Home Depot sold items under recall, commission and company say
November 18, 2015, NJ.com
The home supply retailer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that 28 products were sold by the retailer after they were subject to recalls. More than 2,300 affected units were sold between 2012 and this year, with about 1,300 going to consumers and the remainder to recyclers and salvagers who may have sold them. 

Collaborating Across Borders: North American regulators working together to protect children from harmful toys
November 19, 2015, PRNewswire/CPSC news release
CPSC leadership met this with week in Mexico City with top regulators from Health Canada and the Mexico’s Consumer Protection Federal Agency (PROFECO) and promises to continue its push to keep unsafe children’s products off the market. The three jurisdictions vow to maintain their efforts at joint collaboration in industry training, consumer outreach and education, and trilateral product recall announcements, as well as in oversight of product safety chains and timely response to emerging hazards.

Automakers to Congress: Stay away from the ‘Internet of cars’
November 18, 2015, The Hill
Major car makers will be telling Congress “to keep its distance as the industry evolves to take advantage of the ‘Internet of cars’ “ in scheduled testimony this week. Representatives of Toyota, Tesla, and GM will tout the safety and comfort benefits of increasingly connected cars, under the shadow of 1.4 million Chrysler vehicles being recalled when researchers found a flaw that allowed them to remotely hack into vehicles.

Additive manufacturing will bring product power to the individual
November 20, 2015, engineeringnews.com
A team of South African researchers has been exploring the ramification of 3D printing and its potential to completely change the relationships between individual consumers, professional designers, and manufacturers. While the combination of 3D printing and the internet is clearing the way for revolutionary development, the researchers are also examining the impact this could have on functionality, reliability, and safety. 

Report: Household furnishings, children’s products top consumer product recalls
November 20, 2015, manufacturing.net
Nearly two-thirds of all consumer product recalls in the third quarter consisted of household furnishings, children’s products, and clothing. The latest Stericycle recall index attributed 44% of recalls issued by the CPSC between July and September to furnishing, fixtures, appliances and housewares. 

Global supply chain risks remain high
November 20, 2015, continuity.com
Global supply chain risk remained “stubbornly high” in Q3 2015 Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply Chain Risk Index, powered by Dunn & Bradstreet, as interconnected geopolitical developments threaten to redraw the supply chain map. The reliability of global supply chains has been undermined by the rise of radical Islam, a more assertive Russia, unstable commodity prices, and the prolonged fallout from the 2008 economic crisis. 

What the future of product safety looks like
October 23, 2015, chainstoreage.com
Behind the scenes a tremendous amount of effort takes place to deliver on consumer expectations for safe products purchased during their holiday shopping. Delivering on this expectation requires clear standards, effective communications, a culture of compliance, and tight coordination, according to government, retail, and technology leaders in a recent industry webinar. 

Chemical contaminants in foods–health risks and public perception
November 19, 2015, phys.org
A transition in the food industry due to globalization is creating challenges for food manufacturers, regulators, and consumers as well. Challenges include the interdependence of nations when sourcing and producing food, supply chain integrity issues, and the wider variety of chemical contaminants that raise consumer fears despite regulations that are in place to protect individuals. 

Confidence in the European single market
November 15, 2015, Times of Malta
The 2015 edition of the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard analyzes how the single market is working for Europeans, as well as constraints hindering its full function. While the scoreboard reveals that retailers were not always aware of their legal obligations towards consumers, it also reports that consumer trust in public authorities is at 61% in the EU, and 69% among Maltese consumers.

F.D.A. takes issue with the term ‘Non-G.M.O.’
November 20, 2015, The New York Times
The  U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues in its stance of not mandating disclosure of genetically modified ingredients on labels, which has added confusion to the mix for consumers and for most and for most companies that are voluntarily including more information on their packaging.  The agency would prefer labels that say something like “not bioengineered” because it feels that the term “G.M.O. conveys an overly broad and inaccurate meaning when applied to food products.”

Blind dangers: CPSC pushes for ban on corded window coverings
November 5, 2015, komonews.com
Despite 30 year focus on issue, CPSC reports children are still dying at the rate of 1 per month. While industry leaders point to greatly reduced strangulation incidents, CPSC Chairman Kaye says voluntary guidelines are not working.  He says: “I see decades, and I’m talking decades about children getting hanged to death once a month on these products. And it’s gotta stop.”

CPSC Proposes a safety standard for children’s folding chairs and stools
October 19, 2015, CPSC
The Commission proposes modifications to the ASTM voluntary standard to 1) limit the scope of the proposed mandatory standard, 2) change the stability test method to add a new performance requirement and test method, and 3) revise the marketing and labeling sections. Comments to the proposed rulemaking are due January 4, 2016.

Safety standards for bicycles getting globalized
November 5, 2015, Bike-EU
The globalization of standards for bicycles is the result of long term discussion between industry stakeholders, test-houses, and experts from universities in Europe, America, and Asia.  The first ISO 4210-2 was published September 1, 2015 for city/trekking/MTB/road and young adult bikes. The development has clarified the transition from CEN standards to ISO ones.

Lumber Liquidators names a new CEO as sales slump persists
November 4, 2015, Forbes
The new CEO, John Presley, has been a board member since before Lumber Liquidators went public. The embattled flooring company stock is down 79% this year, brought on, in part, by a “60 Minutes” report that the company sold Chinese-made laminated floors with formaldehyde levels that surpassed California health standards.

Takata hit with $70M fine, but could face another $130M
November 3, 2015, The Detroit Bureau
Even as the supplier faces the prospect of new recalls, Takata could in for a fine of as much as $200M it doesn’t follow up on deamnds laid out in a consent decree with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Honda to stop using their airbags.

Feds announce drone registration task force participants that includes leading retailers
October 29, 2015, The Hill
The Federal Aviation Authority has created a 26-member task force to craft a new system for requiring drone users to register with the federal government, including among task force members representatives from consumer product retailers. Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy representatives, whose companies have been urging the government to develop rules that will allow drones to make deliveries of products, are among task force members. The panel is expected to issue a report by November 20 to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

Food, dietary supplement & cosmetics regulatory update
October 19, 2015, Lexicology
An analysis of current agricultural regulatory developments reflects on the status of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (“TPP) after five years of negotiation and the recent closing of a pact with Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak says the “agreement would eliminate or significantly reduce tariffs on our products, deter non-science based sanitary and phytosanitary barriers that have put American agriculture at a disadvantage in TPP countries in the past.”

Food for thought on chemical safety
November 2, 2015, Chemical and Engineering News
A veteran inorganic chemists argues that the culture of laboratory safety must not be compromised. A recent string of high profile accidents seems to indicate that the culture of safety is ‘becoming lost,’ leading the author to conclude that ‘pursuing new research safely is at least as important as pursuing new research.’

Six supply chain trends shaping the future of engineering & manufacturing
November 2, 2015, ebnonline
DHL report claims engineering and manufacturing companies have begun to reshape their business models for a sector that accounts for 17% of GDP, 14% of employment globally, and 70% of the entire global trade volume.  Trends reflect focus on becoming more customer centric and competitive.

Infant Bouncer Seat: A proposed CPSC rule would establish a safety standard for the infant product
October 19, 2015, CPSC
The rule would incorporate by reference the voluntary standard ASTM F2167-15 for the seat, defined as “a freestanding product intended to support an occupant in a reclined position to facilitate bouncing by the occupant, with the aid of a caregiver or by other means.”  The Commission proposes modifications to the text, placement, and formatting of warnings requirements and instructional literature requirements of ASTM F2167-15 to help further reduce injuries related to hazard patterns identified in the Commission briefing document. The proposed rule calls for comments by January 4, 2016.

The high cost of product recalls
October 30, 2015, Digital Journal
Whether your company sells food, baby strollers or cars, the costs for recalling products involves much more than the cost of the product itself. Over 2,300 recalls a year represent 32 million “things” that have to be sent back, destroyed, or replaced annually. Food recalls alone cost the American economy about $7 billion every year.

Chairman Kaye and staff participating in the 2015 North American Product Safety Summit
October 16, 2015, CPSC Public Calendar
The CPSC Chairman will be among regulatory leaders from Canada, the United States, and Mexico who will meet in Mexico City to discuss ongoing areas of common interest and collaboration under the Cooperative Engagement Framework as established at the previous 2013 summit held in Ottawa. The regulators will meet in closed sessions on November 17, followed by feature sessions on November 18-19 open to stakeholders offering a variety of presentations on consumer product safety issues such as international collaboration, border protection, risk management and requirements for industry.

EU pushes for business without borders
October 28, 2015, Politico
An internal marketing strategy released by the European Commission spells out efforts to realize a single market strategy aimed at making business rules simpler across the 28-country block.  A German engineering lobbyist group criticized the strategy for ignoring the impact of digitization and whether the legal requirements governing product safety have been superseded by new technologies. A pro-business group backs the strategy.

How a small White House agency stalls life-saving regulations
October 29, 2015, Reuters Investigates
The little known Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs can delay, rewrite or kill rules mandated by Congress and as the case of requiring rearview cameras on cars shows, it often uses that power.  While National Highway Traffic Safety Administration staff complained that the OIRA staff was hostile to the rearview camera from the start, the head of OIRRA says that its main job is to circulate proposed rules among other agencies to ensure they don’t conflict with existing regulations or policies, which can cause delay.

China’s new child policy lifts baby product stocks, sinks condom maker
October 30, 2015, Associated Press
Shares of companies that make diapers and baby strollers got a boost from China’s decision to scrap its one-child policy. Some analysts forecast an extra 3-6 million babies born annually in the five year period starting in 2017. Currently China has about 16.5 million births each year.

What Volkswagen’s scandal can teach supply chain professionals
October 8, 2015, ebnonline
Amidst the fall-out from the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal, and its more than $7.3 billion set-aside to cover the recalls and related damage, are a set of issues that have irked supply chain professionals for years, including: how to improve visibility up an down the supply chain, how to create more transparency between partners, and how to manage risk.

Window Covering Manufacturers Association Launches Process to Update Corded Window Covering Safety Standards
October 29, 2015, Reuters
The WCMA wants to revise the current voluntary standard in accordance with the American National Standards Institute’s process, and expects to hold its first organizational meeting before the end of the year.  The groups seeks “an inclusive process to update the standard” and expects to work with regulators, as well as representatives from consumer groups and all facets of the window covering industry, according to a WCMA executive.

EU updates list of standards for general product safety directive
October 28, 2015, 4-Traders
The directive is an important piece of legislation in demonstrating presumption of conformity for certain product categories where there is no specific European regulation. Product areas mentioned in the most recent commission communication include children and articles carry and stands, safety barriers, cycle and bicycles, and gymnastic equipment.

DTI: Just 3 violators of product standard policy in Davao
October 27, 2015, Sunstar
A Davao consumer and trade official in this region of the Philippines reports this is one case more than last year.  “We can attribute this to our strict implementation and constant information dissemination,” the official said, emphasizing this was achieved with the help of retailers’ cooperation.

Opinion: Why lead paint lawsuits are a dud for California cities, counties: Carmen Trutanich
October 27, 2015, Los Angeles Daily News
The former city attorney for Los Angeles (2009-2013) advises municipal officials to “be careful of what you wish for.” The 10 cities and counties that joined a lawsuit got a “golden ruling” after a court trial in Santa Clara County and a $1.15 billion judgment. The problem: “the verdict, in essence, labels ‘every‘ painted residential building, constructed prior to 1981, as a ‘public nuisance’ “ driving property values for home owners and property taxes to public entities down.

Safety regulators press for new furniture standards
October 9, 2015, Philadelphia Inquirer
On the heals of furniture tip-over incidents and a broad safety awareness campaign by furniture maker Ikea, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is pressing standards organization ASTM to consider stricter voluntary measures. Industry executives point to evidence that televisions being placed on unsuitable furniture cause the bulk of fatalities, while advocates note that consumers fail to install restraints because they don’t understand the critical stability that restraints provide.

Oversight Hearings: Consumer product safety and the recall process
October 8, 2015, U.S. Senate Committee hearings
A second oversight hearing on the Consumer Product Safety Commission focuses on recalls issued by the CPSC and the Commissions partnerships with industry designed to increase market surveillance. Among those testifying are CPSC Chairman Elliott Kaye, and Commissioner Ann Mary Buerkle, along with regulatory attorneys Frederick Locker and Cheryl Falvey, former CPSC general counsel,  and consumer advocate Nancy Cowles.

CPSC and DOJ stop two companies from future importation of children’s products
October 8, 2015, National Law Review
Far reaching consequences from the action include binding consent decrees that prohibit the companies and individuals from conducting any future business (selling, importing, or distributing) involving children’s products or toys until the CPSC verifies certain conditions are met – all of which relate to future compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act and Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Other conditions include the retention of an independent product safety coordinator and creation of a product safety plan.

Regulatory reform or paralysis by analysis?
October 7, 2015, The Hill
Colleagues whose service as commissioners at the CPSC overlapped, former commissioner Nancy Nord and current commissioner Robert Adler reach very  different  conclusions on the proposed Regulatory Accountability Act (S.2006) now being considered on Capital Hill. Is the proposal designed to slow down agency rule making, as advocated by Commissioner Adler;  or is it designed to take a more measured approach to new rules, as advocated by former Commissioner Nord? You be the judge.

EU supports Georgia to surpass technical barriers to international trade
October 7, 2015, 4-Traders
The move will allow better integration into international trade. The goal is to modernize the national market surveillance infrastructure in Georgia to be in line with the EU model. The program will enable increased quality and safety of products produced in George.

Blog: Faulty export product and recall
October 3, 2015, Graphic Online
This writer discusses the context for some of the most publicized recalls in recent history, including the Chinese powdered milk with melanin scandal, Toyota’s handling of its technology management, GM’s ignition switch scandal, and VW’s software scandal to deceive pollution testing so as to record lower levels of nitrogen oxide. More education and training within the supply chain will help better manage product safety responsibilities,  but even more important is better control of safety processes by all company employees, starting with the CEOs.

PPAI Product responsibility summit tackles corporate social responsibility
October 6, 2015, Print & Promo
The promotional products industry places great reliance on its members’ understanding of good safety practices and the regulatory framework around their industry. At this year’s annual summit in Bethesda, MD, attendees heard experts from a variety of disciplines, visited the CPSC test lab, explored the regulations affecting their industry, examined voluntary standards, and examined supply chain best practices.

Auto industry supply chain managers should take hard look at analytics
October 6, 2015, Supply Chain Management Review
Because the stakes are so high in recall management, it now makes even more sense for traditional auto makers and those within their supply chains to consider investing in predictive analytics capabilities  that help detect trouble earlier. Nearly 25% of executives surveyed have no operational product safety and recall anticipatory analytic capabilities.

Journey through product safety – A behind the scenes look at clothing and apparel for the holidays
October 5, 2015, 4-Traders
As consumers prepare for annual holiday travel, safety aspects apply every step of the journey.  From luggage to travel, from apparel and shoes, to swimming pools and exercise equipment…industry technologists and product safety personnel have invested time and resources to make holiday travel safer.

CPSC considers ban on toxic flame retardants in household products
September 25, 2015, The Chicago Tribune
In an exclusive interview with the Chicago Tribune, CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye indicates he will start a push to force toxic chemicals off the market. “Parents want and need the government to step in much more robustly,” he says. A ban is being proposed by scientists and advocates urging the CPSC to outlaw chemicals linked to cancer and other developmental problems, using authority it rarely uses without a direct order from Congress.

New Jersey Assemblyman Holley pushes for nationwide ban on supplemental mattresses for babies
September 16, 2015, tapinto
The state official urged the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban supplemental mattresses for soft-side play yards, calling them “a proven suffocation hazard” to babies.  The CPSC has placed a petition calling for the ban on its docket, with a public comment period running through October 13.

ICPHSO announces new executive director: Marc Schoem
September 18, 2015, ICPHSO
The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization has named Schoem as its top staff leader, succeeding long-time founding executive director Ross Koeser, who retired earlier this year.  Schoem is currently Deputy Director, Office of Compliance and Field Operations with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

95% of consumers buy private brands but concerns in food quality and safety point to need for greater transparency
September 24, 2015, Reuters Press Release
Firm’s research of 3,000 consumers underscores issues with consumer confidence across all food brands. Only 12% of those surveyed “wholeheartedly trust the safety of the private and National food brands they consume.” 84% of respondents believe food retailers or manufacturers area responsible for private brand food quality and safety.

Gartner: Ranking of top European supply chain organizations for 2015
September 25, 2015, iconnect007
Gartner identified top 15 performers based on a combination of financial metrics (revenue growth, return on assets, and inventory) and the opinion of peers and analysts. A willingness to invest in technology and digital business models gives top companies an edge, according to a Gartner official.

Volkswagon CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns amid emissions scandal
September 23, 2015, The New York Times
The company admits 11 million cars worldwide contain software that in the United States was installed to fool emission testing conducted under federal law. Separately, representatives of the company’s supervisory board said they would refer the case to German authorities for possible criminal prosecution. Amid growing crisis, Bloomberg reports  that the U.S. Justice Department is investigating Volkswagon AG over its admission that it cheated on federal air pollution tests, adding the specter of criminal proceedings.

After battling safety agency, Recaro changes course on car seat recall
September 20, 2015, The New York Times
After more than 18 months of resistance, about 173,000 child seats are being recalled by Recaro, due to safety problems discovered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during routine crash tests to check compliance with federal safety standards. The company had filed a formal petition arguing that there was no serious safety problem, and that the test was in error because the size dummy used during the test actually required the vehicle’s seat belt for restraint because the dummy exceeded the recommended weight for usage of the child seat.

Columnist: California now allows firms to tell consumers a ‘made in USA’ lie
September 25, 2015, Los Angeles Times
Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill this month that allows California companies to say “made in America” as long as their products are mostly made in America—90% American-made. According to a Times columnist, the bill’s author said the requirement that made in America products be completely made in America placed an “overly burdensome regulation” on California businesses. The only goods that have to disclose country of origin, based on Federal Trade Commission rules, are textiles, wool, fur, and cars.

Korea, China to eliminate technical barriers to trade with new agreements
September 22, 2015, BusinessKorea
Closer ties between countries sought as regulators sign 3 new agreements, with a consumer product safety focus. The focus areas are: application of necessary regulations, management of conformity assessment organizations, and exchange of information relating to safety in the field of consumer products.

Commission’s 2015 EU Consumer Scorecard show untapped e-commerce potential
September 21, 2015, The Financial
Cross-boarder purchases lag as study indicates 61% of consumer’s feel more confident of on-line products sold in their own market. Product trust an issue, including product conformity and delivery, as “consumers do not yet fully trust cross-border e-commerce, Scorecard finds. Trust in product safety is relatively stable with 69% of consumers and 75% of retailers find products to be safe.

Child safety measures for packaging of laundry pods are approved
September 15, 2015, The New York Times
First safety standard for packaging and labeling so-called laundry pods was approved by ASTM, the standards organization.  Recommendations were negotiated over the past year by a group of industry representatives, consumer and medical groups, and officials from the CPSC. While the new standard is voluntary, the CPSC may pursue recalls of products that do not meet it.

General Motors to pay $900 million for faulty ignition switches linked to at least 169 deaths
September 18, 2015, The Associated Press, New York Daily News
The penalty allows the company “to fend off criminal prosecution…striking a deal that brought criticism down on the Justice Department for not bringing charges against individual employees.” No employees have been charged “despite evidence that GM’s legal and engineering staffs concealed the problem for nearly a decade.”

CPSC determination regarding heavy elements limits for unfinished and untreated wood in children’s toys
September 4, 2015, CPSC
Due to receipt of significant adverse comments, the CPSC is withdrawing the July 17, 2015 direct final rule determining that unfinished and untreated trunk wood does not contain heavy elements that would exceed the limits specified in the Commission’s toy standard

China tries to extract pledge of compliance from U.S. tech firms
September 16, 2015, The New York Times
Chinese government is using leverage over American technology firms by seeking pledges to policies to turn over data and intellectual property to conform to China’s goals of  “not harming national security and not harming consumer rights.“ Pledge document also includes “seemingly innocuous (promises), like guaranteeing product safety, and others less so, like volunteering to check that products are ‘secure and controllable.’ “

Iowa Select Herbs issues a nation-wide recall of its products pursuant to consent decree issued by the federal court for the northern district of Iowa
September 15, 2015, EIN Presswire
The Consent Decree was issued because the company manufactured and distributed unapproved new drugs, misbranded drugs, misbranded dietary supplements and dietary supplements not manufactured in compliance with the current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations for Dietary Supplements and therefore adulterated. The recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

UK: Tainted…supermarkets blamed for ‘astronomical’ fees as cost of product recalls rockets
September 12, 2015, Financial Mail, thisismoney.co.uk
Insurers have covered the risk of product recalls for decades, but the scope of cover has expanded significantly over the past decade. Complexity of a global supply chain is a contributing factor. While food producers are among the biggest users of cover, car makers and toy manufacturers and suppliers of technological goods are increasingly taking out insurance.

California looking at placing glyphosate on carcinogenic list
September 18, 2015, AG Professional
Monsanto offers explanation on the addition of glyphosate to California’s Proposition 65. Company says the sole basis for the state’s decision is the classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which agricultural industry challenges. Company says it will provide “detailed scientific information” to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment during the comment period about the safety of glyphosate.

Posting: Lessons that manufacturers can learn from automotive recall issues
September 9, 2015, Government & Public Affairs
Though highly visible in recent years, recalls are not limited to the automotive industry. Manufacturers in other sectors would do well to heed the lessons that can be learned from watching current events.

Supply chain research studies ways to keep things moving
September 16, 2015, phys.org
Research being done at Penn State Harrisburg involves studying disruptive events, known as “black swans,” and the impact this has on supply chain management of retailers that rely on U.S. ports to import goods. Disruptive events can include labor disputes, weather events, and terrorist threats that require flexibility and keeping options open at all times.