CPSC Adopts Final Consumer Product Safety Standard To Prevent Tip-Overs Of Dressers And Other Clothing Storage Units
April 19, 2023, Woodworking Network
The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted 3-1 to adopt ASTM International’s F2057-23 voluntary stability standard as the new mandatory safety standard for clothing storage units required under the STURDY Act. STURDY is the “Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth” Act, which was enacted in December as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2023. The ASTM standard will now be made mandatory and published in the federal register, replacing the CPSC rule set to go into effect May 24. Publication in the register opens a 30-day comment period.
Commissioner Mary T. Boyle statement on mandatory safety standards for clothing storage units
Statement of Commissioner Peter A. Feldman on Sturdy Act determination
Amazon Takes Action Against Counterfeiters With New Anti-Counterfeiting Exchange
April 20, 2023, The Toy Book
Retail giant Amazon has revealed a new measure to help eliminate counterfeits across the consumer products industry. The company’s Anti-Counterfeiting Exchange (ACX) is an industry partnership designed to make it safer to shop online and more difficult for counterfeiters to sell counterfeit products. Participating companies can regularly share information about confirmed counterfeiters who attempted to use participants’ services to sell counterfeit goods. By sharing this information, ACX participants can identify and stop perpetrators more quickly than they would without collaborative data sharing.
How Shame Helps Build Office Culture
April 18, 2023, Knowledge at Wharton
Feelings of shame are so overwhelmingly negative that they act as a positive force for setting social norms and behavior. In her latest research, Wharton’s Rebecca Schaumberg explains why managers should pay closer attention to shame. “We are socialized not to show shame or express it because it is an emotion that is often associated with lower status,” she said. The scholars contend that shame is so overwhelmingly negative that it acts as a positive force for social cohesion.
Advocates Say Inhalant That Contributed To Aaron Carter’s Death Needs More Regulation
April 20, 2023, NBC News
Pressure to enact rules discouraging use of an inhalant that contributed to singer Aaron Carter’s death has met resistance from federal regulators in recent years. The nonprofit group Families United Against Inhalant Abuse has pushed for tighter federal restrictions on aerosol duster products, including harsher labels. But the Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC) has questioned whether those proposed changes would stop people from abusing difluoroethane and deferred the petition in July to allow staff more time to research the issue.
What You Need To Know About ‘Forever Chemical’ Regulation In The US And Europe
April 19, 2023, Corporate Compliance Insights
PFAS regulations remain in limbo, but market forces are pushing ahead. Lawmakers in many jurisdictions are taking steps and issue rules to eliminate PFAS from the supply chain. Here’s a comparison of PFAS regulations in the EU and the U.S.
An Overview Of The UK’s New Approach To AI
April 19, 2023, Center for Data Innovation
The UK Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) released an artificial intelligence (AI) white paper to describe its new approach to regulating AI. The proposal seeks to create a pro-innovation regulatory framework that promotes public trust in AI. It also commits to establishing a regulatory sandbox to bring together regulators and innovators, so they better understand how regulation affects emerging AI technologies. Unlike the European Union (EU), the UK’s approach to AI will not focus on new legislation in the short term. It will instead focus on creating guidelines to empower regulators and will only take statutory action when necessary.
IKEA Statement On CPSC Determination On Clothing Storage Furniture
Irish Watchdog Issues Warning On Dangerous Gas Cookers
April 20, 2023, Irish Examiner
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is urging consumers who own gas range cookers affected by a potentially lethal fault to contact the manufacturer now for free modifications. This safety alert was issued because the grill in these cookers can generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide when used with the door closed. The manufacturer, Glen Dimplex Home Appliances Ltd, said it had made several attempts to contact affected customers, but only a small number of Irish owners have arranged for their cookers to be made safe.
What Science Says About The Health Risks Of Gas Stoves
April 7, 2023, Mirage News/Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
A political firestorm erupted after a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggested they might consider regulating indoor air pollution from gas stoves. Later, the agency clarified that they did not intend to outright ban gas burners. But what does science say? In the middle of the controversy, the news media turned to Darby Jack, associate professor of environmental health sciences, who has studied indoor air pollution for more than a decade. “It’s an important piece of the decarbonization puzzle,” says Jack. “It’s not the biggest piece, but it’s an important one because there are opportunities to deliver both greenhouse gas emission reduction benefits and short-term immediate health benefits by reducing indoor exposure to NO2.”
Weighted Blankets: Clinical Benefits, But Also Potential Risks?
April 17, 2023, MDLinx
While all of the clinical benefits are encouraging, there is a reason for parents to be cautious using weighted blankets at home for children. The Consumer Products Safety Commission issued a recall for a particular brand of weighted blanket that was marketed to parents of young children. Two children, a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old, reportedly became trapped in the cover of a weighted blanket and died due to asphyxia. If a weighted blanket has a zipped cover, young children can become entrapped by unzipping and entering the blanket, posing a risk of asphyxiation.
Google’s Bard Launch Despite Employee Ethical Concerns
April 19, 2023, Global Village Space
Google’s Bard launch has been met with criticism from both current and former employees, who have referred to the AI chatbot as “a pathological liar” and “cringeworthy.” Despite concerns about the accuracy and safety of the product, Google has pushed ahead with its launch in an effort to compete with AI challengers like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Bing. However, Bard has been prone to inaccuracies, with one employee reporting that it gave dangerous advice on how to land a plane, while another said that answers about scuba diving “would likely result in serious injury or death.”
