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Commissioner Trumka: “CPSC Revamps Chronic Hazards Guidelines, Making It Easier To Protect You From Toxic Chemicals In Your Home”
April 15, 2024, cpsc.gov
Commissioner Trumka: “The Commission unanimously approved new chronic hazard guidelines that improve the agency’s ability to protect you from toxic chemicals. After today, we can apply the latest methods in toxicology and use current scientific insight, including research and findings from other federal agencies, universities, and professional toxicologists. That is a major leap forward.

Joint Statement Of Commissioners Feldman And Dziak On CPSC Chronic Hazard Guidelines
April 15, 2024, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission approved updates to its guidelines for assessing chronic hazards under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Under the guidelines, when industry and the Commission conduct such assessments, they should proceed according to sound science, accurate data, and best practices in the field.

China: New Products Under CCC Obligation Beginning May 2025/ July 2025
April 18, 2024, china-certification.com
On April 10, 2024, China’s Certification and Accreditation Administration published several major changes regarding the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) area in its announcement No. 09/2024. Among other things, the list of products subject to CCC will be expanded to include several new product categories that were previously not part of the scope. The CCC certification is a mandatory certification in China that ensures that certain categories of products meet national safety and quality standards before they can be sold or imported in China. Product tests in China and annual factory audits are part of the CCC certification. Here is a list of the products that are now subject to the CCC certification requirement, including deadlines to be observed.

Should You Quit Your “Meh” Job? Or Is It Salvageable?
April 19, 2024, Harvard Business Review 
Bad days at work are inevitable. In this article, the author shares advice from two experts on what to do if you’re stuck in the gray area of deciding whether your job is merely mediocre or downright soul-crushing. Among the questions to ask yourself the authors include these: 1) Is the workplace toxic? 2) Do you feel depleted? 3) Are you miserable or are you bored? 4) Is there anything about the job you enjoy?

California Legislature Aims Two More Nails At The PFAS Coffin
April 17, 2024, National Law Review
Two bills, quite different in scope but both aiming to further restrict the use or presence of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various products, are currently wending their way through the California legislature. One bill could affect all types of products on the market, while the other is narrowly focused on a single product category. Both bills, Senate Bill 903 and Assembly Bill 2525, have now been read twice and amended at least twice.

‘It Feels Like A Gamble’ – Bike Shop Sees Shimano Cranks Fail 5 Months After Passing Inspection
April 17, 2024, Cycling Weekly
The crank, one of around 2.8 million affected, failed without the rider knowing and was previously inspected by a mechanic at Surrey Hills Cycle Works. Business Owner Dave Farmer believes the only way to guarantee the safety of the affected Hollowtech II cranks sold between 2012 and 2019 is “constant inspection.” The European ‘free inspection program’ – vs a recall of affected cranks in the US – did not require all affected products to be replaced, something which Farmer considers a “gamble” on Shimano’s part. The approach was deemed a “very unusual approach to corrective action”, by a legal expert, in an interview with Cycling Weekly. 

Staying Safe Around Beach Umbrellas Just Became An Official Standard
April 19, 2024, EINPresswires
ASTM International’s Consumer Products Committee has developed a standard specification for Beach Umbrellas and Anchor Devices. Each year, approximately 3,000 individuals in the United States end up in emergency rooms due to accidents involving beach umbrellas. These injuries prompted a concerted effort by officials to make beach umbrellas safer. Beginning its work in November 2021, the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM), with the help from engineers from the Consumer product Safety Commission have jointly announced the passage of ASTM F3681-24 safety standard aimed at safeguarding beachgoers from potential hazards posed by unstable umbrellas.

CPSC: Stop Using Chibebe Snuggle Pods Due To Suffocation Hazard; No Recall Or Remedy
April 18, 2024, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to immediately stop using the Chibebe Snuggle Pods because they pose a suffocation hazard to infants. The snuggle pods violate the infant pillow ban because of their flexible fabric covering, loose filling, and ability to easily flatten and conform to an infant’s body or face. CPSC issued a Notice of Violation to the manufacturer, Millisage LLC, d/b/a Chibebe, of Sheridan, Wyoming, but the firm has not agreed to recall these infant pillows or offer a remedy to consumers. 

Analysis: Will The EU AI Act Work? Lessons Learned From Past Legislative Initiatives, Future Challenges
April 17, 2024, International Association of Privacy Professionals
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act is not yet published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Yet its unquestionably disruptive value as the world’s first legislative effort to regulate AI is sparking a lot of debate. When creating the legislative framework, without a precedent to refer to, the European Commission chose the product safety framework, making it part of the so-called harmonization legislation regulating products circulating in the single market. The chosen structure for regulating AI in Europe not only has its own merits but also constitutes, in its final form, a novel approach at the intersection between technical product safety legislation and legislation intended to protect fundamental rights.

Federal Trade Commission Update: March 18 – 29, 2024
April 19, 2021, Retail Consumer Products Law

Consistency In Australian Helmet Laws Needed After Introduction Of New Safety Standards
April 18, 2024, AUSCYSLING
While a wider range of cycling helmets may soon be available in Australia, cyclists should think twice before rushing out to buy a new model. A potential increase in the range of helmets comes after the federal government recently adopted a recommendation of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to recognize some international helmet standards. The decision will allow suppliers to import and sell helmets that comply with the latest voluntary Australian standard or comparable international standards, potentially expanding the range of helmets available to Australian riders. However, state and territory governments are yet to recognize the change.