Industry News

CPSC Chairman Outlines 2010 Priorities

February 22, 2010


Last week, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Tenebaum announced her top priorities for 2010 at a speech before the International Consumer Product Health & Safety Organization. After accounting the CPSC’s 2009 accomplishments, which included holding toy manufacturers and retailers responsible for violations of the new lead paint restrictions, the Chairman outlined her priorities as follows:

  • Completing pending Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) rulemakings on:
    • defining what a “children’s product” is under CPSIA;
    • establishing rules for what qualifies as “reasonable testing”;
    • and promulgating more o the mandatory infant/toddler product safety rules.
  • Conduct multipronged “Safe Sleep” initiative for babies and toddlers by:
    • Mandating new performance standards for cribs, possibly beyond what the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is prepared to approve.
  • Continue developing a product incident database that will:
    • be available to the public saferproducts.gov;
    • create a new Consumer Product Safety Risk Management System that will improve agency efficiencies and take in more data.
  • Open a new product testing facility with modern equipment.
  • Implementing an expansive information and education campaign tied to the Pool and Spa Safety Act.
  • Carrying out a minority outreach campaign.
  • Conducting an operational review and creating a new five-year strategic plan.

Beyond her 2010 priorities, the Chairman stated that the CPSC will continue to examine the feasibility of component testing for CPSIA and other children’s product requirements and other cost saving options for small businesses. She also chided industry for “fighting old battles” on the extent of the public product incident database, which will be active by this time next year.