Longtime CPSC Compliance Chief Schmeltzer Dies at 90

David Schmeltzer, 90, died January 22 following a stroke. For the past two decades, he was best known as a product safety consultant and influence at ICPHSO events.

Before that, beginning in 1973 (PSL, 10/1/73), he was with CPSC for nearly a quarter century until the end of 1997. Detailed to the Compliance office from the General Counsel's office soon after starting at CPSC (PSL, 2/25/74), he was instrumental in the development and early approach of CPSC compliance activity. Indeed, he led the Compliance office for most of his career at the agency.

A tribute (bit.ly/2Mc4khQ) posted on the ICPHOS webpage included a promised "celebration of Dave's life after the pandemic ends." Schmeltzer, incidentally, survived a bout with COVID-19 during the first wave in early 2020.

About his CPSC service, the ICPHSO tribute included:

"As Director of Compliance at the CPSC he supervised the enforcement of all the Commission's regulations, monitored investigations of potentially dangerous defective products, negotiated voluntary corrective actions to address substantial hazards, reviewed the adequacy of voluntary and mandatory consumer recalls and assessed civil penalties for violations of the Commission's laws and regulations. Dave directed a staff of over 50 that included attorneys and compliance officers. As Director, Dave believed in transparency and working with parties to obtain the desired effect to improve product safety. As a result, he worked with various industry members, trade associations, other regulators both domestically and globally, NGO's, and the families of victims of product safety incidents to facilitate significant product safety advances during his tenure as Director of the Office of Compliance." David also initiated cooperative training programs in China and Europe to reach actual consumer product manufacturers in an effort to design safety into the products being exported into the USA.