Statement Of Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric On The CPSC’s Settlement With TJX
August 2, 2022, CPSC.gov
The $13 million civil penalty is near the statutory maximum CPSC could have sought had the agency pursued the case in court. This cap on CPSC’s civil penalty authority, however, is a serious impediment to the agency’s efforts to deter large corporate actors from violating consumer protect laws. With the market capitalization of the largest retailers calculated in the billions, a penalty of $13 million or even $100 million could easily become a cost of doing businesses. In order to best protect the public, I urge Congress to remove or dramatically increase the existing limits on CPSC’s civil penalty authority.
U.S Court Of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Upholds CPSC Infant Sleep Product Rule
August 3, 2022, Kids In Danger
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Infant Sleep Product Rule that went into effect on June 23, 2022. The CPSC rule establishes mandatory safety standards for products marketed or intended for infant sleep for babies up to five months old requiring that infant sleep products must have a sleep surface angle of 10 degrees or less. The litigation, Finnbin, LLC vs. Consumer Product Safety Commission challenged the CPSC’s Infant Sleep Product Rule and the agency’s authority to promulgate the rule. Consumer Federation of America and Kids In Danger joined Consumer Reports in an amicus brief strongly supporting the CPSC’s rule and legal promulgation of the life-saving rule.
A Simple Way To Introduce Yourself
August 2, 2022, Harvard Business Review
Many of us dread the self-introduction, be it in an online meeting or at the boardroom table. Here is a practical framework you can leverage to introduce yourself with confidence in any context, online or in-person: Present, past, and future.
Congress Passes Bill Named For Toddler Who Died After Swallowing A Battery
August 3, 2022, GMA
A bill designed to help keep young children safe by strengthening safety requirements for products with button batteries has passed both the U.S. House and Senate, and is now headed to the desk of President Joe Biden. The legislation, known as Reese’s Law, is named for Reese Hamsmith, an 18-month-old Lubbock, Texas, girl who died after swallowing a button battery, the small, round batteries found in many home devices and toys.
2 Die In Harlem Fire As Warnings Mount About Scooter Battery Hazards
August 3, 2022, New York Times
A fire in a Harlem apartment early Wednesday sparked by the lithium-ion battery on an electric scooter killed a 5-year-old girl and a 36-year-old woman, and left the child’s father in critical condition, the police and fire officials said. Electronic bikes and scooters have been implicated in numerous fires in recent months, leading the housing authority to propose banning them from its buildings entirely. Experts say the problems are often linked to aging, damaged or malfunctioning batteries and charging devices. The Fire Department has repeatedly warned of the dangers of lithium-ion batteries.
CPSC Releases New Report On Carbon Monoxide Fatalities, Urges Generator Safety In New PSA
August 4, 2022, CPSC.gov
The CPSC estimates that about 85 consumer die in the U.S. each year from CO poisoning from gasoline powered portable generators. This, according to its new report: “Fatal Incidents Associated with Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from Engine-Driven Generators and Other Engine-Driven Tools 2011-2021.” The report also shows that African Americans are at higher risk, accounting for 23% of generator-related CO deaths, nearly double their estimated 13% share of the U.S. population.
Former Hasbro Exec Jos Huxley Joins The Toy Association
August 1, 2022, Toybook
Toy safety expert Jos Huxley has joined The Toy Association as senior vice president of technical affairs. In his new role, Huxley, who joins the Association from Hasbro, will lead the continuing development of technical policies and strategies relating to toy safety, environmental sustainability, supply chain issues, factory processes, and other related matters, acting as a guide for member companies navigating these and other issues under the umbrella of technical affairs.
Massachusetts House Passes Bills Regulating E-Bikes, Addressing Traffic Fatalities
August 2, 2022, Patch
The Massachusetts House last week in a bill regulating the use of electric bicycles by considering them as bicycles, instead of a motorized scooter or vehicle as they currently are defined. In an effort to reduce traffic fatalities, the House also passed a bill which requires motorists to keep a safe distance from pedestrians, bicyclists, mobility device users and other vulnerable users of the road. Both bills now go to the Senate for their consideration.
Consumer Reports – The New Rules For Fire Safety
August 4, 2022, Consumer Reports
The number of house fires reported in the U.S. has dropped by half since 1980, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Credit the proliferation of smoke alarms, public education, and better building codes. Yet look beyond that number and the full story isn’t as rosy: Fire deaths in this country have been rising since 2010, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
A Pacific Palisades Girl Was Killed In An Electric Bike Crash. Her Parents Sue Rad Power Bikes
August 5, 2022, Los Angeles Times
Jonathan and Kaye Steinsapir filed suit last week against Rad Power Bikes, the burgeoning company whose product Molly Steinsapir was riding down the steep hill of Enchanted Way with a friend on January 31, 2021. Steinsapir’s friend tried to brake as they sped downhill, but the bike did not stop, and instead the girls lost control and were thrown to the concrete, where Molly lay face down, unresponsive, her helmet still on, according to the lawsuit.
