Nomination of a new chairman at the CPSC
January 25, 2018, Lexology, (Morrison and Foerster)
With the start of the new year, President Trump again nominated Republican Ann Marie Buerkle to chair the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Her expected confirmation will continue to push the CPSC in a more corporate-friendly direction that focuses on consensus building rather than additional regulation. At the same time, another Republican, Dana Baiocco, is expected to be confirmed to take Democratic Commissioner Marietta S. Robinson’s seat. Both Buerkle and Robinson have antiregulatory reputations, leading to criticism from some consumer advocacy groups, even though both have decades of experience in consumer product safety regulation.
Overnight Regulation: Trump’s former chemical safety nominee leaving EPA
January 23, 2018, The Hill
President Trump‘s former nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) chemical safety office is leaving his job at the agency. Michael Dourson was hired as a senior adviser to Administrator Scott Pruitt last October after a fiery confirmation hearing. The hire angered Democrats, who accused Pruitt and Dourson of trying to do an end-run around the Senate’s responsibility to confirm high-ranking government officials.
Swallowed button batteries add to safety concerns about ‘fidget spinners’
January 26, 2018, Science Daily
A report of two young children with burns of the esophagus caused by swallowed button batteries from “fidget spinners” highlights a risk of severe injuries involving these popular toys, according to a series of reports in the January/February Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (JPGN). The reports add to previous safety hazards from fidget spinners, especially in the hands of toddlers and preschoolers.
‘Tide Pod Challenge’ causes some retailers to lock up product
January 23, 2018, Palm Beach Post
The viral challenge that involves people filming themselves biting into laundry detergent pods is causing some retailers to take security measures to prevent people from shoplifting the product. The so-called Tide Pod Challenge has prompted a warning from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which said ingesting the pods can cause them to dissolve quickly and release highly concentrated toxic contents.
Video: Company defends Crock Pot safety after “This is Us” episode
January 15, 2018, wsav.com
A television drama program did a segment that showed a faulty slow cooker that was given to the family second hand, that catches fire, spreading flames throughout the house, in part because smoke detector batteries had not been changed. Even though the show never called the slow cooker a “Crock Pot,” Crock Pot’s parent company, Newell Brands, issued a statement, looking to reassure consumers that it’s safe to use their Crock-Pot slow cookers.
Customs agents seize 2,000 children’s toys bound for Harrisburg that pose potential choking hazard
January 25, 2018, Fox43.com
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, teaming with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, seized nearly 2,000 packages of children’s toys that were bound for Harrisburg after determining that parts of toys posed a potential choking hazard, the agencies announced Thursday in a press release. The toys, valued at more than $5,600, were shipped from Hong Kong, the release said.
Canada: These Toys Aren’t Safe For Kids And The Risks Are Pretty Scary
January 25, 2018, Huffington Post
While most parents are bonafide safety experts when it comes to car seats, baby proofing, and best sleep practices, toy safety may not always be so obvious. After all, they’re just toys, which are designed with kids in mind, right? That doesn’t make them all safe, Canadian experts say.
A deluge of counterfeit toys is leaving children exposed to toxic chemicals, safety experts warn
January 23, 2018, inews.co.uk
A surge in the number of counterfeit toys flooding the UK market has left children exposed to potentially toxic chemicals and at risk of choking, a leading industry body has warned. An estimated 10 to 12 per cent of toys sold in the UK in 2017 were counterfeit, with unscrupulous manufacturers circumventing strict safety regulations imposed by the EU to cut costs.
UK: New National Office for Product Safety and Standards – lofty ideals but practical limitations
January 24, 2018, Lexology (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP)
The UK Government has announced a new National Office for Product Safety and Standards, albeit with a relatively limited annual budget of just £12 million. The OPSS will identify consumer risks and manage national responses to major product recalls, coordinating Trading Standards and local authorities. Its work begins immediately, and its first priority is to set up a national incident management response capability and to improve the Government’s product recall website. Some question whether the new program goes far enough. Others, including local government leaders welcome the new Office. (https://www.localgov.co.uk/Local-authority-leaders-welcome-new-consumer-safety-body/44580)
Compliance top challenge for legal departments in 2018, say 41% of lawyers surveyed
January 24, 2018, marketwatch.com
In-house counsel are grappling with a growing number of corporate regulations and transactions, a new survey suggests. More than four in 10 lawyers (41 percent) interviewed by Robert Half Legal cited managing compliance or regulatory matters as the greatest priority for their corporate legal teams in the next 12 months. Mergers and acquisitions ranked second, with 14 percent of the response.
