In the News: February 13, 2023

CPSC Says Baby Killed, Another Injured In Strollers Sold By Major Retailers
February 9, 2023, CNBC
A baby was killed and another was injured after they became entrapped in a popular Baby Trend stroller that’s sold at retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Buybuy Baby, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced. The safety agency and the company issued a warning saying children could be at risk of head or neck entrapment in Baby Trend’s Sit N’ Stand Double and Ultra Strollers if they aren’t properly strapped in or, a child climbs on the exterior of the stroller.  A 14-month-old child who wasn’t sitting in the stroller was fatally asphyxiated after its neck became entrapped in the space between the front of the canopy tube and armrest of a Baby Trend Sit N’ Stand double stroller, the CPSC said. 

ASTM Releases Revised Testing Standard To Combat Furniture Tip-Overs
February 10, 2023, Furniture Today
Continuing the steps toward an agreed-upon stability standard, ASTM International, has published an update of F2057, the voluntary stability standard for clothing storage furniture. As required by the STURDY Act, the revised ASTM voluntary standard has been published within 60 days of STURDY’s enactment. A joint letter from Parents Against Tip-overs and American Home Furnishings Alliance to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric reminds the commission that the new F2057-23 — along with the amended STURDY Act that endorses it — is the result of parents, industry, consumer advocates and child safety experts all united in the goal to advance child safety.

When You’re Stuck In A Job You Can’t Quit
January 31, 2023, Harvard Business Review
What should you do when you’re stuck in the wrong job but can’t quit? Even if you can’t immediately escape your situation, there are simple ways to improve it. Here are four ways — through both thought and action — that you can alter how you feel about your job and make an imperfect situation work: Reframe, Reexamine, Redesign and Retrain.

Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings For Cyclists: Everything You Need To Know
February 8, 2023, Gear Junkie
There are regulatory bodies around the world that have developed standards by which helmet manufacturers must abide in order to include a stamp of approval that lets buyers know they are up to snuff. The Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings system adds to the standards with a broad regimen of sport-specific impact testing. This better informs people of how their helmet will fair in a fall, crash, or impact they could expect to experience in their sport even if it doesn’t reach the “catastrophic” threshold of most certifications.

Product Safety In Review 2022: Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
February 9, 2023, Maddocks
In 2022, the ACCC continued to focus on several key areas, including button battery safety, quad bikes, toppling furniture and product safety for babies and young children. In particular, the ACCC was heavily focused on issues concerning young children – naming button battery safety as a key enforcement priority throughout 2022 and 2023. In keeping with this statement, mid-last year, the ACCC introduced a world-first mandatory safety and information standards for button and coin batteries.

Potential buyers warned about risk of e-scooter and e-bike fires
February 9, 2023, Move Electric
Consumers and businesses have been warned about the fire risks posed by electric bikes and scooters that do not meet safety standards. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has issued the warning due to the “alarming” number of fires caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries in non-complaint machines. The CTSI says that the number of such fires has risen by 150 per cent over the last year.  It has urged businesses that import and sell e-scooters, e-bikes and conversion kits to ensure that any product complies with product safety laws and says that customers should only purchase machines that display a valid UKCA or CE mark from reputable retailers.

Consumer Product Recalls On The Rise: Important Compliance Reminders For Consumer Products Manufacturers And Sellers
January 9, 2023, JD Supra
There is an uptick in product recalls announced by the CPSC. Some of these recalls are mandatorily enforced by the CPSC, and some are initiated with the cooperation of product manufacturers and sellers. Manufacturers and sellers of consumer products in the U.S. need to be diligent in their analysis of whether any of their products on the market may pose an unreasonable risk of harm to consumers. If they have reason to believe that any of their products fails to comply with an applicable consumer product safety rule or standard; contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard; or creates and unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, then they should report the issue to the CPSC under Section 15 of the CPSA.

Legislative Update: China, Nearshoring, CBP. Supply Chain, Labeling, Imports And Exports
February 7, 2023, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg

Parents Urged To Cut Toy Due To Choking Hazard
February 9, 2023, Fox 59
Parents are being urged to cut off part of a toy to protect their children from choking on it. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall involves the raindrops of the cloud toy sold with the Skip Hop Silver Lining Cloud Activity Gym. The recall was announced because the raindrops on the cloud toy included with the activity gym can detach from the ribbon, posing a choking hazard if a child places it in their mouth. So far, Skip Hop received 12 reports of children putting raindrops in their mouths. So far, no injuries have been reported.

Consumer Reports: How To Safely Use E-Bike Batteries
February 10, 2023, WSLS-Consumer Reports
 Electric bikes have grown in popularity, and with it, growing numbers of battery fires – some of them fatal. Here’s a look at the very real dangers of e-bikes and how you can prevent a fire if you own one.