Civil Lawsuit Filed Over 2018 Deaths Of Two Children
June 17, 2021, WLOS-ABC
Two parents want justice for their children’s deaths in Jackson County North Carolina. They filed a federal complaint in Asheville against AMSAFE Commercial Products and Shield Restraint Systems, a manufacturer of safety restraints.

Opinion: Fisher-Price Recall Shows Why Company Actions And Values Should Be In Sync
June 11, 2021, Forbes
Fisher-Price’s recall of their 4 n’ 1 Rock ‘n Glide Soother underscores again why business leaders need to ensure the actions of their companies are in sync with corporate values. Failure to do so can damage the image and reputation of companies and organizations.

Becoming A More Critical Consumer Of Information
June 10, 2021, HBR
Trust is our most important foundation for navigating a complex, data-filled world. And yet, an ADP Research Institute study shows that having a high level of trust in our colleagues and organizations is at its lowest level in recent memory.

First A Recall, Now A New Problem For Peloton Owners: Hacks
June 16, 2021, 4029tv.com
Peloton users are being warned of a new security threat relating to the touchscreen on their Bike+.  In a recent report cybersecurity company McAfee discovered a vulnerability that allows hackers to access Peloton’s bike screen and potentially spy.

UK: Counterfeit Amusement Toy Suppliers Sentenced To Jail
June 17, 2021, North Yorkshire County Council
Suppliers of fake and unsafe toys to east coast amusement arcades were sentenced at York Crown Court today after pleading guilty to offences of selling and having in possession for distribution over 240,000 counterfeit children’s products.

Florida Child Hospitalized After Swallowing Magnetic Balls
June 16, 2021, WRCB TV
A 2-year-old Florida boy is in the hospital with complications from swallowing part of a toy composed of small magnetic balls. The child found the pieces of the toy, commonly known as a Buckyball that one of his siblings brought it home from school.

1 In 3 Americans Still Practice Unsafe Storage Of Laundry Products
June 17. 2021, Happi
For National Safety Month, American Cleaning Institute (ACI) urges consumers to store liquid laundry packets in original packaging to help deter poisonings. ACI data shows a need for continued education and awareness about liquid laundry packets.

How To Practice Responsible AI (Audio)
June 16, 2021, Harvard Business Review

The “Everywhere Chemical” : Might Phthalates Become The Next PFAS?
June 16, 2021, JD Supra
Phthalates are chemicals found in a wide range of consumer and industrial products, and public consciousness regarding the health risks they pose is quickly mounting. As demonstrated in the case of PFAS, growing public concerns about chemical exposure can result in the widespread adoption of disparate regulatory standards and create unexpected litigation risks. Some phthalates are already subject to regulation under federal environmental statutes, and some states have recently taken measures to restrict the use and disposal of phthalates.

NAO: UK Product Safety Regulator Slow To Respond To Magnets’ Danger
June 16, 2021, Sky News
Britain’s product safety regulator has been slow to respond to dangers such as those posed by mini magnets because it lacks the data and intelligence needed to assess risks, an NOA report has found.

Pew Research: Worries About Developments In AI
June 16, 2021, Pew Research Center
It would be quite difficult – some might say impossible – to design broadly adopted ethical AI systems. A share of the experts responding noted that ethics are hard to define, implement and enforce. They said context matters when it comes to ethical considerations. Any attempt to fashion ethical rules generates countless varying scenarios in which applications of those rules can be messy. The nature and relative power of the actors in any given scenario also matter. Social standards and norms evolve and can become wholly different as cultures change. Few people have much education or training in ethics. Additionally, good and bad actors exploit loopholes and gray areas where ethical rules aren’t crisp, so workarounds, patches or other remedies are often created with varying levels of success.

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Lawmakers Renew Calls To Explore Tech To Protect Consumers
June 10, 2021, NexGov
The bill, including its AI and Consumer Product Safety provision, would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop a pilot program to explore using technology to pinpoint product hazards or track relevant trends, among other pursuits.

CPSC Report Shows Child Drownings Remain High; Most Fatalities Are Children Under Five
June 8, 2021, CPSC
The annual drowning and submersion report released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds families to make water safety a priority, particularly as they return to community pools and resume warm-weather activities near water. Child drownings remain the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages one to four years old.

Employees Are Lonelier Than Ever. How Employers Can Help
June 9, 2021, Harvard Business Review
Loneliness comes with many negative side effects. Increasing face-to-face interaction may be beneficial for some, but it’s not always enough to create strong interpersonal bonds among colleagues. Here are 5 ways to help lonely employees.

CPSC Publishes Report On Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning
June 3, 2021, Retail & Consumer Law Observer
A CPSC report on AI and ML in consumer products highlights recent CPSC staff activity, proposes a framework for evaluating the potential safety impact of AI and ML and makes several recommendations that the CPSC can take related to AI and ML

Recall Roundup: May 2021
June 9, 2021, National Law Review
In the world of consumer products, the month of May was all about infant sleep products. The CPSC recently approved a new federal standard for infant sleep products for infants up to five months of age It reflects the fact that inclined sleepers, bassinets, and in-bed sleepers that have been linked to multiple infant deaths.

Health Canada Regulates Harmful UV, Ozone Devices That Could Harm People
June 8, 2021, KTW This Week
Health Minister Patty Hajdu says most companies selling UV wands and lights promising to kill viruses must have products approved and stop claiming they can destroy COVID-19. Hajdu signed an interim order to regulate the devices for the first time.

Amazon Successfully Presses To Leave Consumer Protections Out Of Senate China Bill
June 9, 2021, Washington Post
When the Senate recently passed the Inform Consumers Act to counter China’s growing economic clout, it excluded a measure designed to protect online shoppers from counterfeit and dangerous products after aggressive lobbying led by Amazon.

Prepare Now To Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
June 8, 2021, ABC Newsll
A big storm often causes power outages and an increased risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is odorless and colorless and the CPSC says causes over 400 deaths each year. Some are caused by portable generators used when people lose power.

Manufacturers Group Pushes For Country-Of-Origin Labelling
June 7, 2021, Industry Week
Americans have a reason to be apprehensive about e-commerce giants. These companies are lobbying against legislation to require country-of-origin labeling for any product sold on the Internet to help consumers make more informed online choices.

Consumers Are Facing More Risk Than Ever Due To Fake Products
June 9, 2021, Irish Technical Times
Counterfeits represent 6.8% of EU imports worth EUR 121 billion, according to a joint study by the EUIPO and the OECD. They can pose serious health and safety risks to consumers, notably due to exposure to hazardous chemicals.

E-scooters ‘Not Safe’ Without Audible Signals
June 8, 2021, BBC
The RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) said e-scooters posed potential risks to blind and partially sighted people because “they are fast-moving, difficult to detect and are often ridden on the pavement despite this being illegal”.

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CPSC Bans Unregulated Baby Sleep Products Tied To 90 Deaths
June 2, 2021, Washington Post
By a 3-1 vote, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned a number of infant sleep products. The rule requires products for sleeping babies to meet the mandatory federal standards for cribs, bassinets, bedside sleepers and play yards.

CPSC Urges Understanding Of ATVs And ROVs And Of Paved Road Risks
June 2, 2021, CPSC.gov
The CPSC urges consumers to understand the risks and undertake necessary safety measures before riding ATVs and other off-highway vehicles. The dangers are real and include overturning, collision and occupant ejection. The CPSC says there were about 1,700 ATV-related fatalities and 445 ROV-related fatalities reported from 2015-2019.

5 Myths About Flexible Work
June 5, 2021, Harvard Business Review
Executives often worry that they’ll open Pandora’s box and set a dangerous precedent if they allow employees to work flexibly. Perhaps a silver lining of the pandemic will be that corporate leaders have overcome their fears of offering flexibility.

Australia Introduces Button And Coin Battery Standards
June 2, 2021, Product Safety Australia
The Australian Government has introduced 4 mandatory standards to reduce the risk of death and injury from the use of button and coin batteries. The standards apply to both button cell and coin cell batteries, and to the products that include them.

Disruptive Technologies To Look Out For In 2021
June 3, 2021, Analytics Insight
These disruptive technologies have become an integral part of our lives and are causing massive changes in traditional business models. On that account, here are some examples of the disruptive technologies that have recently made the headlines.

Recalls In Review: Mattress Recalls
May 28, 2021, Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer
Since 2005 about 40 recalls of mattresses and mattress-related products have taken place. The peak year of 2015 includes 7 total recalls.

Half Of Brits Want E-Scooter Restrictions
June 3, 2021, ITS International
More than half of UK survey respondents want electric scooter licenses introduced if public use of the vehicles is made legal. This reflects public concerns for safety, according to JMW Solicitors, which carried out the survey.

Fire Officials Say Replace Recalled Smoke Detectors Now
June 1, 2021, Patch
Fire officials say recalled smoke detectors in homes could be a much more serious problem than we might realize. The only way to be certain a smoke and/or CO detector was not part of the recent recall is to compare the serial numbers.

A Glimpse Into The Art Of Leadership And The Science Of Management
June 2, 2021, CEO World
There is a fierce war taking place on the organizational battlefield. It is a conflict that stirs a heated debate and sparks the interest of people worldwide. It is the battle between the ideas of leadership and management. Both sides of the fight are inaccurate and understanding the nuances between the two will optimize your organization’s effectiveness.

Milwaukee Is First Market To Test Scooter Sidewalk Tracking Technology
June 3, 2021, Wisconsin.com
Sidewalk riding was probably our largest concern during the 2019 pilot study, said Milwaukee Department of Public Work. Now a new pilot study begins, and it’s designed to see how the city can implement scooters as a means of transportation safely.

Consumers Warned: Stop Using Ace Youth ATVs Due To Crash Hazard And Violation Of Federal Mandatory Safety Standard
June 2, 2021, PR Newswire
The CPSC and EGL Motor Inc., are warning consumers to stop using EGL Motor’s ACE D110 youth ATV immediately, to avoid serious injury or death. These youth (age 6 and older) ATVs do not meet federal safety standards.

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Peloton Releases A Software Fix For Its Recalled Treadmills
May 19, 2021, CNN
Peloton is rolling out a software fix for its Tread and Tread+ treadmills after a massive recall. Customers can now access a new “Tread Lock” feature that requires a four-digit code before using the treadmill and locks the machine after 45 seconds of inactivity outside of a class. Peloton states on the feature’s support page that users will “be required to set up Tread Lock” following an automatic software upgrade. The fix applies to both of Peloton’s treadmills: The Tread+ and the Tread.

The Product Safety Early-Warning System That Seldom Sounds
May 21, 2021, ConsumerReports
Under a federal law companies must notify the CPSC when lawsuits alleging serious injury or death have been brought against their products. Known as Section 37, it was devised to be a “safety net,” capturing hazards that may not be reported to the government. But a CR investigation found Section 37 is broken.

Ransomware Attacks Are Spiking. Is Your Company Prepared?
May 20, 2021, Harvard Business Review
These are unprecedented times in the world of cybersecurity, with ransomware attacks up 150% in 2020 and growing faster in 2021. With preparation, cybersecurity and a plan, your company will reduce risk and be prepared to deal with the unthinkable.

Sedgwick Report: Product Recalls Expected To Soar Post Pandemic, Enforcement Set To Intensify
May 19, 2021, Sedgwick/PRnewswire
According to Sedgwick brand protection latest U.S. product recall index report, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to keep inspections and recall incidents below record levels. However, as the world begins to re-open and with the prospect of new regulations ahead, an upsurge in recalls should be expected. The new report reveals the latest recall data, trends and predictions businesses need to know to prepare for the increasingly aggressive and complex regulatory environment that risk managers are forecasting for all industries in 2021.

UK Safety Alert Issued For Small High-Powered Magnetic Products
May 19, 2021, OPSS UK.gov
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the UK’s national product safety regulator, has issued a Safety Alert to warn of the risk of serious injury and death from swallowing small high-powered magnets. The OPSS Safety Alert follows increasing reports of injuries from ingestion of magnets, particularly among children and young people. OPSS has identified a particular hazard arising from the use of high-powered magnets in products where the magnets can be swallowed.

How 7 ‘Smart Toys’ Are Protecting Kids’ Data And Safety
May 18, 2021, World Economic Forum
Kids today have a chance to engage with their toys in ways never imaged before. As children are more connected to the internet, parents and guardians need to understand the capabilities of such devices and how they should be secured.

HR Leaders Share 14 In-Demand Skills Employers Want In 2021
May 20, 2021, Forbes
Every business is only as good as its employees. That’s why a good hiring strategy that focuses on in-demand skills is essential to a company’s success. Human resources teams often have unique insight into hiring trends that help their organization find the right talent, including the skill sets employers need to succeed in 2021 and beyond.

Governor Scott Signs First-In-Nation Restrictions On Toxic PFAS Chemicals
May 20, 2021, Vermont Biz
Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law a nation-leading bill that restricts the sale of consumer products that contain toxic chemicals known as PFAS. The bill bans PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam, food packaging, ski wax, and carpets, rugs and stain-resistant treatments. S20 was supported by Vermont environmental advocates, firefighters, educators, public health experts, children’s advocates.

Don’t Panic: How To Save Gasoline Safely
May 20, 2021, Wall Street Call
Since the Colonial Pipeline closure, some people have saved gasoline in the worst ways ever. Experts at encourage people to stop filling unsafe items with fuel and to invest in rugged, safe fuel containers that meet ASTM and CPSC minimum standards.

Job Opening: Product Quality Manager 1 – non-food – for regional retail leader

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A $4 Bit Of Plastic Could Have Saved Peloton Millions
May 11, 2021, Wired
Was Peloton’s multi-million-dollar disaster inevitable? What caused the safety issues, and could they have been easily fixed? And why did they happen in the first place? Form may have come before function for Peloton and now it’s paying the price.

Baby Bath Seats Inspire Court Fight On Safety Standard Access
May 10, 2021, Courthouse News Service
The CPSC did not publish the full text of the standard in the Federal Register because ASTM owns the copyright to the standard. During oral arguments, a panel of DC circuit judges appeared to side with a mother who is advocating to make CPSC standards freely available to the public.

The Hazards Of Being The Boss’s Favorite
May 13, 2021, Harvard Business Review
There are clear advantages to being your boss’s favorite. But there are downsides, too. How can you encourage your boss to treat everyone more equally and push back on the favoritism without seeming ungrateful or damaging your relationship?

Fivefold Rise In Young Children Swallowing Magnets Over Past 5 Years In UK
May 11, 2021, EurekaAlert
There’s been a fivefold rise in the number of young children requiring treatment after having swallowed a magnet over the past 5 years in the UK, suggests data from specialist doctors in a letter published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Nearly half of these children required surgery to remove the magnet, with surgical complications after retrieval a common occurrence.

Be Ready When Storms Hit: Protect Your Family This Hurricane Season with CPSC’s Life-Saving Tips
May 11, 2021, CPSC
June 1 marks the start of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, and the CPSC is warning consumers about the increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, fires and electric shock that can happen as a result of hurricanes and severe storms. Colorado State University forecasts a more dire storm and hurricane picture – 17 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes for this year.

Do Not Fill Plastic Bags With Gasoline: CPSC On Gas Shortage
May 12, 2021, USA Today
As many people in the Southeast dealt with rising gas prices and with stations running out of fuel in the wake of the cyberattack on a crucial regional pipeline, the CPSC had a message. “Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline,” the agency tweeted.

New Research On E-Scooters Discusses Safety, Where To Ride Them
May 7, 20T1, Fox News Washington DC
New research from the Insurance Institute on Highway Safety on the safety of e-scooters, shows they can be more dangerous than bicycles but are less likely to collide with cars and trucks, mostly because they’re often up on sidewalks.

AirTags “Terrifyingly Good” At Tracking And Potentially Helping Stalkers
March 11, 2021, CBS NEWS
Apple AirTags, the company’s device for finding lost items, could also let stalkers keep tabs on victims, experts say. AirTags are precise and easy to use and potentially misuse. Experts say they could help stalkers and enable domestic abusers.

New York Will Hold Public Meeting On Toxic Chemicals Children’s Products Law
May 13, 2021, National Law Review
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a virtual public meeting and will present topics for discussion related to implementation of the recently enacted law, which created ingredient disclosure requirements for children’s products. Title 9 of Article 37 of the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) establishes an ingredient disclosure program and prohibits certain chemicals in children’s products. ECL Article 37 instructs NYSDEC to promulgate lists of chemicals of concern and high-priority chemicals by March 1, 2022. It also prohibits the sale of children’s products containing benzene, asbestos, or tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate effective January 1, 2023.

CPSC To Require Compliance With New Furniture Standard By June 25, 2021
May 13, 2021, Furniture World
The SOFFA (the Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act), has formalized a national furniture flammability requirement for the first time, an effort long supported by Upholstered Furniture Action Council.

Opinion: Unanchored Furniture Is A Major Risk To Our Kids And We Need To Address This ASAP
May 14, 2021, Scary Mommy
Parents Against Tip-Overs have joined together to introduce and support the STURDY Act (Stop Tip-Overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers On Youth Act), which would “create and finalize a mandatory standard to help prevent tip-over incidents involving dressers and other clothing storage furniture,” says a joint letter to the Senate signed by dozens of local, state, and national organizations.

44 Attorneys General Oppose Instagram For Kids As They Warn Of Sexual Grooming, Bullying
May 10, 2021, Forbes
Over 40 attorneys general wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asking him to abandon plans to create a version of Instagram for children under 13.They cited concern about cyber bullying, sexual grooming and the impact of social media on young people.

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How Peloton Backed Down And Agreed To Recall Treadmills
May 5, 2021, Washington Post
Peloton appeared dug in. The home exercise company had been adamant for weeks that it was not going to agree to a voluntary recall of its Tread+ treadmill, In a stunning reversal, the company struck a deal with the CPSC for a voluntary recall.

AirTags Pulled From Retailer Over Child Safety Concerns — Apple Responds
May 4, 2021, Tom’s Guide
Australian retailer Officeworks has pulled Apple AirTags off store shelves due to child safety concerns around the coin cell battery. As of now, AirTags are still available on Apple’s Australian online store, as well as at retailers JB Hi-Fi and Big W.

What Good Leaders Do When Replacing Bad Leaders
April 16, 2021, Harvard Business Review
Any leader who is assuming a role previously held by someone else has to face their predecessor’s legacy, but those who are replacing poor or controversial leaders have a special challenge. These three strategies will help your company move on.

CPSC’s Expanding Role Under The Biden Administration
May 5, 2020, JDSupra
Under the Biden administration, the CPSC is undergoing a shift toward increased regulation and more aggressive enforcement. Acting Chair Adler confirmed this earlier this year, saying the Biden administration “clearly views product safety in different terms,” and that Adler “plan[s] to modify [his] job’s metaphor from caretaker to gardener.”

Is This Safe To Buy? How Dangerous Products Get—And Stay—On The Market
May 4, 2021, Consumer Reports
Of the approximately 15,000 categories of products overseen by the CPSC only about 70 are governed by what is called a mandatory standard, according to Acting CPSC Chair Robert Adler. For those 70 product categories, federal rules mandate compliance with specific safety requirements. Manufacturers must test them, usually through third-party labs. Products that fail these tests must be recalled if they’re already for sale.

Consumer Reports Tests: Dressers Still Pose Tip-Over Risk
May 6, 2021, Consumer Reports
CR conducted tip-over tests on 13 dresser models representing a cross-section of the retail market, using progressively tougher tests. They were purchased from January-March 2021. The tests show you can’t spot a stable dresser with the naked eye.

Peloton Recall In Canada After 83 Incident Reports Involving Treadmill Touchscreens
May 6, 2021, CTV
A recall has been issued for the Peloton TR02 Treadmill by Health Canada, the CPSC and Peloton due to the risk of the touchscreen detaching. The recall stated the screws attaching the console to the treadmill can come loose posing risk of injury.

Kentucky Family Advocates For State Bike Helmet Law For Children
May 3, 2021, WHAS 11
For 6 years, T.J. and his mother have worked for passage of “T.J.’s Bill”. The act would require Kentucky children under 12 to wear a helmet when on a bike. Their goal is for Kentucky to join the 21 states and Washington, D.C. that have helmet laws for young riders.

IU School Of Business Experts Who Study Causes And Effects Of Recalls
May 5, 2021, News wise
George Ball, assistant professor of operations and decision technologies and Weimer Faculty Fellow at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, studies the causes and effects of product recalls. Ball said, “Recall decisions like this are very difficult for managers to make, especially the ones that are high profile and associated with consumer injury. Managers have to balance the firm financial health with consumer safety. Thus, this is a rich area of research. The research that my colleagues and I undertake in this field deal both with the regulator and the firm.”

The Case for Women’s Leadership In A Post-Pandemic US Business World
May 5, 2021, Forbes
The pandemic has challenged the limitations of our world’s leaders; however, women such as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin have guided their countries in a way few of their male counterparts could. They showed resiliency, decisiveness and empathy in their leadership, helping them to perform better during the COVID crisis.

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Peloton Accidents Spark Push To Change Product Safety Law
April 22, 2021, The Verge
House Democrats introduced a bill, the Sunshine in Product Safety Act to make it easier for the CPSC to warn people about unsafe products. The act would repeal part of a 49-year-old law that limits what information the agency can release publicly.

Peloton Stumbles As Competitor Attracts Funding, Media Attention
April 29, 2021, Motley Fool
After a year of growth, Peloton has hit a new hurdle following a recent wrangle with the CPSC. The exercise company’s shares have dropped more than 40% since January highs.

Why You Shouldn’t Engage With Customer Complaints On Twitter
April 29, 2021, Harvard Business Review
What do you do when a customer tweets something negative about your company? Many businesses pursue a strategy of proactive, public engagement. But new research suggests publicly responding to customer complaints can actually have a negative effect.

UK Government To Review Product Safety And Liability Laws
April 28, 2021, JDSupra
UK government announced the intention of reviewing and strengthening the UK’s product safety laws to ensure that they are fit for the 21st century. Business Minister Paul Scully spoke of a “new, modern product safety regime which will unleash the creative potential of our businesses while keeping consumers safe.”

Consumers Should Spring Into Safety With The “New Normal”
April 28, 2021, CPSC.com
Now with spring upon us, flowers in the garden are not the only things blooming. Milder temperatures mean more of us will head outdoors for recreation and do-it-yourself home projects involving power tools, yard equipment and sports gear. The CPSC encourages consumers to remain vigilant about avoiding hazards while at home, at play or at school. Whatever the activity, the CPSC cautions consumers, always Do It Safely (D-I-S).

Another Court Gets On (hover) Board With Online Marketplace Liability For Defective Products
April 28, 2021, The National Law Review
In a recent development, California’s Court of Appeal determined that Amazon could be held strictly liable for injuries a consumer suffered from a defective hoverboard she bought from the retailer, even though Amazon neither manufactured nor sold the product.

UL Institute Toolkit To Help Specify Furniture To Reduce Flame Retardant Exposure
April 28, 2021, Chemical Insights
A Chemical Insights, an Institute of Underwriters Laboratories, in conjunction with the Sustainable Furnishings Council, released a toolkit designed to help interior designers specify and select residential upholstered furniture that reduces exposure to flame retardant chemicals. The toolkit, based on the recently released UL 118F Guidance Document, is a set of actionable guidelines that follows years of Chemical Insights’ research into human exposure to flame retardant chemicals as well as processes for reducing furniture flammability and residential fire hazards.

The Pandemic Trade-Off’: Some Parents Are Reassessing Which Kids’ Activities Feel Safe
April 16, 2021, The Washington Post
The collective easing of anxiety around skateboarding may be more in line with statistical realities, according to national data from the CPSC. Responding to growing parental concern about X Games sports, the agency in 2002 published a study comparing youth skateboarding injury rates with those of other sports. The findings showed that skateboarding was, statistically speaking, much safer than basketball: Skateboarders had an injury rate of 8.9 per 1,000 participants, while basketball players’ injury rate was 21.2 per 1,000 players.

Under New Administrator Michael Regan, EPA Closes Loophole On Toxic PFAS
April 28, 2021, The Progressive Pulse
Manufacturers of perfluorinated compounds, also known as PFAS, will no longer be allowed to use a special exemption that allowed hundreds of these toxic substances to be fast tracked into the marketplace. The EPA is closing the “low-volume” loophole. It allowed industries that agreed to limit their manufacture of chemicals, including PFAS, to no more than 22 tons per year to request a shortened 30-day scientific review instead of the traditional 90 days.

Urgent Warning After WA Child Consumes Hand Sanitizer
April 29, 2021, Mirage (AU)
An urgent safety warning has been issued by Consumer Protection after a six-year-old child who had consumed hand sanitizer was admitted to a Perth hospital. Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping said parents and carergivers of children should be extra vigilant as children often mistake the bottles of sanitizer for food or drink.

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Peloton’s Clash With CPSC Over Treadmill Safety Threatens To Tarnish Brand
April 20, 2021, CNBC
A public dispute with the CPSC over safety and a video of a child being dragged under a treadmill are threatening the Peloton brand, but Peloton said it has no intent to recall its Tread+, despite calls from regulators and politicians to do so.

CPSC Takes The First Step To Expand Enforcement
April 21, 2021, National Law Review
The CPSC signaled its intent to increase enforcement of its product safety regimen by seeking to double its current $135m budget. Increased funding will support vigorous compliance activities including civil penalty enforcement.

Why AI That Teaches Itself To Achieve A Goal Is The Next Big Thing
April 21, 2021, Harvard Business Review
What’s the difference between the creative power of game-playing AIs and predictive AIs most companies use? How they learn. The AIs that thrive at games like Go, creating never before seen strategies, use an approach called reinforcement learning.

Furniture Group Seeks Improvements To STURDY Act Legislation
April 20, 2021, Furniture Today
The AHFA said that the latest version of legislation aimed at reducing tip-over incidents will face another impasse unless changes are made to the bill in its current form. The Act would require the CPSC to develop a mandatory stability standard for clothing storage units such as dressers and chests.

BOOM: Glass Shower Doors Explode At NC Couple’s Home
April 20, 2021, Fox 8 News
A North Carolina couple is warning about a bathroom blast that sent glass shards shattering. According to the CPSC between 2012 and 2016 (the last years statistics were available) 2,300 people went to the ER due to their shower door glass shattering.

Bill To Ban Crib Bumpers Introduced In Congress
April 21, 2021, Consumer Reports
Bipartisan legislation would ban the sale of crib bumpers, which pediatricians have long said are unnecessary and pose a deadly risk to sleeping babies. The bill, called the Safe Cribs Act, would also make it illegal in the U.S. to manufacture, distribute or import crib bumpers.

Safety Concerns Prompt CR To Remove Peloton Tread+ From Its Ratings
April 21, 2021, Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports has temporarily removed the Peloton Tread+ from its treadmill ratings and is longer recommending the product. This move comes as a result of an urgent safety warning that the CPSC issued April 17.

The Toy Association Marks World Intellectual Property Day
April 21, 2021, The Toy Book
As the global business community prepares celebrates World Intellectual Property Day, stopping toy counterfeits from entering the U.S. — and ending up in the hands of innocent children — continues to be a top priority for The Toy Association and its members.

Made In USA Settlement For Chinese Imports
April 20, 2021, Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer
Gennex Media LLC has settled FTC charges of false, misleading or unsupported advertising claims that their “Brandnex” promotional products were “all or virtually all” made in the U.S., despite the fact that the items were wholly imported from China.

EU Lays Out Plan For Risk-Based AI Rules To Boost Trust And Uptake
April 21, 2021, Tech Crunch
EU lawmakers presented a risk-based proposal for regulating high risk applications of AI in the bloc’s market. The plan includes prohibitions on a small number of use-cases considered too dangerous to people’s safety or citizens’ fundamental rights.

Draft EU Regulation For AI Proposes Fines Of Up To 6% Of Total Annual Turnover
April 21, 2021, Morrison Foerster\
After presentation of a “European Approach to Artificial Intelligence” by the EC, a draft regulation to safeguard fundamental EU rights and user safety was published. It provides fines of up to EUR 30m or 6% of annual turnover, whichever is higher.

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Statement Of Acting Chairman Adler On Passage Of 2021 Mid-Year One Plan
March 25, 2021, cpsc.gov
“I am so pleased by the Commission’s passage of the first of our two-part 2021 Mid-Year Plan today. As I see it, Mid-Year One clarifies CPSC’s strong and ongoing commitment to diversity and equity in all aspects of our mission. In effect, this plan approves enhanced efforts for developing specific approaches that identify and address product hazards disproportionately affecting minority communities and underserved populations.”

CPSC FY 2021 Mid-Year Review
March 10, 2021, cpsc.gov
In the attached memorandum, the Executive Director summarizes staff’s Midyear Review recommendations to align the FY 2021 Operating Plan with the FY 2021 enacted appropriation, and presents options to allocate future unexecuted balances, should balances be available, to support existing project work.

What Does It Mean To Be A Manager Today?
April 15, 2021, Harvard Business Review
Managers used to be selected and promoted based on the ability to manage and evaluate performance of employees. But 3 transformative trends are challenging definitions of the manager role: Remote work, automation and changing employee expectations.

New Study: Where And Why Fatal E-Scooter Crashes Occur
April 15, 2021, The Ridgefield News
About 30 people in the United States have been killed riding electric scooters since 2018. Most – 80% – were hit by cars at intersections

Ethical Principles For Using Data
April 10, 2021, Analytics Insight
Data ethics is about control and sustainable utilization of data. Data ethics describes a behavior code, often focused on what is wrong and what is right. This encompasses the following: Data management, algorithms, and corresponding practices.

CPSC To Clarify New Furniture Flammability Regulation
April 14, 2021, National Law Review
The CPSC has proposed a Direct Final Rule implementing the new federal upholstered furniture flammability standard. The Rule, published on April 9, 2021, would codify California’s TB 117-2013 flammability standard as mandated by Congress.

EU To Ban ‘Indiscriminate Surveillance’ In Leaked AI Plans
April 13, 2021, Euractive.com
As part of the draft regulation on a ‘European approach for artificial intelligence,’ the EU executive proposes to ban AI technologies that are used for “indiscriminate surveillance applied in a generalized manner to all natural persons without differentiation.”

United State: Productwise 3-2-1, April, Product Safety 2021 Review
April 14, 2021, Mondaq (Cooley)
This month it’s all about the review of the UK product safety framework, three new pieces of EU guidance, CPSC’s Mid-Year One plan, consultations launched in the EU and the UK on proposals to make products more sustainable, proposed new EU rules on batteries and the importance of thorough pre-market review procedures.

American Association Of Pediatrics Says Rare Earth Magnets Are Dangerous Around Children
April 13, 2021, Galveston Daily News
The American Academy of Pediatrics wants says rare earth magnets can cause serious injuries or death if children swallow them. The CPSC banned the sale of these strong magnets in 2014, but the ban was removed in 2016. Since then, the National Poison Data system has reported an increase in major injuries to children who swallow the magnets.

Recall Round-Up: March 2021
April 13, 2021, National Law Review
The Fifth Circuit recently issued an opinion concluding that the CPSC violated the APA when it issued a final rule in 2017 limiting phthalate content in children’s products. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) bans children’s toys and child care articles containing more than 0.1 percent of several phthalate chemicals because of concerns that ingestion can have harmful health effects on children. Phthalates are used to make soft and pliable plastics, such as vinyl. The CPSIA also directed the agency to promulgate a final rule regarding phthalates. In 2017, the CPSC issued a final rule expanding the list of phthalates covered by the ban.

Empower Your Employees To Create A Culture Of Safety: Here’s How
April 12, 2021, Association of Equipment Manufacturers
It’s important to remember, that in addition to ensuring your safety policies are up to date, companies need to consider their employee’s state of mind. As a friend of mine recently told me: “After trying to initially understand and adhere to all the health guidelines from last year, businesses are worried that everyone is now becoming complacent.”

Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Combat PFAS
April 13, 2021, Fox 17 News
A bipartisan bill has been introduced that would establish a national drinking water standard for PFAS, classifies PFAS as hazardous enough to permit the EPA cleanse contaminated sites across the U.S., and places an industrial discharge limit.

CPSC Warns That Youth ATVs Don’t Meet “Mandatory Safety Standards”
April 13, 2021, Penn Live
The CPSC says not to allow children to use Maxtrade’s Coolster youth ATVs. According to the commission, the 3050-C and 3050-B models do not meet its “mandatory safety standard” and pose a risk of a high-speed crash that can result in injury or death.

Honoring Our Heroes
SPSP Website
SPSP makes a permanent home for the salute poster at its website.