2026 ICPHSO – Safety: Community-Collaboration-Commitment

The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) held its 33rd Annual Meeting and Training Symposium on February 23-26, 2026 in Orlando, Florida, themed "Safety: Community-Collaboration-Commitment." ICPHSO is an international, neutral forum for product safety stakeholders, hosting an annual US Symposium, an International Symposium, and regional North American training workshops.

Nearly 800 delegates – including regulators, manufacturers, retailers, testing labs, consumer organizations, law firms, standards bodies, and academia – attended. Chris Harvey (incoming ICPHSO President) was the Planning Chair, working alongside the 2026 Annual Symposium Planning Committee of volunteer ICPHSO members.

The first of two Global Regulator Sessions featured Health Canada, the UK's Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the European Commission, and a US state regulator from Wisconsin. Health Canada gave a pre-recorded address covering its red tape review, spending reductions, and upcoming regulatory changes including fragrance allergen disclosure for cosmetics, proposed toy regulation amendments, consultations on furniture tip-overs and button batteries, and a Notice of Intent on lithium-ion battery requirements. Health Canada also highlighted its Consumer Product Safety Pledge signed by three online marketplaces. The Wisconsin state regulator provided an update on state-level activities across multiple US states, including PFAS regulations, emerging chemical restrictions, battery regulations, and bills to watch. The UK OPSS outlined its evolving priorities, focusing on new product technologies, new types of harm (including psychological harm or harm caused by digital security breaches), and a new sectoral approach as a regulator. An upcoming consultation on reforming the UK framework under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act (PRAM) will include ideas to clarify responsibilities around digital distribution, explore new approaches to general product safety (such as using pre-market risk assessments more widely across all product types), and enhanced enforcement tools. The European Commission reported on plans to reinforce the EU's product compliance and market surveillance framework with upcoming proposals to revise the New Legislative Framework and Market Surveillance Regulation as part of the European Product Act (draft legislation expected Q3 2026), coordinated surveillance activities including product testing across EU member states, and capacity-building activities to help national authorities better understand mental health risks. The Commission plans to publish studies on safety and circularity and on e-vulnerabilities in 2026 and has supported an OECD study on new technology products that is expected to serve as a basis for further discussions. The European Commission is also supporting UNCTAD in developing a handbook and training materials to implement the UN resolution on consumer product safety.

The second Global Regulator Session featured national authorities from the OAS Consumer Safety and Health Network (CSHN), which brings together certain Latin American authorities responsible for market surveillance and consumer protection. Speakers from Inmetro (Brazil), Consumer Protection Agency of El Salvador, SERNAC (Chile), and INDECOPI (Peru) addressed common themes: regulating vast geographic areas with limited resources, unsafe products sold through e-commerce, and the importance of international cooperation. Brazil highlighted its use of mobile labs and digital labels. Peru described evolving industry relationships and new mandatory media publication of recalls. Chile reported on a new interpretative circular on recalls and online product safety efforts. El Salvador presented its 2024 product safety reforms including 48-hour notification requirements and fines up to USD 200,000. Speakers emphasized the need to address challenges such as supplier follow-through on recalls and market differentiation where manufacturers fail to meet the same safety standards in Latin America as elsewhere.

Three industry keynotes were delivered. Kevin Nolan, President & CEO of GE Appliances, emphasized that product safety inspires consumer confidence, competitors should never compete on safety, safety IP should be openly shared, and the industry must learn from each other as AI and product complexity grow. Bob Eckert, former Mattel CEO, drew on the 2007 lead paint recalls to outline a crisis management framework – plan, communicate, cooperate, fix, exit, and feed learnings back – emphasizing that trust is ultimately at stake. Hailey Mann, President of American Plastic Toys, shared her path from quality compliance to company president, encouraging curiosity, working outside comfort zones, and remembering that quality is everybody's job.

The first plenary, "Product Safety Eras Tour (1972-2007, 2008-2024, 2025-Beyond)," explored the history of US product safety pre- and post-Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), highlighting pivotal moments including the creation of the CPSC, the shift toward reliance on voluntary standards, impact of notable recalls, and passage of the CPSIA in 2008. Key takeaways included the importance of data-driven regulation, education alongside regulation, the ongoing challenge of non-compliant products entering through ports, and a call to return to basics – collaboration, data, testing and certification – while embracing new tools. Tallying recalls should not necessarily be the measure of CPSC success.

The second plenary, "Discussion and Analysis of Regulatory Environment," focused on recent CPSC changes. The panel's wish list included protecting the CPSC's independence, increasing its budget, improving data access, and ensuring regulatory actions remain grounded in data.

Two plenaries focused on recalls. "From Risk to Recall: A Practical Framework to Guide the 'Whether, When and How' of Reporting Decisions" focused on decision-making process reporting potential safety issues or recalling products under the US Consumer Product Safety Act, including internal coordination challenges, data sources, and value of tools such as the EU risk assessment methodology. Key takeaways: revisit prior risk assessments based on new information, consistently follow your processes, partner with cross-functional teams, don't await final risk assessments, consider when to engage outside experts, and periodically test your process. "From Crisis to Collaboration: Strengthening Recall Effectiveness Together" focused on Supplier/Manufacturer and Retailer partnerships for effective recalls, exploring five common recall myths and mechanisms to address these including the importance of upfront discussions and clarifying expectations in advance.

"Unpacking EPR: What Every Brand Needs to Know" broke down the evolving U.S. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) landscape, covering EPR requirements across seven states, baseline data collection, managing supplier data gaps, practical implementation steps, design impacts, enforcement risk, and where EPR is headed.

"The Unknown Knowns: What AI Finds Hiding in Plain Sight" explored how AI is being used by manufacturers, retailers, and regulators to gain better insights from data – Including AI-enabled computer vision on factory assembly lines, device telemetry analysis, multimodal analysis of warranty claims, customer support data and social media, and bespoke compliance-checking tools. The UK OPSS has focused on AI for efficiency gains such as making better use of data and interrogating academic literature on emerging chemical compounds. The panel emphasized maintaining a human in the loop, with AI augmenting – not replacing – expert judgment.

"Hidden Hazards, Overlooked Consumers: Closing the Safety Gap for Older Adults" focused on older adults as an increasingly vulnerable and under-recognized group in product safety – not a niche market or future problem, but a current global-scale issue. A major Australian project is underway to close data gaps.

"Empowered Consumers: Why Education Matters" covered the importance of plain language, simple and consistent messaging, and being intentional and concise with an audience. "From Tragedy to Transformation: Safeguarding Tomorrow's Shoppers" showed how real-world safety incidents can catalyze meaningful improvements, with personal stories serving as powerful consumer education tools. Collaboration enables the best possible education, engineering, and evidence to create systemic change. The session "A Conversation With…" brought together child safety advocates including Safe Kids Worldwide, Safe Infant Sleep, and consumer advocates in a fireside chat.

Over 20 breakouts covered topics including risk assessment harmonization, product information sharing, product liability and regulation interplay, US e-filing, chemical reporting, misinformation, IoT cybersecurity, green claims, right to repair, and digital accessibility, and more. An "Ask Us Anything" breakout moderated by Matt Howsare of Cooley let attendees take charge and ask the questions.

New features this year included Foundational Training Sessions on the first day covering the compliance landscape, best practices, and interactive case studies, as well as four interactive Roundtable Sessions on topics such as coordinating litigation and regulatory counsel, legacy chemicals and recall effectiveness. The last day featured a mock trial providing an engaging perspective on how a US product liability case can play out.

The 2026 Ross Koeser Achievement Award went to former ICPHSO Board Member and 2022 ICPHSO President Xiao Chen (Intertek) for her exceptional contributions to ICPHSO and its mission to protect consumer health and safety worldwide. The 2025 ASTM Katherine A Morgan Women in Standards Award was presented to Joan Lawrence (The Toy Association).

The ICPHSO 2026 North America Product Safety Training Workshop is taking place June 18, 2026 hosted by Lowe's Corporation in Mooresville, North Carolina. The ICPHSO 2026 International Symposium is taking place September 9-10, 2026 in Brussels, held in conjunction with the European Commission's International Product Safety Week September 7-10, 2026. Visit the ICPHSO website (icphso.org) for more information.

Dispatch from the EU is a monthly feature provided exclusively for PSL subscribers by Cooley LLP, www.cooley.com. For further information about the above, contact Rod Freeman at rfreeman@cooley.com.