CPSC Sues thyssenkrupp Access Corp. Over Hazard In Home Elevators
July 7, 2021, CPSC
To prevent children from serious injury or death, the Consumer Product Safety Commission filed an administrative complaint against thyssenkrupp Access Corp. alleging its residential elevators contain defects that present a substantial product hazard.

CR Says: Consumer Product Safety System Is Broken
July 6, 2021, News 4 Jax
When it comes to removing dangerous products from the marketplace, most of us assume that government regulators are able to move quickly to protect us. But that’s not always true.
A new Consumer Reports investigation has found a broken system within the Consumer Product Safety Commission, leaving unsuspecting consumers vulnerable to dangerous products.

When To Take On Tasks That Are Outside Your Job Description
July 8, 2021, Harvard Business Review
You see an important task that needs to be done, but it isn’t your responsibility. Should you do it? For some, the answer is “Of course!” For others, the answer is a resounding no, not due to laziness but fear of stepping on another’s toes.

Colorado Governor Signs Law Banning Single-Use Plastic Bags
July 7, 2021, ICIS
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis recently signed a bill, banning single-use plastic bags and expanded polystyrene foam takeout containers at most retail stores and restaurants starting in 2024. The law allows exemptions for shops with 3 or fewer locations.

US Groups Back Principles For Chemical Ingredient Disclosure
July 8, 2021, Chemical and Engineering News
US businesses, state regulators, and health advocacy groups are endorsing principles for disclosing chemical ingredients in products. With the exception of substantiated trade secrets, the principles call for companies to disclose all ingredients they intentionally add to their products. They also ask manufacturers to disclose any incidental components, breakdown products, or by-products that pose known or suspected hazards to human health or the environment.

Study Finds 2400 Hazardous Chemicals Used In Making Plastics
July 6, 2021, C&EN
More than 10,000 additives, processing aids and monomers are used to make plastics, with about 2,400 identified as potentially hazardous, according to the results of a comprehensive new study by researchers at a Swiss institute.

Man Caught With Dangerous Fake Toys, Including Peppa Pig And Minions dolls
July 7, 2021, Manchester Evening Standard
A businessman caught four times with fake and unsafe toys has been fined more than £5,000. More than 1,100 items seized by trading standards officers were found to be either counterfeit or did not meet safety standards. They included knock-off Peppa Pig, Minions, Disney and Thomas the Tank Engine dolls, fake Samsung charging cables and other plastic toys which exceeded legal limits of chemicals.

A Guide To Safer Kids Biking
July 7, 2021, Positively Scottish
Summer is here, which is the perfect time for bike riding, whether it is around your neighborhood, a trail, or a park. Parents worry about their kids’ safety when they head out. Are they careful with traffic? What do they do when they get hurt?

The New And Improved Prop 65? Maybe, Maybe Not 
July 6, 2021, The Corvallis Advocate
Have you shopped for jewelry, cosmetics, furniture, or exercise equipment recently? If so, you have most likely come across a Proposition 65 warning sticker.  If you are unsure of whether the warning label should keep you from buying a product, you are not alone. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) proposed changes to the California-based law earlier this year that have arguably added to the confusion.

The World’s Biggest Fashion Brands Remain Reliant On Plastics
July 8, 2021, Fashion United
Despite pledges to create a sustainable future, global fashion brands continue to rely on plastic synthetic fibers. A report by Changing Markets says these fibers are fueling plastic waste and the climate crises due to the fossil fuels needed to make them.

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Biden Taps House Aide To Chair U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
July 2, 2021, Yahoo Finance
President Joe Biden plans to nominate a senior lawyer for a U.S. House of Representatives committee to chair the CPSC, along with a lawyer at the agency for another commissioner slot, the White House said. Biden announced that he intends to nominate Alexander Hoehn-Saric, a Democrat who is chief counsel for the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on communications and consumer protection to head the CPSC. The Democratic president also plans to nominate Mary Boyle to the commission. She is the CPSC’s current executive director and has spent more than a decade at the agency in senior positions.

EU Digital-Era Upgrade May Include Hefty Fines For Online Markets
July 1, 2021, Euronews.next
To avoid children’s dolls being hacked or phone chargers catching fire, the EU is pitching a revamp of product safety rules for the digital era. It will require online marketplaces to remove unsafe products without undue delay or face hefty fines.

Senate Bill Could Lead To CPSC Pilot Program On Artificial Intelligence
June 25, 2021, ZDNet
The U.S. House recently approved and sent to the Senate a bill to form a pilot initiative to use artificial intelligence to vet consumer product safety. The bill provides for a “pilot program” to examine use of artificial intelligence by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

How To Bring Your Conscience To Work (podcast)
June 8, 2021, Knowledge@Wharton
“To be a person of conscience — to bring your conscience to work, to bring your values to work and make a commitment to acting on them — is an essential leadership skill,” Wharton Professor Richard G. Shell says.

Paris Threatens To Ban E-Scooters After Woman’s Death
June 30, 2021, The Straits Times
Paris has threatened to ban e-scooters if operators don’t comply with speed limits and other rules after a pedestrian was killed by 2 riders. Some 15,000 devices are available in the city. They are supposed to travel less than 20kmh with only 1 rider.

UC Davis Pediatricians Warn Of The Dangers Of Button Cell Batteries
June 29, 2021, Daily Democrat
Pediatricians say keep button batteries secure and out of children’s reach. Jonathan Kohler, MD, UC Davis Children’s Hospital said, “Kids who swallow these batteries may require emergency surgery and can have devastating long-term injuries.”

Best Recall Practices: Part 3 – Consumer Goods
June 2021, Sidley
In part three of this series on product recalls, the authors focus on the rules governing recalls and withdrawals of consumer products from the EU and Swiss market. They examine the recall procedures, set out in Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety (GPSD), its related guidance set out in the Commission Decision for the notification of dangerous consumer products.

Experts Warn Of Carbon Monoxide Dangers Amid Power-Outages
July 1, 2021, ClickOn Detroit
During power outages, people turn to portable generators to keep their lights and appliances working — but the Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning people that if generators aren’t used properly, they can cause serious consequences.

Opinion: Rethinking Plastics
July 1, 2021, University of Delaware
Plastics now are everywhere in our lives, providing low-cost convenience and other benefits in countless applications. They can be shaped to almost any task, from wispy films to squishy children’s toys and hard-core components. They have shown themselves vital in medicine and have been pivotal in the global effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 16 months. Plastics seem indispensable these days. Unfortunately for the long-term, they are also nearly indestructible.

New UK ‘Right To Repair’ Standards Come Into Effect
July 1, 2021, Belfast Telegraph
Manufacturers must make home products such as washing machines easier to repair under the new standards. They are now legally obliged to make spare parts available to consumers for the first time so that electrical appliances can be fixed easily.

Four Imperatives For Managing In A Hybrid World
June 28, 2021, Harvard Business Review
As more companies turn to a hybrid work model a year into the pandemic, what challenges are leaders likely to face when managing people both in the office and remotely? Interviews with 38 executives in Nordic countries point to four main tensions.

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House Passes Two Bills Promoting Safer Children’s  Products
June 23, 2021, Consumer Reports
Lawmakers recently voted to approve the STURDY Act, to prevent furniture tip-overs, and the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, to ban inclined sleepers and crib bumper pads. Both bills passed with broad bipartisan support.

User “shock”: Peloton Safety Update Costs $40 A Month
June 23, 2021, Motherboard
Tread+ users got a shock in their inbox recently. After the treadmill downloaded an update Peloton said was designed to make the device safer, users reported they could no longer run on it without paying Peloton a $39.99 per month subscription fee.

How HP Turns Business Catastrophes To Their Advantage
June 17, 2021, Harvard Business Review
What does it take for your organization to stay afloat when an unexpected wave hits and to turn it to your advantage? The author describes a 3-part framework for resilient growth that helped HP emerge after potential business-ending challenges.

New ‘Safety By Design’ Toolkit To Help The Global Tech Industry
June 21, 2021, ZDNet
The Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner, charged with promoting online safety education, is rolling out ‘safety by design’ tools to arm the global tech industry with a way to incorporate safety into their products, services and platforms.

CPSC: Elevators In Vacation Rental Homes Can Pose A Deadly Hazard
June 24, 2021, CPSC
Vacation rental homes are a popular alternative to hotels and motels during the pandemic. As restrictions are lifted, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds travelers to take safety with them, when renting homes with residential elevators.

CPSC Commissioner Feldman And National Fireworks Association Promote Safe July 4th
June 24, 2021, National Fireworks Association
Commissioner Peter Feldman and Steve Houser, President of the National Fireworks Association (NFA) jointly released a video reminding Americans to celebrate the Fourth of July with consumer fireworks safely. “Each year, the Commission plays an important role in making sure the consumer fireworks used at your neighborhood gatherings and backyard barbecues are safe,” Feldman said.

Footage Of Amazon Destroying Thousands Of Unsold Items In Britain Prompts Calls For Official Investigation
June 23, 2021, Washington Post
British lawmakers are demanding a meeting with Amazon’s country manager after an investigation in Scotland revealed thousands of unsold or returned items, including televisions, books, sealed face masks and laptops, being destroyed by the company.

China Releases A New National Standard For Restricted Chemical Substances In Consumer Products
June 23, 2021, Market Screener
The Standardization Administration of China issued its national standard GB/T 39498-2020 Guidelines for the use and control of key chemical substances in consumer products which became effective on June 1, 2021. This is a new national standard and is included in China’s No. 26 announcement on newly approved national standards in 2020.

Charging Electric Scooter To Blame For Townhouse Fire
June 23, 2021, WTOP News
A malfunctioning battery in a charging electric scooter sparked a recent townhouse fire that displaced 7 residents. Fire investigators are still trying to identify the model and manufacturer of the scooter and are following up with the CPSC.

Managing Safety Performance
June 23, 2021, OHSonline
Excellence in safety can only be achieved through a strategy-driven, performance-based safety management process. The challenge is how to devise a safety process that will enable the organization to impact performance holistically in order to achieve excellence. Safety should be fully integrated into the organization’s operations and outcomes should be aligned with business goals. As a result, the safety process will become integrated into the very fabric of the organization.

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Civil Lawsuit Filed Over 2018 Deaths Of Two Children
June 17, 2021, WLOS-ABC
Two parents want justice for their children’s deaths in Jackson County North Carolina. They filed a federal complaint in Asheville against AMSAFE Commercial Products and Shield Restraint Systems, a manufacturer of safety restraints.

Opinion: Fisher-Price Recall Shows Why Company Actions And Values Should Be In Sync
June 11, 2021, Forbes
Fisher-Price’s recall of their 4 n’ 1 Rock ‘n Glide Soother underscores again why business leaders need to ensure the actions of their companies are in sync with corporate values. Failure to do so can damage the image and reputation of companies and organizations.

Becoming A More Critical Consumer Of Information
June 10, 2021, HBR
Trust is our most important foundation for navigating a complex, data-filled world. And yet, an ADP Research Institute study shows that having a high level of trust in our colleagues and organizations is at its lowest level in recent memory.

First A Recall, Now A New Problem For Peloton Owners: Hacks
June 16, 2021, 4029tv.com
Peloton users are being warned of a new security threat relating to the touchscreen on their Bike+.  In a recent report cybersecurity company McAfee discovered a vulnerability that allows hackers to access Peloton’s bike screen and potentially spy.

UK: Counterfeit Amusement Toy Suppliers Sentenced To Jail
June 17, 2021, North Yorkshire County Council
Suppliers of fake and unsafe toys to east coast amusement arcades were sentenced at York Crown Court today after pleading guilty to offences of selling and having in possession for distribution over 240,000 counterfeit children’s products.

Florida Child Hospitalized After Swallowing Magnetic Balls
June 16, 2021, WRCB TV
A 2-year-old Florida boy is in the hospital with complications from swallowing part of a toy composed of small magnetic balls. The child found the pieces of the toy, commonly known as a Buckyball that one of his siblings brought it home from school.

1 In 3 Americans Still Practice Unsafe Storage Of Laundry Products
June 17. 2021, Happi
For National Safety Month, American Cleaning Institute (ACI) urges consumers to store liquid laundry packets in original packaging to help deter poisonings. ACI data shows a need for continued education and awareness about liquid laundry packets.

How To Practice Responsible AI (Audio)
June 16, 2021, Harvard Business Review

The “Everywhere Chemical” : Might Phthalates Become The Next PFAS?
June 16, 2021, JD Supra
Phthalates are chemicals found in a wide range of consumer and industrial products, and public consciousness regarding the health risks they pose is quickly mounting. As demonstrated in the case of PFAS, growing public concerns about chemical exposure can result in the widespread adoption of disparate regulatory standards and create unexpected litigation risks. Some phthalates are already subject to regulation under federal environmental statutes, and some states have recently taken measures to restrict the use and disposal of phthalates.

NAO: UK Product Safety Regulator Slow To Respond To Magnets’ Danger
June 16, 2021, Sky News
Britain’s product safety regulator has been slow to respond to dangers such as those posed by mini magnets because it lacks the data and intelligence needed to assess risks, an NOA report has found.

Pew Research: Worries About Developments In AI
June 16, 2021, Pew Research Center
It would be quite difficult – some might say impossible – to design broadly adopted ethical AI systems. A share of the experts responding noted that ethics are hard to define, implement and enforce. They said context matters when it comes to ethical considerations. Any attempt to fashion ethical rules generates countless varying scenarios in which applications of those rules can be messy. The nature and relative power of the actors in any given scenario also matter. Social standards and norms evolve and can become wholly different as cultures change. Few people have much education or training in ethics. Additionally, good and bad actors exploit loopholes and gray areas where ethical rules aren’t crisp, so workarounds, patches or other remedies are often created with varying levels of success.

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Lawmakers Renew Calls To Explore Tech To Protect Consumers
June 10, 2021, NexGov
The bill, including its AI and Consumer Product Safety provision, would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop a pilot program to explore using technology to pinpoint product hazards or track relevant trends, among other pursuits.

CPSC Report Shows Child Drownings Remain High; Most Fatalities Are Children Under Five
June 8, 2021, CPSC
The annual drowning and submersion report released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds families to make water safety a priority, particularly as they return to community pools and resume warm-weather activities near water. Child drownings remain the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages one to four years old.

Employees Are Lonelier Than Ever. How Employers Can Help
June 9, 2021, Harvard Business Review
Loneliness comes with many negative side effects. Increasing face-to-face interaction may be beneficial for some, but it’s not always enough to create strong interpersonal bonds among colleagues. Here are 5 ways to help lonely employees.

CPSC Publishes Report On Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning
June 3, 2021, Retail & Consumer Law Observer
A CPSC report on AI and ML in consumer products highlights recent CPSC staff activity, proposes a framework for evaluating the potential safety impact of AI and ML and makes several recommendations that the CPSC can take related to AI and ML

Recall Roundup: May 2021
June 9, 2021, National Law Review
In the world of consumer products, the month of May was all about infant sleep products. The CPSC recently approved a new federal standard for infant sleep products for infants up to five months of age It reflects the fact that inclined sleepers, bassinets, and in-bed sleepers that have been linked to multiple infant deaths.

Health Canada Regulates Harmful UV, Ozone Devices That Could Harm People
June 8, 2021, KTW This Week
Health Minister Patty Hajdu says most companies selling UV wands and lights promising to kill viruses must have products approved and stop claiming they can destroy COVID-19. Hajdu signed an interim order to regulate the devices for the first time.

Amazon Successfully Presses To Leave Consumer Protections Out Of Senate China Bill
June 9, 2021, Washington Post
When the Senate recently passed the Inform Consumers Act to counter China’s growing economic clout, it excluded a measure designed to protect online shoppers from counterfeit and dangerous products after aggressive lobbying led by Amazon.

Prepare Now To Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
June 8, 2021, ABC Newsll
A big storm often causes power outages and an increased risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is odorless and colorless and the CPSC says causes over 400 deaths each year. Some are caused by portable generators used when people lose power.

Manufacturers Group Pushes For Country-Of-Origin Labelling
June 7, 2021, Industry Week
Americans have a reason to be apprehensive about e-commerce giants. These companies are lobbying against legislation to require country-of-origin labeling for any product sold on the Internet to help consumers make more informed online choices.

Consumers Are Facing More Risk Than Ever Due To Fake Products
June 9, 2021, Irish Technical Times
Counterfeits represent 6.8% of EU imports worth EUR 121 billion, according to a joint study by the EUIPO and the OECD. They can pose serious health and safety risks to consumers, notably due to exposure to hazardous chemicals.

E-scooters ‘Not Safe’ Without Audible Signals
June 8, 2021, BBC
The RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) said e-scooters posed potential risks to blind and partially sighted people because “they are fast-moving, difficult to detect and are often ridden on the pavement despite this being illegal”.

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CPSC Bans Unregulated Baby Sleep Products Tied To 90 Deaths
June 2, 2021, Washington Post
By a 3-1 vote, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned a number of infant sleep products. The rule requires products for sleeping babies to meet the mandatory federal standards for cribs, bassinets, bedside sleepers and play yards.

CPSC Urges Understanding Of ATVs And ROVs And Of Paved Road Risks
June 2, 2021, CPSC.gov
The CPSC urges consumers to understand the risks and undertake necessary safety measures before riding ATVs and other off-highway vehicles. The dangers are real and include overturning, collision and occupant ejection. The CPSC says there were about 1,700 ATV-related fatalities and 445 ROV-related fatalities reported from 2015-2019.

5 Myths About Flexible Work
June 5, 2021, Harvard Business Review
Executives often worry that they’ll open Pandora’s box and set a dangerous precedent if they allow employees to work flexibly. Perhaps a silver lining of the pandemic will be that corporate leaders have overcome their fears of offering flexibility.

Australia Introduces Button And Coin Battery Standards
June 2, 2021, Product Safety Australia
The Australian Government has introduced 4 mandatory standards to reduce the risk of death and injury from the use of button and coin batteries. The standards apply to both button cell and coin cell batteries, and to the products that include them.

Disruptive Technologies To Look Out For In 2021
June 3, 2021, Analytics Insight
These disruptive technologies have become an integral part of our lives and are causing massive changes in traditional business models. On that account, here are some examples of the disruptive technologies that have recently made the headlines.

Recalls In Review: Mattress Recalls
May 28, 2021, Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer
Since 2005 about 40 recalls of mattresses and mattress-related products have taken place. The peak year of 2015 includes 7 total recalls.

Half Of Brits Want E-Scooter Restrictions
June 3, 2021, ITS International
More than half of UK survey respondents want electric scooter licenses introduced if public use of the vehicles is made legal. This reflects public concerns for safety, according to JMW Solicitors, which carried out the survey.

Fire Officials Say Replace Recalled Smoke Detectors Now
June 1, 2021, Patch
Fire officials say recalled smoke detectors in homes could be a much more serious problem than we might realize. The only way to be certain a smoke and/or CO detector was not part of the recent recall is to compare the serial numbers.

A Glimpse Into The Art Of Leadership And The Science Of Management
June 2, 2021, CEO World
There is a fierce war taking place on the organizational battlefield. It is a conflict that stirs a heated debate and sparks the interest of people worldwide. It is the battle between the ideas of leadership and management. Both sides of the fight are inaccurate and understanding the nuances between the two will optimize your organization’s effectiveness.

Milwaukee Is First Market To Test Scooter Sidewalk Tracking Technology
June 3, 2021, Wisconsin.com
Sidewalk riding was probably our largest concern during the 2019 pilot study, said Milwaukee Department of Public Work. Now a new pilot study begins, and it’s designed to see how the city can implement scooters as a means of transportation safely.

Consumers Warned: Stop Using Ace Youth ATVs Due To Crash Hazard And Violation Of Federal Mandatory Safety Standard
June 2, 2021, PR Newswire
The CPSC and EGL Motor Inc., are warning consumers to stop using EGL Motor’s ACE D110 youth ATV immediately, to avoid serious injury or death. These youth (age 6 and older) ATVs do not meet federal safety standards.

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Peloton Releases A Software Fix For Its Recalled Treadmills
May 19, 2021, CNN
Peloton is rolling out a software fix for its Tread and Tread+ treadmills after a massive recall. Customers can now access a new “Tread Lock” feature that requires a four-digit code before using the treadmill and locks the machine after 45 seconds of inactivity outside of a class. Peloton states on the feature’s support page that users will “be required to set up Tread Lock” following an automatic software upgrade. The fix applies to both of Peloton’s treadmills: The Tread+ and the Tread.

The Product Safety Early-Warning System That Seldom Sounds
May 21, 2021, ConsumerReports
Under a federal law companies must notify the CPSC when lawsuits alleging serious injury or death have been brought against their products. Known as Section 37, it was devised to be a “safety net,” capturing hazards that may not be reported to the government. But a CR investigation found Section 37 is broken.

Ransomware Attacks Are Spiking. Is Your Company Prepared?
May 20, 2021, Harvard Business Review
These are unprecedented times in the world of cybersecurity, with ransomware attacks up 150% in 2020 and growing faster in 2021. With preparation, cybersecurity and a plan, your company will reduce risk and be prepared to deal with the unthinkable.

Sedgwick Report: Product Recalls Expected To Soar Post Pandemic, Enforcement Set To Intensify
May 19, 2021, Sedgwick/PRnewswire
According to Sedgwick brand protection latest U.S. product recall index report, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to keep inspections and recall incidents below record levels. However, as the world begins to re-open and with the prospect of new regulations ahead, an upsurge in recalls should be expected. The new report reveals the latest recall data, trends and predictions businesses need to know to prepare for the increasingly aggressive and complex regulatory environment that risk managers are forecasting for all industries in 2021.

UK Safety Alert Issued For Small High-Powered Magnetic Products
May 19, 2021, OPSS UK.gov
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the UK’s national product safety regulator, has issued a Safety Alert to warn of the risk of serious injury and death from swallowing small high-powered magnets. The OPSS Safety Alert follows increasing reports of injuries from ingestion of magnets, particularly among children and young people. OPSS has identified a particular hazard arising from the use of high-powered magnets in products where the magnets can be swallowed.

How 7 ‘Smart Toys’ Are Protecting Kids’ Data And Safety
May 18, 2021, World Economic Forum
Kids today have a chance to engage with their toys in ways never imaged before. As children are more connected to the internet, parents and guardians need to understand the capabilities of such devices and how they should be secured.

HR Leaders Share 14 In-Demand Skills Employers Want In 2021
May 20, 2021, Forbes
Every business is only as good as its employees. That’s why a good hiring strategy that focuses on in-demand skills is essential to a company’s success. Human resources teams often have unique insight into hiring trends that help their organization find the right talent, including the skill sets employers need to succeed in 2021 and beyond.

Governor Scott Signs First-In-Nation Restrictions On Toxic PFAS Chemicals
May 20, 2021, Vermont Biz
Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law a nation-leading bill that restricts the sale of consumer products that contain toxic chemicals known as PFAS. The bill bans PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam, food packaging, ski wax, and carpets, rugs and stain-resistant treatments. S20 was supported by Vermont environmental advocates, firefighters, educators, public health experts, children’s advocates.

Don’t Panic: How To Save Gasoline Safely
May 20, 2021, Wall Street Call
Since the Colonial Pipeline closure, some people have saved gasoline in the worst ways ever. Experts at encourage people to stop filling unsafe items with fuel and to invest in rugged, safe fuel containers that meet ASTM and CPSC minimum standards.

Job Opening: Product Quality Manager 1 – non-food – for regional retail leader

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A $4 Bit Of Plastic Could Have Saved Peloton Millions
May 11, 2021, Wired
Was Peloton’s multi-million-dollar disaster inevitable? What caused the safety issues, and could they have been easily fixed? And why did they happen in the first place? Form may have come before function for Peloton and now it’s paying the price.

Baby Bath Seats Inspire Court Fight On Safety Standard Access
May 10, 2021, Courthouse News Service
The CPSC did not publish the full text of the standard in the Federal Register because ASTM owns the copyright to the standard. During oral arguments, a panel of DC circuit judges appeared to side with a mother who is advocating to make CPSC standards freely available to the public.

The Hazards Of Being The Boss’s Favorite
May 13, 2021, Harvard Business Review
There are clear advantages to being your boss’s favorite. But there are downsides, too. How can you encourage your boss to treat everyone more equally and push back on the favoritism without seeming ungrateful or damaging your relationship?

Fivefold Rise In Young Children Swallowing Magnets Over Past 5 Years In UK
May 11, 2021, EurekaAlert
There’s been a fivefold rise in the number of young children requiring treatment after having swallowed a magnet over the past 5 years in the UK, suggests data from specialist doctors in a letter published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Nearly half of these children required surgery to remove the magnet, with surgical complications after retrieval a common occurrence.

Be Ready When Storms Hit: Protect Your Family This Hurricane Season with CPSC’s Life-Saving Tips
May 11, 2021, CPSC
June 1 marks the start of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, and the CPSC is warning consumers about the increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, fires and electric shock that can happen as a result of hurricanes and severe storms. Colorado State University forecasts a more dire storm and hurricane picture – 17 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes for this year.

Do Not Fill Plastic Bags With Gasoline: CPSC On Gas Shortage
May 12, 2021, USA Today
As many people in the Southeast dealt with rising gas prices and with stations running out of fuel in the wake of the cyberattack on a crucial regional pipeline, the CPSC had a message. “Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline,” the agency tweeted.

New Research On E-Scooters Discusses Safety, Where To Ride Them
May 7, 20T1, Fox News Washington DC
New research from the Insurance Institute on Highway Safety on the safety of e-scooters, shows they can be more dangerous than bicycles but are less likely to collide with cars and trucks, mostly because they’re often up on sidewalks.

AirTags “Terrifyingly Good” At Tracking And Potentially Helping Stalkers
March 11, 2021, CBS NEWS
Apple AirTags, the company’s device for finding lost items, could also let stalkers keep tabs on victims, experts say. AirTags are precise and easy to use and potentially misuse. Experts say they could help stalkers and enable domestic abusers.

New York Will Hold Public Meeting On Toxic Chemicals Children’s Products Law
May 13, 2021, National Law Review
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a virtual public meeting and will present topics for discussion related to implementation of the recently enacted law, which created ingredient disclosure requirements for children’s products. Title 9 of Article 37 of the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) establishes an ingredient disclosure program and prohibits certain chemicals in children’s products. ECL Article 37 instructs NYSDEC to promulgate lists of chemicals of concern and high-priority chemicals by March 1, 2022. It also prohibits the sale of children’s products containing benzene, asbestos, or tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate effective January 1, 2023.

CPSC To Require Compliance With New Furniture Standard By June 25, 2021
May 13, 2021, Furniture World
The SOFFA (the Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act), has formalized a national furniture flammability requirement for the first time, an effort long supported by Upholstered Furniture Action Council.

Opinion: Unanchored Furniture Is A Major Risk To Our Kids And We Need To Address This ASAP
May 14, 2021, Scary Mommy
Parents Against Tip-Overs have joined together to introduce and support the STURDY Act (Stop Tip-Overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers On Youth Act), which would “create and finalize a mandatory standard to help prevent tip-over incidents involving dressers and other clothing storage furniture,” says a joint letter to the Senate signed by dozens of local, state, and national organizations.

44 Attorneys General Oppose Instagram For Kids As They Warn Of Sexual Grooming, Bullying
May 10, 2021, Forbes
Over 40 attorneys general wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asking him to abandon plans to create a version of Instagram for children under 13.They cited concern about cyber bullying, sexual grooming and the impact of social media on young people.

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How Peloton Backed Down And Agreed To Recall Treadmills
May 5, 2021, Washington Post
Peloton appeared dug in. The home exercise company had been adamant for weeks that it was not going to agree to a voluntary recall of its Tread+ treadmill, In a stunning reversal, the company struck a deal with the CPSC for a voluntary recall.

AirTags Pulled From Retailer Over Child Safety Concerns — Apple Responds
May 4, 2021, Tom’s Guide
Australian retailer Officeworks has pulled Apple AirTags off store shelves due to child safety concerns around the coin cell battery. As of now, AirTags are still available on Apple’s Australian online store, as well as at retailers JB Hi-Fi and Big W.

What Good Leaders Do When Replacing Bad Leaders
April 16, 2021, Harvard Business Review
Any leader who is assuming a role previously held by someone else has to face their predecessor’s legacy, but those who are replacing poor or controversial leaders have a special challenge. These three strategies will help your company move on.

CPSC’s Expanding Role Under The Biden Administration
May 5, 2020, JDSupra
Under the Biden administration, the CPSC is undergoing a shift toward increased regulation and more aggressive enforcement. Acting Chair Adler confirmed this earlier this year, saying the Biden administration “clearly views product safety in different terms,” and that Adler “plan[s] to modify [his] job’s metaphor from caretaker to gardener.”

Is This Safe To Buy? How Dangerous Products Get—And Stay—On The Market
May 4, 2021, Consumer Reports
Of the approximately 15,000 categories of products overseen by the CPSC only about 70 are governed by what is called a mandatory standard, according to Acting CPSC Chair Robert Adler. For those 70 product categories, federal rules mandate compliance with specific safety requirements. Manufacturers must test them, usually through third-party labs. Products that fail these tests must be recalled if they’re already for sale.

Consumer Reports Tests: Dressers Still Pose Tip-Over Risk
May 6, 2021, Consumer Reports
CR conducted tip-over tests on 13 dresser models representing a cross-section of the retail market, using progressively tougher tests. They were purchased from January-March 2021. The tests show you can’t spot a stable dresser with the naked eye.

Peloton Recall In Canada After 83 Incident Reports Involving Treadmill Touchscreens
May 6, 2021, CTV
A recall has been issued for the Peloton TR02 Treadmill by Health Canada, the CPSC and Peloton due to the risk of the touchscreen detaching. The recall stated the screws attaching the console to the treadmill can come loose posing risk of injury.

Kentucky Family Advocates For State Bike Helmet Law For Children
May 3, 2021, WHAS 11
For 6 years, T.J. and his mother have worked for passage of “T.J.’s Bill”. The act would require Kentucky children under 12 to wear a helmet when on a bike. Their goal is for Kentucky to join the 21 states and Washington, D.C. that have helmet laws for young riders.

IU School Of Business Experts Who Study Causes And Effects Of Recalls
May 5, 2021, News wise
George Ball, assistant professor of operations and decision technologies and Weimer Faculty Fellow at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, studies the causes and effects of product recalls. Ball said, “Recall decisions like this are very difficult for managers to make, especially the ones that are high profile and associated with consumer injury. Managers have to balance the firm financial health with consumer safety. Thus, this is a rich area of research. The research that my colleagues and I undertake in this field deal both with the regulator and the firm.”

The Case for Women’s Leadership In A Post-Pandemic US Business World
May 5, 2021, Forbes
The pandemic has challenged the limitations of our world’s leaders; however, women such as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin have guided their countries in a way few of their male counterparts could. They showed resiliency, decisiveness and empathy in their leadership, helping them to perform better during the COVID crisis.

Honoring Our Heroes
SPSP Website
SPSP makes a permanent home for the salute poster at its website.