Consumer Product Safety
Commission
Prepared by Debbie Ditterline
Oism470w, Section 1
Agenda
What is the consumer product safety commission
(CPSC)?
 What does the CPSC do?
 Statistics
 A real world example
 A short exercise
 Summary
 Bibliography

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
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
What Is a Regulation?
 Regulations are specific standards or
instructions concerning what can or
cannot be done by individuals, businesses,
and other organizations
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
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
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
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
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?)
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
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
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
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.
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
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?
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?
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
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.