Consumer Product Safety Commission

1. Consumer Product Safety Commission Prepared by Debbie Ditterline Oism470w, Section 1

2. Agenda • What is the consumer product safety commission (CPSC)? • What does the CPSC do? • Statistics • A real world example • A short exercise • Summary • Bibliography

3. What Is the CPSC? • An independent federal regulatory agency that helps keep American families safe by reducing the risk of injury or death from consumer products

4. What Is the CPSC? • Created in 1972 in the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) • Jurisdiction over 15,000 types of products • Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of consumer products can be affected by CPSC action

5. What Is a Regulation? • Regulations are specific standards or instructions concerning what can or cannot be done by individuals, businesses, and other organizations

6. What Does the CPSC Do? • The CPSC works to reduce injuries and deaths from consumer products: • By evaluating voluntary standards with industry • By issuing and enforcing mandatory standards • By obtaining the recall of products or arranging for their repair • By conducting research on potential product hazards • By informing & educating consumers • By responding to consumer inquiries

7. The Need For Standards • Standards enable consumers to purchase a product and use it with other products they purchased form different manufacturers • For example: You buy a camera that was made in Japan • You buy American-made film • You are vacationing in Spain and get the film developed while you are there • Standards make that process possible

8. Voluntary Vs. Mandatory Standards • Voluntary standards • Allow manufacturers to have more input • Reduce the burdens of federal inspections, enforcement and potential penalties • Take less time, are less costly and are easier to amend

9. Voluntary Vs. Mandatory Standards • Mandatory standards are sometimes necessary, determined by the CPSC • Manufacturers are still required to report to the CPSC any problems or defects with their products as soon they are aware of it • Whether its governed under a voluntary or a mandatory standard • Any delay in this process will result in a violation of the CPSA

10. Research on Potential Hazards • The CPSC collects injury data to aid in analyzing safety trends • Contracts with hospital emergency rooms to provide that data through reports made at the time an injured patient is treated. • The raw information can be useful, since it spots trends, but the system has many limitations… • The causality issue cannot be resolved satisfactorily (Was the product to blame, or the user?)

11. Consumer Inquiries • Consumers can call the toll-free hotline (1-800-638-CPSC) to: • Report an unsafe product • Report a product-related injury • Find out whether a product has been recalled • Learn how to return a recall product or arrange for its repair • Get info on what to look for when buying a consumer product • Get info on how to use a consumer product safely • Receive info about ordering CPSC safety publications

12. Statistics • Half of an estimated 4,000 consumer complaints fielded yearly by the United States CPSC hotline are child-related • The other 50% of the complaints deal with household electrical appliances

13. A Real World Example • L.L. Bean violated the CPSA by delaying reporting to CPSC that two of its backpack child carriers were defective • Children can work their way out of the harness and fall through a leg opening or topple out of the top of the carriers • L.L. Bean knew of 39 incidents before reporting it to the CPSC • Civil penalty of $750,000

14. Recently Recalled • CPSC has recalled 19 million dive sticks used in swimming pools • In shallow water, children can land on the sticks and suffer impalement. • Tiger Electronics Ltd. has recalled 202,000 piano toys • The top section of an attached microphone can break off, which poses a choking hazard.

15. Recently Recalled • Bush Industries Inc. has recalled 100,000 television carts for repair • They can easily tip over • Crate & Barrel has recalled for repair 4,300 children's tables • Tables have a six-inch hole cut in the center, which can result in head entrapment

16. A Short Exercise • What do you do if you have received knowledge that a product you manufacture is defective? • What do you do if you or someone you know has been injured by fault of a defective product?

17. A Short Exercise • What will happen if you do not report your defective product to the CPSC, as a manufacturer? • What will happen if you do not report your defective product, as a consumer?

18. Summary • The CPSC works to protect consumers • Without standards, the world would be complete chaos at all times • The CPSC needs help from the manufacturers, as well as the consumers, to keep them updated in regards to defective products

19. Bibliography “Consumer Product Safety Act.” Internet. http://www.aham.org/mfrs/govt/safety/cpsa.htm 18 February 2001. “Consumer Product Safety Commission product recalls.” Professional Safety, Vol.44 no.10. October 1999, p.12, 48. “CPSC Home Page.” Internet. http://www.cpsc.gov 18 February 2001. Dawson, Carol. “Voluntary standards threatened.” Consumers' Research Magazine, April 1998. Gunin, Joan. “Watching Big Brother: A Look Inside the CPSC.” Home Textiles Today, April 1998, p.8. “Live and Learn.” Internet. http://www.liveandlearn.com/cpsc.html 18 February 2001. “RegRadar.” Internet. http://www.regradar.org 18 February 2001.