What Would Recall Management Be without Federal Safety Agencies?

By Mike Rozembajgier

Imagine a world without federal agencies responsible for protecting Americans from defective toys, cribs, lawnmowers and other consumer products. Regulatory agencies would no longer hold companies responsible for recall management. There would be no mandatory requirements and no mandatory testing procedures enforced by the federal government. This is just what Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has proposed in an amendment he has added to the Small Business Jobs Bill (S. 493). If passed, the Paul amendment would eliminate funding to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and six other federal agencies – putting a wrench in the recall process and creating considerable confusion about effective recall management.

Sen. Paul argues that the CPSC is “unnecessary” and should be replaced by private, non-profit groups, such as Consumer Union. But some consumer advocacy groups have already opened fire with criticism of the amendment, claiming that revoking funding for critical regulatory agencies would create unnecessary danger for all consumers.

Since 1972, CPSC has been the only agency with the power to set standards and enforce federal regulations that apply wherever a company is based or wherever a product is manufactured.

For example, in recent months the agency has taken steps to crack down on the use of cadmium in children’s products and create safe sleep environments for infants. The CPSC even opened its first overseas office in Hong Kong in an effort to regulate the use of cadmium.  These actions demonstrate that the CPSC places consumer safety first. When dealing with the regulatory agency, you should always keep in mind that your actions must clearly demonstrate that consumer safety is also your number one priority.

No matter who regulates your products, now or in the future, thorough recall preparation will help you mitigate any product safety risks that may surface. A comprehensive recall plan and regular recall drills will demonstrate your recall preparedness to regulators and prepare you for effective recall management. Don’t put off until tomorrow the recall planning you should be doing today.

Stericycle ExpertRECALL™ is the industry leader in recall logistics and regulatory compliance for consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical device, juvenile product, and food and beverage recalls. ExpertRECALL’s professionals are experts in recall management who can help you streamline the entire product recall process.