With PFAS
January 17, 2023, WCAX 3
A bill introduced at the Vermont Statehouse seeks to ban the sale and distribution of compostable products that contain PFAS, the forever chemicals that are ubiquitous in many household consumer products. Karl Hammer with Vermont Compost in Montpelier says they aspire to a zero tolerance for contaminants because they sell to many organic-certified farms.
Paris To Decide Whether To Ban E-Scooters With Referendum
January 18, 2023, themayor.eu
Could this be the first major city to turn its back on the soft mobility option that has taken the urban landscapes by storm? More than four years after first introducing them, Paris might have had enough of scooter-sharing services and the resultant issues that come in their wake. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced that she will let citizens decide on whether to continue having the two-wheelers on the city’s streets or whether to ban them through a special voting session to be held on April 2.
