Risky Business: A cheaper air bag and Takata’s road to a deadly crisis
August 27, 2016, New York Times
Automakers embraced Takata’s cheaper technology 20 years ago despite signs that it was unsafe, ultimately costing the supplier and its automaker customers billions of dollars in recall expenses. While tests then showed that Takata was introducing a less expensive but dangerously volatile compound in its inflators, automakers such as General Motors were challenging their current airbag supplies to meet Takata’s prices or risk loosing GM’s business. Today more than 100 million Takata air bags installed in vehicles in the U.S. are under recall by GM and 16 other automakers.
Safety inspections of thrill rides vary by state
August 14, 2016, Insurance Journal
Safety experts agree on one alarming truth in the wake of accidents and a grisly 10 year old’s death this summer: how closely thrill rides are regulated varies greatly from state to state. “Fifty states in the United States of America and no two inspect rides the same way. That’s wrong,” according to one amusement park safety consultant and critic of the nation’s patchwork of state laws.
Questions, research on possible synthetic turf link to athletes’ cancer continue
August 26, 2016, Insurance Journal
There is a growing chorus of concern from parents about whether the rubber specks from synthetic turf fields that stick to skin, hair, and clothing, and get in player’s eyes, mouths, and open wounds contain toxic substances that contribute to cancer in young athletes. A call for more action by government is starting to grow among parents around the country.
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Chairman Elliot Kaye: An Olympic-sized moment to save lives and prevent child drownings
August, 2016, cpsc.gov
Chairman Kaye pays tribute to the breathtaking athletic achievement and stunning new records set by athletes, including swimmers, at the 2016 summer Olympics that took place in Brazil. But as wonderful as swimming is, pools contribute to present real drowning risks, especially for children. He sees the Olympic event, itself, as a good way to help build awareness of pool safety measures that can help reduce pool risk.
Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle: On the road: St. Louis: Reflections on the product safety classroom
August, 2016, cpsc.gov
Commissioner Buerkle looks back on her recent visit to the Gateway to the West city, where she participated in Saint Louis University’s 2016 Product Safety Management Course as the graduation keynote speaker. She posed a challenge to the course members: what suggestions would they make to revive the Retailer Reporting Program that has been in limbo since 2014? The class came up with some very interesting ideas she reports.
Window coverings makers may finally go cordless to avert child strangulation deaths
August 26, 2018, Claims Journal
Two months ago the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission joined 24 other countries in an international safety campaign to prevent future child strangulations associated with accessible window covering cords, the cause of more than 800 deaths of children globally. The Window Covering Manufacturers Association has since announced technology advances proposed in a new standard for its members, that represent an “historical opportunity” to reduce risk in its products.
China determined to improve quality, standard of consumer goods
August 26, 2016, China Economic Net
China plans to lift he quality and standards for consumer goods through more market-oriented efforts and adopting a wider range of global standards within the coming five years, as part of the country’s supply side structural reform and boosting consumer’s confidence. This was pledge in a new guideline approved during a recent State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.
California: Billionaire political activist Tom Seyer backs upholding the state’s plastic bag ban
August 22, 2016, Los Angeles Times
The billionaire Democratic activist has announced his support for Proposition 67, a ballot measure that will let voters decide whether to uphold or overturn a 2014 law imposing a state wide ban on plastic bags. The ban on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Brexit & Slow Growth: Deteriorating global supply chain market faces increasing obstacles
August 25, 2016, Engineering News
The latest data from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) reveals escalating operational risks, both globally and in sub-Saharan Africa, owing to a prolonged slump in global commodity prices and the slowdown in emerging markets. “The UK’s departure form the European Union could lead to some of the most dramatic shifts and severe implications for global supply chains in coming years,” according to one CIPS economist.
Report details lead contamination in water at St. Louis schools
August 25, 2016, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Water samples from 16 schools in the city school system contained lead levels that exceeded those most commonly found in homes in Flint, Michigan after a contamination crisis there, according to a new study. Following a public presentation of the study’s results, a Special Administrative Board of the school system approved immediately a $1 million expenditure to eliminate the contamination.
