CPSC 2017 Annual Report: Consumer products cause or contribute to 8,000 fatalities
August, 2018, cpsc.gov
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued its 2017 Annual Report last week, outlining the number of consumer product-related deaths, injuries and emergency department visits for Congress. The report summarizes the products most prone to cause harm to consumers and where better regulation is needed. CPSC researchers collected national data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia,a and found that about 8,000 individuals were killed last year in consumer product related incidents. Dividing products into 15 categories, researchers found that Sports and Recreational Activities and Equipment accounted for nearly 1,500 fatalities and Home Furnishings and Fixtures accounted for nearly 1,200 fatalities.
California may NOT put cancer warning labels on coffee: State regulator tells court to reverse the ruling because there is no evidence of a link
August 16, 2018, Daily Mail
Months after a California court ruled that all cafes had to put cancer warnings on coffee, the state’s top health hazard agency has blocked the move. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), in charge of regulating food and drink, issued a statement this week saying coffee has no significant cancer risk. It comes on the heels of a report by the influential International Agency for Research on Cancer, which found that coffee is not cancerous – and even lowers the risk of some cancers.
Texas leads the nation in child drownings
August 7, 2018, WBAP
Texas leads the nation with the most child drowning’s in 2018 with 28 deadly accidents so far, eight of which occurred in July. Nikki Fleming with the Pool Safety Campaign urges parents to watch their children whenever they’re near or in the water and to follow the pool safety steps to prevent more drownings as temperatures rise and families spend more time in the water. A CPSC information campaign offers steps to safety.
Illinois Inspectors Check Safety by Climbing Over, Under Fair Rides
August 13, 2018, Claims Journal
Inspectors crawl up, over and around about 4,000 rides a year at various amusement parks, street fairs, and carnivals looking for anything amiss that could lead to injury.
Incidents such as one in July 2017 at the Ohio State Fair, in which a car came loose from a whirling ride, killing one and injuring seven, are cataclysmic and make tragic headlines. But injuries on amusement-park rides are “a rare event,” said Ken Kolosh, statistics manager for the National Safety Council . The CPSC estimates there were 29,400 emergency room visits related to amusement park attractions in 2017.
Happy 10th Birthday to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
August 14, 2018, Union of Concerned Scientists (Blog)
Since the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) became law, it has done a number of things to protect children from exposure to lead in toys and other items, improved the safety standards for cribs and other infant and toddler products, and created the saferproducts.gov database so that consumers have a place to go for research on certain products or reporting safety hazards and negative experiences. A consumer advocate and expectant mom blogs “Today, along with a group of other consumer and public health advocacy organizations, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the passage of this law.”
Saint Louis University opens registration for professional product safety professional certification
August 20, 2018, EIN
The Emerson Leadership Institute (ELI) at Saint Louis University’s Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business has opened the registration period for candidates seeking admittance to the Consumer Product Safety Professional Certification program that has been developed at ELI in association with two consumer product safety professional development organizations. The organizations are the Society of Product Safety Professionals (SPSP), established to provide professional development programs and education for consumer product safety professionals. and SPSP affiliate, Consumer Product Safety Certification Services (CPSCS), an independent certification oversight organization for the consumer product safety field. The program will begin with a 3-day opening workshop at the Chaifetz School January 16, 2019 and will conclude after a series of webinars on product safety topics followed by an examination period May 6-8, 2019, on campus. Successful completion of the program will result in the successful candidates being designated a Certified Consumer Product Safety Professional™.
Health Canada warns buyers of second hand baby products, baby walkers ban
August 14, 2018, Pembina Valley online
While buying second-hand items could save you money, Health Canada also warns your garage sale gems also come with a risk, especially when it comes to products made for children.
Product Safety Officer Rose Gueret cautions buyers when wading into street sales, free giveaway weekends, flea markets, second-hand stores, to make sure products meet current regulatory or safety requirements. She recommends checking cribs and car seats for a label to verify the manufacturer, model number and date of manufacture. “Ask questions, every product has a history” she says, adding it’s important to ask whether the item has been repaired.
Professional Development: Free product safety webinar series offers information, knowledge
August 17, 2018, Society of Product Safety Professionals
This webinar from the Society of Product Safety Professionals will cover the five key areas that every well-rounded product safety professional should know: 1) Ensuring a corporate culture of compliance, 2) Understanding product assurance methods, 3) Compliance with laws and standards, 4) Incident Management, and 5) Managing Recalls. The webinar instructor is Tim Cassidy, Director of Product Compliance and Safety for Best Buy Co., Inc., the world’s largest consumer electronics retailer.
Webinar: Consumer reaction to recalls
August 17, 2018, Stericycle Expert Solutions
According to the CPSC, when companies aren’t able to directly contact affected consumers about a product recall, correction rates are just 6%. That leaves companies open to severe brand damage and legal liability. What is behind these low numbers? In this webinar 3 industry experts will discuss the results of a recent Stericycle consumer survey that provides some insight into what Americans really think of recalls, how companies re-build trust and recover their reputation in the wake of product recalls, and the current CPSC landscape, including the agency’s efforts to improve recall effectiveness and its request for information on current direct notification practices.
Regulating goods better for trade
August 14, 2018, Observer Research Foundation
Strong exports can be a major driver of a country’s economic growth. Hence, India has set the goal of increasing its share of global trade and integrating more deeply into global value chains. A government leader calls for policies supporting the scaling-up of Indian companies, the reduction of bureaucratic export procedures, and ensuring that Indian firms keep pace with international standards and technical regulations. Likewise, this article argues in favor of international standards.
New GS1 Digital Link Standard to Help Brands Connect Consumers with Useful Product Information Online
August 14, 2018, PRNewswire
GS1®, the global information standards organization, has ratified a new global Web standard and guideline to help industry optimize the online shopping experience. As businesses begin to deploy solutions leveraging the new standard, called GS1 Digital Link, brands and retailers can Web-enable barcodes and provide consumers with a direct link to brand-authorized product information and content including product images, expiration dates, nutritional data, warranty registration, troubleshooting instructions, discount offers, and more.
