Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recalls

Among the recall trends affecting business, none is more important than the unique role the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) now plays to protect consumers even as it provides new opportunities for companies to manage recalls speedily and cost-efficiently.

The CPSC has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 types of consumer products from coffee makers to children’s toys to fireworks. The CPSC’s mission is to protect the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death resulting from the products under its jurisdiction.

Like other regulatory agencies, product recalls are one of the CPSC’s most important responsibilities. However, the recall procedures and recall regulations of the CPSC are different from those of the FDA or USDA.

CPSC recalls are unique because of the “fast-track consumer product recall program” option. This program speeds up the recall process and gets more dangerous products out of people’s homes, while saving manufacturers and taxpayers time and money.

For example, procedural steps that have long been part of traditional product recall logistics are eliminated. These steps include a preliminary determination investigation that can actually take several months to complete.

It’s in everyone’s interest to expedite the recall process. Because the manufacturer is typically responsible for the costs involved in the recall process, it is all the more critical for companies to have a product recall strategy in place ahead of need in order to ensure seamless recall management; cover recall expenses; act swiftly but in a way that does not incite panic or adverse public perceptions; and prevent down time.

The operative words are “ahead of time.” You cannot formulate any sort of recall strategy – and especially not a CPSC fast-track recall – after the recall process is already underway. By being proactive, companies achieve quick results even as they assure the benefits of long-term recall management.