Tenenbaum Reflects on 2012 and Looks Ahead to 2012

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum November 14 told a group of manufacturers, lawyers and association/industry representatives about some of CPSC’s recent accomplishments and soon-to-be-activated rules, then offering her audience a glimpse into CPSC’s planned efforts in 2013. She was speaking to the CPSC Coalition of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

She analogized recent recognition by Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) of the 2010 health care law as “the law of the land” to the need for CPSC and NAM to treat CPISA in the same manner and to work together to improve public safety. In reviewing recent CPSC activity, she touted the successes of joint safety campaigns, her staff’s work on the 2011 CPSIA amendments requiring CPSC to look for ways to reduce the financial burdens of third party testing, efforts to protect consumers from the dangers of high powered magnets, increased usage of social media for disseminating public safety information, upgrades to recall press release guidelines and improvements to the CPSIA database (saferproducts.gov).

She also reminded the group that the CPISA required the agency to review two durable infant nursery products every six months and that recent efforts include bedside sleepers and handheld carriers, as well as the new crib rules (requiring facilities with public accommodations to have compliant cribs) which take effect December 28 and which have resulted in the sales of two million new cribs to date.

Additionally, Tenenbaum addressed the potential budget reductions due to the “financial cliff,” stating that the agency has been very careful in allocating funds and does not foresee a reduction in staff. She explained, “We can continue at much the same rate.” Attendees then got a glimpse into three major areas of focus as well as products on which CPSC likely would focus its attention on in 2013:

Port Surveillance: She touted the high cooperation between CPSC and Customs in stopping violative products. She expressed hope that Congress will fund increased use of the RAM (the pilot risk assessment methodology).

Saferproducts.gov: She acknowledged a recent court order regarding an entry in the database, but reiterated that the decision (PSL, 10/29/12, p. 1) would not affect CPSC’s statutory mandate and that the agency would continue to use the database to provide the public with accurate information. She also called on NAM to help communicate the benefits of the business portal portion of the website.

Rulemaking: In an effort to continue CPSC as the “global leader” in consumer protection, she said she will keep asking staff to think about rulemakings in terms of prevention.

In describing specific products on the 2013 agenda, she reiterated the requirements of the CPISA. She also shared that staff has recently worked on cribs, handheld carriers, bedside sleepers, play yards, toddler beds and walkers and that they were continuing work on bassinets and strollers.

In light of more than a dozen deaths due to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the days following Hurricane Sandy, she discussed the potential of new technology – developed jointly by CPSC staff and the University of Alabama (PSL, 9/24/12, p. 1) – that could significantly reduce CO emission from portable gasoline generators.

Pointing to more than 170 deaths over the past nine years involving ROVs, she shared that as there were no emerging voluntary standard, staffers were working on a proposed rulemaking to address steering and occupancy. She also identified the potential of doing away with flame retardant chemicals used in upholstered furniture, a rulemaking regarding table saw safety, and a review of gel fuels and fuel pots as likely key issues in 2013.