Criminal indictment a reminder of CPSC’s enforcement capabilities
May 1, 2019, New York Law Journal
On March 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that for the first time it had indicted two corporate executives for failing to furnish information under the Consumer Product Safety Act. This prosecution is a reminder to companies of the range of Consumer Product Safety Commission tools available to enforce its consumer product safety laws, including criminal penalties against directors, officers and agents.
Britax sends defective fix to customers in stroller deal to avoid safety recall
May 3, 2019, Washington Post
Britax Child Safety sent defective replacement parts for its BOB jogging stroller to nearly 200 customers in recent weeks, according to the company, raising new questions about a settlement with U.S. regulators that allowed the company to avoid a safety recall.
Recalls explained: How it works, what to do, and how local businesses keep track
May 2, 2019, WPSD-NBC
From the toys you buy for your kids, to the food you eat, to the cars you drive, one of the most important things to consider is — are they safe? Keeping up with recalls is one way to ensure you are using safe products. Like individual consumers, local businesses also keep track of recalls. The executive director of iKids Childhood Enrichment Center near Benton, Kentucky, said their licensing requirements mandate that they are in communication with the CPSC. “And in that communication, we sign up for emails, so when there is a recall of any nature, we get an email,” said the official.
Electric scooters could soon be kicked off Texas sidewalks, if state Senate gets its way
May 1, 2019, Texas Tribune
The upper chamber passed a bill that would add several restrictions on the popular, but controversial, machines. The measure would require scooter renters to be at least 16 years old and it would prohibit more than one person from riding at a time. I also restricts where scooters can operate.
Editor: Why It’s So Easy to Sell Dangerous (and Illegal) Car Seats for Kids on Amazon
April, 2019, Inc.
On Amazon.com, which accounts for about half of the e-commerce sales in the U.S., Mifold operates as a vendor, meaning it wholesales its products to Amazon, which then retails them to consumers. Like other wholesalers selling regulated children’s products, Mifold is required to produce documentation to show it complies with regulations like FMVSS No. 213. Invariably, however, the wannabe Mifold makers reach Amazon’s massive customer base through a different route: its third-party marketplace.
News Analysis: Colgate Palmolive and the challenges of brand safety vs. brand purpose
April 30 2019, CMO
Toothpaste doesn’t immediately spring to mind when thinking of purpose-driven brands that aren’t afraid to take a stand. Yet Colgate-Palmolive Australia’s recent decision to withdraw its advertising from Sky News could be just that. So has Colgate-Palmolive Australia announced itself as the newest recruit to the ranks of brands like Patagonia, Dove, and lately Nike, who want to stand for something? Or is it more a case of protecting brand safety in a fractured media market?
New York: Child Safe Products Act passes in both houses
April 30, 2019, Spectrum News
The Child Safe Products Act has passed in both houses of the New York state legislature. It’s a law requiring manufacturers to disclose information on harmful chemicals possibly in children’s toys. Before the law passed, advocates and industry push their opposing interests in the Child Safe Products Act.
Engagement: What science says about meeting agenda may surprise you
April 30, 2019, Linked In
A college professor uses science to look at how meetings are structured, and the impact this has on what people are communicating and how engaged they are in the matter at hand. One conclusion is that project updates do not hold the same level of engagement as in posing questions about taking action…and assigning responsibility.
How smart connected products are transforming business
May 3, 2019, Mondaq
Connected products are now ubiquitous, and their use is projected to dramatically increase in the foreseeable future. An estimated 8.4 billion connected “things” were used in 2017, the vast majority of which were consumer products and applications.1 The prevalence of these connected products is projected to double between now and 2020.
Senators are urging CPSC action in addressing the dangers of beach umbrellas
May 2, 2019, Congress of the United States
In a letter to CPSC Acting Chairman Ann-Marie Buerkle, four senators cite constituent concerns over incidents that demonstrated the hazards and how heavy winds can turn beach umbrellas into threats of injuries and even death. According to CPSC data, over 31,000 people were treated in hospitals for injuries sustained from beach umbrellas between 2008-2017. The Senators want to know what the CPSC plans on doing about addressing the risks associated with the product.
Carbon monoxide kills 2 more in HUD public housing building
May 3, 2019, NBC News
No alarms sounded in the federally subsidized apartment when the firefighters entered and found the residents had died, a report noted. Carbon monoxide detectors are the only reliable way to detect the colorless, odorless gas, but they are not required in the 4.6 million affordable housing units overseen by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
