Federal Officials Want To Repeal A Law That Delayed Warnings About Dangerous Products
March 23, 2023, NBC News
The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission wants Congress to repeal a provision in federal law that has prevented the agency from rapidly warning the public about dangerous and deadly products. CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric voiced his support for a bill introduced last week by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., that would repeal a provision known as Section 6(b). The law requires the agency to consult with manufacturers before sharing details about specific products, even if officials deem the items so hazardous that the agency is pursuing a recall. “For too long, CPSC has been hamstrung in providing vital safety information to consumers in a timely fashion,” Hoehn-Saric said. “My goal has always been to put consumers first, and this bill empowers CPSC to do just that.”
CPSC Staff Issues Favorable Review Of Tipover Standard, But Approval Vote Still To Come
March 23, 2023, Woodworking Network
In a memorandum issued March 22, the Consumer Product Safety Commission staff announced that it has completed its review of the ASTM International voluntary standard for clothing storage furniture, F2057-23, as required by the STURDY Act. The staff advised the commissioners it could be adopted as a mandatory product safety standard. “Today’s news from the CPSC announcing the staff’s favorable review of ASTM F2057-23 is welcome news for industry, safety advocates, parents, and consumers,” said Andy Counts, CEO of the American Home Furnishing Alliance (AHFA).
Are You Hung Up On That Career Path You Didn’t Choose?
March 24, 2023, Harvard Business Review
It’s only natural to think about alternate career choices we could have made — but can too much dwelling in the past keep us from succeeding in the present? Based on findings from a survey of more than 300 workers and their coworkers, the author suggests that a bit of longing for the road not taken is fairly common, and in some cases, this sense of career regret can keep people from being fully invested and effective in their current jobs. However, the research also sheds light on two key strategies to ward off this sort of harmful rumination and dissatisfaction.
CPSC Provides More Guidance To Online Sellers & Retailers
March 21, 2023, National Law Review
Last month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, through its Small Business Ombudsman team (the “SBO Team”), published its safety guide for online sellers. The SBO Team is touting this new publication, the Online Sellers’ Safety Guide (the “E-Commerce Guide”), as a “guide that offers e-commerce business owners various resources and information. Examples include helpful FAQs, to help them make, import, or sell safe and compliant consumer products. The introduction of the E-Commerce Guide comes at a time when the CPSC is ramping up its enforcement efforts.
Company Claim: Custom 3D Printed Cycling Helmet Exceeds Safety Criteria
March 23, 2023, 3D Printing Industry
Jabil Inc. has teamed up with KAV Sports to make customized, made-to-order cycling helmets that are more comfortable and safer. These helmets will be made using custom-engineered materials and additive manufacturing. The KAV Portola helmet is fashioned from a proprietary nylon carbon-fiber material developed by Jabil to fulfill stringent performance and aesthetic criteria. KAV did the tests required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to get certification that it was safe. When KAV introduced the Portola helmet with the new material in April 2022, the firm claimed that the device not only satisfied but also exceeded by more than 25 percent the U.S. CPSC safety criteria for impact resistance.
Feds Recall Chinese-Manufactured Lithium-Ion Batteries As Mayor Devises New Plan To Curb E-Bike Fires
March 20, 2023, Norwood News
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 7,250 units of Chinese-manufactured RELiON InSight Series® lithium batteries, due to “thermal burn and fire hazards,” the commission announced. Meanwhile, following a number of Bronx and New York City fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined other elected officials to announce the signing into law of the latest package of City fire legislation regulating the sale of lithium-ion batteries. The package also includes a new action plan targeted at education around the use of such batteries and the prevention of future fires caused by them.
UL Enterprise Applauds New York City Mayor Eric Adams For Signing Life-Saving Micromobility Legislation Into Law
March 20, 2023, PRnewswire
The UL enterprise – UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions – applauded New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ action to sign Initiative 663-A into law. Under this new law, any company selling, leasing or distributing micromobility devices, such as e-bikes or e-scooters, has 180 days to obtain certification by an accredited testing laboratory.
Electronic Filing Of Compliance Certificate Data To Be Tested This Fall
March 24, 2023, Sandler, Travis and Rosenberg, P.A.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is now planning to launch this fall a second test of the electronic filing of data from certificates of compliance for regulated consumer products under the CPSC’s jurisdiction. The CPSC states that importers who participate in this test and provide accurate information could see shorter review periods, will have lower risk scores, and will be subject to fewer holds on their shipments at U.S. ports. The beta test will follow an alpha test conducted in 2016.
How A Proposed Federal E-Bike Incentive Could Lead To Fewer Battery Fires
March 22, 2023, TechCrunch
As electric bikes grow in popularity, the number of deadly fires caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries has also risen. One of the main culprits? Cheap e-bikes delivered from non-reputable, overseas companies direct to consumers. A reintroduced bill that would provide Americans with a federal rebate of up to $1,500 toward the purchase of an e-bike could help consumers afford higher-quality bikes. That could help reduce the growing number of e-bike fires that have plagued cities like New York. U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) reintroduced this week the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate. If passed, the incentives will cover 30% of the cost of a new e-bike, up to a maximum credit of $1,500. Only bikes that are priced at less than $8,000 qualify.
AI Leader Sam Altman: What Makes Him ‘Super Nervous’ About AI
March 23, 2023, Intelligences
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder, has become a public face of the AI revolution, alternately evangelical and circumspect about the potent force he has helped unleash on the world. The OpenAI co-founder thinks tools like GPT-4 will be revolutionary. But he’s wary of downsides.
