Study Shows E-Scooter Injuries Rack Up Big Medical Bills
January 19, 2024, US News & World Report
Orthopedic treatment for 82 patients injured in e-scooter wrecks averaged more than $28,400 per person, as doctors labored to mend broken bones and dislocated joints. “E-scooters go up to 20 miles per hour, but people are allowed to ride them on sidewalks with no safety equipment. “It’s no surprise that many riders have had high-energy traumas,” said researcher Dr. Drew Sanders, of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. For their study, researchers analyzed medical records at Parkland Memorial Hospital, a public hospital that serves Dallas County. The team identified 82 patients treated between January 2017 and August 2020 for injuries linked to e-scooters. The new study was published recently in the Journal of Orthopedic Business.
Keeping Up-To-Date On PFAS Regulations In Consumer Products
January 17, 2024, JD Supra
PFAS (per- and poly- fluorinated alkyl substances) are everywhere, in our drinking water and all over the news. Federal and state agencies are taking a proactive approach to identifying sources of PFAS and attempting to eliminate them from the everyday products with which we come in direct contact. In general, the federal government’s current focus is on identifying sources of PFAS and regulating PFAS in drinking water. States, meanwhile, are increasingly working to eliminate the circulation of consumer products with intentionally added PFAS.
Overcoming Your Need For Constant Validation At Work
December 8, 2023, Harvard Business Review
Letting go of the need for constant approval at work doesn’t mean you have to stop caring. In fact, the most effective leaders are those who balance empathy and decisiveness, conviction and compassion, with warmth and strength. In this article, the author offers strategies for how to mitigate an excessive need for approval at work: 1) Do a gut check; 2) Formulate your own opinions first; 3) Try the “so what?” test; 4) Wait 24 hours before responding to contentious or charged issues; and 5) Keep promises you make to yourself.
The Cold Case Of Patrick Mahomes’s Cracked Helmet
January 18, 2024, Washington Post
PFAS (per- and poly- fluorinated alkyl substances) are everywhere, in our drinking water and all over the news. Federal and state agencies are taking a proactive approach to identifying sources of PFAS and attempting to eliminate them from the everyday products with which we come in direct contact. In general, the federal government’s current focus is on identifying sources of PFAS and regulating PFAS in drinking water. States, meanwhile, are increasingly working to eliminate the circulation of consumer products with intentionally added PFAS.
Analysis: Landmark Product Safety Prosecution May Signal Sea Change
January 16, 2024, Cooley
In November 2023, a jury convicted two corporate executives of conspiracy and failure to report information about defective residential dehumidifiers, as required by the Consumer Product Safety Act. The jury verdict in U.S. v. Chu is groundbreaking because it is the first-ever criminal conviction of corporate executives for failure to report under the CPSA. Under Section 15(b) of the CPSA, manufacturers, importers and distributors of consumer products are required to immediately report information that “reasonably supports the conclusion that the product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard” or “creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death.”
Study: Hundreds Of Chemicals In Everyday Consumer Products May Increase Breast Cancer Risk
January 17, 2024, EWG
More than 900 chemicals are found in cosmetics, drinking water, food and cleaning supplies used by millions of Americans. These chemicals may cause biological changes linked to risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Hundreds of these chemicals are legally allowed for use in making these products in the U.S., but that approval doesn’t mean they’re safe for people exposed to them. The study identified chemicals that have been either linked to mammary gland tumors or increase certain hormonal activities that may result in forming tumors or both.
CPSC Recall Communications: Spanish Language Update
January 18, 2024, Arnold & Porter
In recent years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has made significant efforts to reach underserved communities, including by adopting and updating a CPSC Equity Action Plan that seeks to identify and address disparities in injury and death rates in minority communities. In light of the commission’s new emphasis on communicating recalls in Spanish and other languages, including requiring staff to provide the commission with periodic progress reports on these efforts, recalling companies should expect that CPSC staff will likely pay increased attention to multi-lingual recall notices. This is particularly the case for products that are significantly marketed in other languages.
Boeing Picks A Retired Admiral To Lead A Team That Will Review Safety In Manufacturing Planes
January 16, 2024, The Economic Times
Boeing named a retired Navy admiral as a special adviser on matters including quality of work done at suppliers as the aircraft maker responds to a midflight blowout aboard one of its planes this month. Boeing CEO David Calhoun said he asked Kirkland Donald to join team that will make recommendations to improve oversight of quality in the company’s factories and those of its suppliers. Before retiring from the military, Donald was the director of the Navy’s nuclear-propulsion program.
Opinion: The Dangers Of Influencer Marketing Toward Children
January 15, 2024, Grand Valley Lanthorn.com
The prospect of companies paying social media influencers to promote their products is common practice in today’s online economy. Consumers will often see their favorite influencers promoting items such as the trendiest new water bottles or skincare products, promising they cannot go without this product. What happens when the demographic being targeted isn’t yet old enough to have their own credit card or even drive a car? What happens when you exacerbate a culture of wants and needs, creating a divide amongst your peers? This is precisely what’s happening with America’s adolescent youth.
EU Hits International Big Tech With New Wave Of User Safety Effort Data
January 18, 2024, appleinsider
As part of its mandate in the Digital Services Act, the European Commission has sent requests for a new set of information about to 17 tech companies about how they protect users. The European Commission is casting its net a bit wider on this round of information requests. In addition to the regulars it demands information from, in Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta, it has also hit AliExpress, Zalando, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, and more. In total, the 17 companies under 10 different umbrellas must provide requested information by February 9.
CPSC: Stop Using Pedetid High-Powered Magnetic Ball Sets Due To Ingestion Hazard; No Recall Or Remedy Offered
January 18, 2024, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to stop using and dispose of Pedetid 216-Piece 5mm Magic Magnet Ball Sets because the loose, hazardous magnets pose a risk of serious injury or death if ingested by children. CPSC testing determined the Magic Magnet Ball Sets do not comply with the requirements of the mandatory federal toy regulation because they contain one or more magnets that fit within CPSC’s small parts cylinder and the magnets are stronger than permitted. CPSC issued a Notice of Violation to the seller, Pedetid Store, of China, but the firm has not agreed to recall these magnetic ball sets or offer a remedy to consumers.
