Procedures for Seeking Exemption to Lead Limits

Under Section 101(b) of the CPSIA of 2008, the CPSC may exclude certain products or materials from the children’s product lead ban.  Even if a product or material is not on the initial list of potential items to be excluded from the lead ban, interested parties can petition that a particular item be excluded.  CPSC [...]

Products and Materials Exempted from CPSIA Lead Limits:

Within Section 101 of the CPSIA, the commission is granted the power to exclude certain products or materials from the new lead limitations if there is scientific evidence indicating any lead existing in the product would not be absorbed into the human body under normal use or abuse, nor “have any other adverse impact on [...]

Commission to Consider Staff Proposals Related to Lead Limit Exemptions

In December, the CPSC staff submitted four proposals to the Commission regarding potential exemptions to the lead limits set forth in Section 101 of the CPSIA.  The Commission was scheduled to vote on the proposals January 5th.  Although there has not been an official CPSC announcement regarding the vote, passing would not yet establish the [...]

Safety Matters in the New Year

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone enjoyed time with their friends and family over the holiday season and trust that the New Year finds you well and ready to take on the new and growing challenges of our day. 2009 brings with it a long list of obstacles, but also an enormous opportunity for [...]

2009 Bicycle Helmet Safety Guidelines

Last September, I shared with you how my son’s bicycle helmet saved him from a serious head injury when he lost control of his bike and crashed. In that post, I reviewed some bicycle accident statistics that go a long way to support what we already know – bicycle helmets save lives. Now is a [...]

2063: Consumer Product Certifcation and Labeling Laws – Revisions Inline

US Consumer Product Safety Laws – Revisions to Product Certification and Labeling Note: Some of the formatting was lost in the conversion process to render the document in the viewer below.  Rather than grey strikethrough for deletions as indicated by the Edit Key in the document, deletions are represented by a navy blue strikethrough. Get [...]

Quick Guide to US Code Sections Amended by the CPSIA

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (2008 CPSIA) Does Not Replace the Consumer Product Safety Act (1972 CPSA)

Over the last few months, I have been asked several times whether the CPSIA of 2008 replaces the CPSA. The answer is no. The CPSIA of 2008 amends previous laws, in some instances by revising the language, and in others by adding entirely new sections.  In fact, the CPSA of 1972 has been amended several [...]

Halloween Related Product Recalls – Make Sure Your Decor and Costumes Are Safe

If your family is anything like ours, Halloween decorations and other paraphernalia get packed back into boxes or bins and pushed to the depths of the garage within a day or two after the trick-or-treating comes to an end.  The plastic witches and candy-collection pails then stay in their out-of-sight–out-of-mind state until, well, now – [...]

Another Crib Recall Prompted by Death of Infant Causes CPSC to Seek New Rules

Delta Enterprise voluntarily recalled more than 1.5 Million cribs today to repair missing or failed pegs needed to secure the crib’s drop-side mechanism. One baby is known to have died due to missing pegs. The incident has prompted the CPSC staff to recommend an evaluation of design and durability issues, potentially leading to stricter standards [...]

Importance of Bicycle Helmets Hits Home

My 8-year-old son, Sam, crashed on his bike last week. Unable to break while going down a hill, he went through an intersection (thankfully, no cars were coming) and hit the curb on the other side. His bike flew to the right; he went to the left, sliding across the sidewalk into a hedge. Although [...]

Brief Overview of the US Consumer-Product Recall System – Old and New

In the United States, more than 15,000 types of consumer products, not including food, drugs and vehicles, fall under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the government agency whose job it is to protect the public “from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products.”[1] Maintaining the product recall system [...]