In the News: December 12, 2022
America Home Furnishings Alliance Files Petition For Judicial Review Of CPSC Safety Standard For Clothing Storage Units
December 6, 2022, Home Furnishing Business
The AHFA has filed a petition for judicial review of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Safety Standard for Clothing Storage Units, seeking to have the rule vacated. The petition was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. AHFA supports a mandatory furniture stability rule. However, the industry group maintains that the complexity of the performance testing requirements in the CPSC rule will make it unenforceable.
‘Fire! Fire! Fire!’ The Perplexing, Deadly Electric Bike Problem
December 8, 2022, Consumer Reports
Malfunctioning lithium-ion batteries in the increasingly popular form of transportation have been linked to numerous explosions, blazes, and deaths. Little is being done to reduce the danger. According to Consumer Reports, large agencies like those that govern workplace safety or highway safety generally don’t handle them. This leaves oversight to the CPSC, an underfunded consumer-protection agency that has limited control over companies.
New York Expands Space Heater Safety Standards Nearly One Year After Deadly Bronx Fire
December 8, 2022, The Hill
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) recently signed a bill into law expanding safety standards for electric space heaters almost a year after one of the machines sparked a deadly fire in the Bronx. Under the law, electric space heaters sold in New York state are required to be equipped with thermostats and automatic shutoffs. The machines must also be certified by a testing and certification body recognized and approved by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Are You Too Emotionally Invested In Your Job?
December 8, 2022, Harvard Business Review
Being emotionally invested in your work is like a double-edged sword. Your drive and passion propel you to perform. But being too emotionally tied to your work can become a huge drain and weight to carry. So how can you tell if you’re too emotionally invested in your work? The author outlines four signs to watch out for and offers strategies to regain your confidence and perspective.
Target Pulls Water Bead Toy From The Shelves After Baby Suffers Severe Injury
December 7, 2022, Care.com
A popular water beads set is being yanked from the shelves at Target, and it might have some parents and caregivers reevaluating their latest toy purchases. Last week, the retailer announced they are temporarily halting sales of a sensory kit that contains water beads after a mom on TikTok says her 10-month-old accidentally swallowed one of the beads and nearly died.
Virginia Tech Expands Helmet Safety Ratings To Equestrians
December 7, 2022, ENventing Nation
Virginia Tech has long been at the forefront of helmet safety tech, with its state-of-the-art Helmet Lab putting equipment through rigorous tests with the aim of preventing injury during sports. Now, they’ve made their first steps into the equestrian industry, revealing their picks of the safest helmets in the bunch across forty different riding hat models.
Cheap Knockoffs Target Online Deal Hunters Looking To Escape Inflation
December 9, 2022, Washington Times
If you’re price-shopping online for deals on name-brand Christmas gifts, your odds of getting “Dove lotion” full of harsh chemicals or a “Romex” instead of a Rolex just went up.Third-party sellers are flooding digital marketplaces with a rising tide of knockoffs from countries like China as more Americans seek discounts to cope with high inflation this season, officials warn. “If a product’s price seems too good to be true, it may be counterfeit,” Nikki Fleming, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, said, “Don’t buy it.”
Los Angeles Health Department Warns Of Lead Poisoning Hazards In Recalled Children’s Products
December 5, 2022, LA County Department of Public Health
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health warned parents and caregivers about the potential health risks associated with several recalled children’s toys, clothes, and other products. The recalled items contain lead levels that exceed federal safety standards, putting children at risk for lead poisoning. Parents and caregivers of young children are urged to stop using these products and consider testing children for lead exposure.
Indian Government To Invest Rs 3,500 Cr In Country’s Toy Industry To Cut Down Import Of Unsafe Toys From China
December 6, 2022, Indiatimes.com
With an aim to make domestic manufacturing of toys globally competitive and cut down the import of unsafe toys from China, the Indian government is working to extend Rs 3,500 crore worth of production-linked incentive benefits to the toy industry. The toys would be compliant with the norms of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
CPSC To Shoppers: Anchoring New TVs And Furniture Can Save A Life
December 6, 2022, Family Safety & Health
As holiday shopping shifts into high gear, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is renewing its call to anyone buying TVs and large furniture: Secure the items to a wall to prevent tip-over injuries and deaths. A CPSC report released in January 2021 shows that between 2000 and 2020, an estimated 472 children were killed in TV and furniture tip-over incidents. From 2018 through 2020, an annual estimate average of nearly 10,000 children were treated in hospital ERs for injuries related to tip-overs.
Litigation Over ‘Forever Chemicals’ Is Growing: Is Your Company The Next Defendant?
December 7, 2022, Reuters
Litigation surrounding the production and use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is ticking upward in state and federal courts in the United States. In this recent uptick of PFAS-related litigation, the breadth of plaintiffs at issue has grown, moving from owners of places where PFAS are manufactured, to owners of places that merely use PFAS-containing materials.
EU Member States Mostly Fail To Improve Consumer Protection Against Risks Of Harmful AI
December 8, 2022, EUBusiness
National governments have left too many important issues unaddressed, such as facial recognition by private companies in publicly accessible places. They have watered down important provisions regarding which systems would classify as high risk. Consumers are at risk of not having enough of the rights they need when they are subject to automated decisions or when they interact with AI although, among the improvements, member states have at least proposed to ban social scoring by private entities.
