U.S. safety regulators step up probe of hoverboards over fire risk
December 10, 2015, NBC News
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has received “at least 10” reports of hoverboard fires and that number is “increasing daily,” according to agency spokesman Scott Wolfson. The consumer product safety agency is stepping up their investigation of the self-balancing electronic scooters due to a recent spate of reports of fires and explosions, as well as injury falls. Some major airlines have banned the product from flights, and the Australian safety agency has put out its own warning about the product.
Blogger: New regulation requires labels listing slip resistance of floors
December, 3, 2015, Legal Reader
The CPSC announced it is considering a new regulation in flooring to help increase safety for elderly people on slippery floors. The National Floor Safety Institute filed a petition asking the agency for a new regulation requiring labels listing slip resistance of floors. The blogger believes that if the CPSC sets the precedent for such elderly-focused safety measures, “it’s almost certain that AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) will take up the cause for other safety areas.”
Health Canada: Fourteen health products manufactured by Hospira – Incorrect, outdated, or missing labeling information
December 10, 2015, healthycanadians.gc.ca
Without critical information, the country’s safety agency warns professionals and consumers that there could be increased risk that could result in significant patient harm requiring medical intervention. According to Health Canada, the labels on the products and/or the package inserts will be corrected as soon as possible to include the most updated information approved by the agency.
EU regulations address ecodesign and labeling for local space heaters
December 9, 2015, PressReleaseService.co.uk
Two regulations in the EU have established compliance deadlines for space heaters. One regulation establishes ecodesigns for domestic and commercial local space heaters. A second regulation establishes ecodesign requirements for solid fuel local space heaters with a nominal heat output of 50 kW or less. The two regulations specify ecodesign requirements and the timetable, the conformity assessment, the verification procedure for market surveillance purposes, indicative benchmarks and transitional provisions.
CPSC awards five pool safety grants to combat pool and spa drownings and drain entrapments
December 11, 2015, reuters.com
Five local governments will received more than $780,000 in Pool Safely Grant Program funds. The first-of-its-kind grant program will provide assistance for education, training, and enforcement of pool safety requirements under the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Act. Recipients are: City of Bridgeport-$74,973; District of Columbia-$170,250, Broward County, FL-$250,000; Lake County, FL-$155,061; and City of Stamford, CT-$131,252.
Chipotle’s safety woes worsen as scores of students fall ill in Boston
December 9, 2015, The New York Times
The number of Boston College students who became ill after eating at a Chipotle restaurant near its campus grew to 80, at a time when the fast food chian was still grappling with an outbreak of E.coli that infected customers in 9 states. The company’s shares fell sharply after it closed stores in the Pacific Northwest and did extensive cleaning at other stores in California, Minnesota, New York, and Ohio.
VW says emission cheating was not a one-time error
December 10, 2015, The New York Times
The chairman of VW said that the cheating took place in a climate of “lax ethical standards,” when the company realized they could not meet U.S. clean air standards legally. “There was a tolerance for breaking the rules,” Hans-Dieter Potch, the company’s supervisory board chairman, said while presenting early results of an internal inquiry.
Who’s investigating fake Chinese goods? Fake Investigators
December 10, 2015, Associated Press/ABC news
Chinese authorities have been getting better at fining counterfeiters and sending them to jail. But the momentum of reform that has led to the creation of dedicated intellectual property courts, new laws and a crackdown on local corruption has yet to reach the front lines of the fight against fakes, where doctored documents and fabricated raids can and does take place.
It’s Senate’s move on EU-US data transfers
December 10, 2015, The National Law Review
With the invalidation of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor program and the passage of the Judicial Redress Act (JRA) in the House of Representatives, it is now up to the Senate to consider additional privacy protections for EU citizens. The downfall of the Safe Harbor program took place following warnings from EU officials that the United States did not adequately protect EU citizens’ personal data.
Supply chain professionals need to be transformational change agents
December 10, 2015, rigzone.com
A veteran supply chain executive believes you have to ‘go see for yourself’ to understand what is taking place throughout a company’s supply chain. In a case study on managing in a global environment where rapid change takes place, an oil industry executive believes “to get a seat at the table, we need to become a recognized business partner that delivers on a sustained basis.” The essence of supply chain’s evolving role is the harnessing of Big Data to enhance safety and productivity against the backdrop of supplier collaboration and accountabilitiy.
