Advocate: Letter on Holiday toy safety report misleads consumers
March 8, 2019, Times Union
Stephen Pasierb, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Toy Association responds to a commentary article. He begins his response by noting: “As CEO of The Toy Association, the not-for-profit association representing all involved in creating and delivering toys, we are fortunate that 126 of our over 1,100 members are headquartered in New York state. David Oddo’s commentary (“More work is needed to keep dangerous toys off the market,” Feb. 7) claiming “regulatory enforcement has been lacking” and manufacturers “cut corners on safety” could not be further from the truth.”
Viewpoint: CT needs to rid children’s products of flame retardants
March 6, 2019, Connecticut Mirror
There is presently Bill 6516 before the Connecticut General Assembly that aims to prohibit the sale and distribution of children’s products containing flame-retardant chemicals. It is extremely important to get toxic flame retardants out of infant and children’s products. Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) believes that with this ban there should be an an exemption for children’s car seats. The report recommends that states restrict flame retardants in children and infant products because the toxicological studies show that flame-retardants pose a risk to the normal growth and development of fetuses, infants and children.
California Bills Would Add More Punch to Consumer Data Protection Law
March 6, 2019, Insurance Journal
Professionals in the cyber arena could find themselves quite busy in the near future with the possibility of California consumers gaining even more power to sue corporations for mishandling personal data under two recently introduced bills in state Legislature. California is already on track to have what may be considered the nation’s most far-reaching data privacy law with the passage last year of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018.
Industry, academic experts lead university consumer product safety certification program
September 23, 2018, EIN Presswire
A group of recognized authorities in the field of consumer product safety has joined university professors appointed to serve on the instruction team for a new professional certification program offered by Saint Louis University. The group consists of attorneys, industry experts, and leading business management professors from Saint Louis University’s Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business. The program combines workshops and product safety-based webinar topics.
Kamala Harris worries illegal immigrant children don’t have toys
March 6, 2019, Washington Times
Sen. Kamala Harris blasted the Border Patrol for taking toys away from illegal immigrant children who jump the border, saying she feared they are losing their access to mental stimulation. Kevin K. McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said the agency does have a policy to check out the toys, saying they have an obligation to the child’s safety. “It’s got to be safe. That’s the primary consideration,” he said.
Spring forward and change your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
March 9, 2019, 2019 Health News Digest
On Sunday, March 10, consumers turned their clocks forward one hour for Daylight Saving Time. As the season changes from winter to spring, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants you to spring into action and change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. Many electronic devices and appliances with clocks will adjust automatically. However, some smoke alarms and CO alarms need a few moments of your time to ensure manually they are working properly. “As you change your clocks, change the batteries in your smoke and CO alarms. Every moment matters,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle. “Working alarms can alert you and your family to danger, giving more time to escape in an emergency.”
Toy Association Makes regulatory education a priority with new programs
March 8, 2019, Associations Now
The Toy Association’s new Safety Education Program and regulation database aim to increase members’ knowledge of safety considerations and the regulatory environment around the globe. Fun is clearly a priority for toy makers—but so, too, is safety. And the ever-changing landscape of toy safety regulations means that manufacturers need constant access to up-to-date information from around the U.S. and the world.
Bone fractures increasing as seniors walk dogs to stay active
March 6, 2019, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
While walking a dog provides older Americans with a valuable outlet for regular, physical activity, a Penn Medicine study has shown that fractures related to these walks have more than doubled between 2004 and 2017 in patients 65 and older. In this population, 78 percent of the fractures occurred in women, with hip and upper extremity breaks being the most common. This study was published today in JAMA Surgery. The rise in injuries in this population is a result of two trends, the researchers say: increased pet ownership and a greater emphasis, in recent years, on physical activity at older ages.
Social media influencers may sway kids to eat more calories
March 4, 2019, CBS News
Any child with a smartphone can access thousands of social media influencers who constantly post about what they do and products they like. It’s a powerful form of communication and advertising in the digital age, and parents may have little idea what kind of impact it’s having on their kids.
High costs slowing action on “forever chemicals” in water, lawmakers say
March 6, 2019, Denver Post
Cleaning up and protecting U.S. drinking water from a class of toxic chemicals used in many household items could cost in the tens of billions of dollars nationally, including $2 billion for the Department of Defense alone, witnesses testified before a House panel urging the federal government to move more quickly on the cleanup. Rep. Harley Rouda, the California Democrat chairing the House Oversight and Reform environment subcommittee, told reporters after the hearing “it’s clear” the high costs were slowing any federal efforts to regulate and clean up the toxic chemicals, which are found in a range of goods, including nonstick pans, stain-resistant clothing, dental floss and food containers.
Malta encourages other EU member states to swiftly agree on whistleblower directive
March 9, 2019, Independent
Malta believes that the proposed directive on whistleblower protection is crucial for the citizens of the European Union and supports the Presidency of the Council in piloting it forward, Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government, Owen Bonnici said while addressing the Justice Affairs Council in Brussels. The current proposal for whistleblower protection is being discussed within the Council of the European Union working structures and the proposal aims at fully exploiting the potential of whistleblower protection with a view of strengthening enforcement by setting out a balanced set of common minimum standards providing robust protection against retaliation for whistleblowers reporting on breaches in specific policy areas.
