Product Safety Receives Global Spotlight
10-21-2009
By Dave Schmeltzer
For nearly a year, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) has been central to discussions on consumer product safety. The new rules, which have started to take effect, have caught flak from small and big businesses, as well as non-profits and charities. But as these groups await clarification from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding the new regulations, it is critical that they keep a close eye on consumer safety efforts going on elsewhere both inside and outside U.S. borders.
In the European Union, a new Toy Safety Directive came into effect in July which aims to reduce toy related accidents by improving health and safety standards, as well as rules for marketing products intended for use by children. These rules will impact products both produced in and imported into the EU. Member states will be applying the new rules starting in July 2011.
Canada is on the threshold of passing a broad consumer safety act that closely resembles the CPSIA. It looks like Canada will pass the legislation – Bill C-6, also known as the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) – which aims to regulate U.S. manufacturers who sell their goods in Canada. The Bill aims to strengthen current product safety laws and give the government the power to order recalls of products that violate product safety standards.
Additionally, according to the CPSC, the Chinese government is working closely with the Commission to police noncompliant products. The groups in the past have stressed the importance of having Chinese manufacturers take safety responsibility more seriously and making product testing more rigorous. We can expect these discussions to continue to move forward this week during the CPSC delegation’s visit to China.
While it is important to keep a close eye on domestic regulations, it is crucial that companies are reminded that business is increasingly global. And with a global business comes a global responsibility for consumer safety. It is critical that businesses track their products and have measures in place to pull products from the shelves quickly and effectively.
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