May 2020: Important happenings at the CPSC
May 18, 2020, Retail and Consumer Products Law Observer
There have been several important happenings in May at the CPSC, including in Leadership, Hearings and Regulatory Activities and Enforcement.
J&J talc phaseout possible prelude to settling lawsuit
May 20, 2020, Boston Globe
Johnson & Johnson’s decision to phase out the talc-based version of its baby powder may signal a move out of litigation-defense mode over allegations the product causes cancer and preparing for a global settlement of almost 20,000 pending claims.
Good leaders can overcome institutional inertia in a crisis
May 18, 2020, Harvard Business Review
Although Covid-19 is clearly a catastrophe, it offers what social scientists craves: a “natural experiment” that compares different responses to similar shocks. Consider Lombardy and Veneto, the regions where the virus first emerged in Italy.
UA, Clorox, Cleveland Clinic join to promote cleanliness
May 20, 2020, CRSNewswire
United’s “CleanPlus” brings together a most trusted name in disinfection and the country’s leading medical experts to develop protocols designed to help keep customers safe at the airport and onboard.
CPSC issues tips to avoid injury outdoors during quarantine
May 20, 2020, CPSC
In response to the current crisis, the CPSC has created a new series of Home Safe Checklists that focus on outdoor activities. Print the lists that work for you, and spend a few moments checking off the safety items. When so much in the world seems beyond control, these checklists are simple, clear steps you can take for the safety of your family.
New antiviral fabrics could attract luxury shoppers
May 20, 2020, Vogue Business
Can your clothing protect you from Covid-19? A leading Italian luxury manufacturer says it has developed an antiviral fabric that may, and major luxury brands are snapping it up.
Spike in product recalls expected in aftermath of COVID-19
May 21, 2020, KCP News
Product recalls are still occurring, but the process has become more challenging and time-consuming as a result of the current regulatory and business environment, according to Stericycle Expert Solutions’ First Quarter 2020 Recall Index.
330+ major businesses call for a more resilient, sustainable economy
May 20, 2020, B3LMedia
CEOs and representatives from more than 330 businesses, including Adobe, Capital One, CommonSpirit Health, DSM North America, Dow, Eileen Fisher, General Mills, Mars, Inc., Microsoft, NIKE, Salesforce and VISA called on a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers to build back a better economy by infusing resilient, long-term climate solutions into future economic recovery plans.
Despite COVID, CPSC policy discussions forging ahead – sort of
May 19, 2020, National Law Review
Much like the rest of the world, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and its constituents and stakeholders are trying to determine how to operate amid the historic disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some CPSC functions – particularly staff-driven operations like recalls – are functioning reasonably well even with a dispersed, telecommuting workforce. But other matters – especially the policy questions that commissioners must answer – present a greater challenge.
Opinion: Is Trump challenging Mother Nature to a duel?
May 20, 2020, The New York Times
if you define wearing a mask, or restrictions on the size of religious gatherings, as a sign of disrespect for your personal freedom — not an act of respect for Mother Nature when she has the whole world in her hands — you’re making a huge mistake.
