Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Jan. 21 the following voluntary recalls of imported products:

Government officials and industry representatives from the U.S. and Canada recently created a “steering committee” to work toward alignment of toy safety standards in the two countries, said the Toy Industry Association in a Jan. 19 press release (here). Officials from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Health Canada, the Toy Industry Association, the Canadian Toy Association, and the standard-setting body ASTM International met in Ottawa on Jan. 7 to discuss the possibility of a unified standard and appoint the committee, said the release. The committee will first look at similarities between ASTM F963, which was adopted as a mandatory standard by CPSC in 2008, and Canada’s Toys Regulations. Its initial focus will be on coming to agreement on the scope of a unified toy standard, as well as a “path forward that will be suitable to both countries,” said the Toy Industry Association.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is adopting a mandatory standard for sulfur content in drywall, and will require general certificates of compliance for all drywall imports, it said in a notice (here). The agency is adopting sulfur content requirements in the voluntary standard ASTM C1396-14a, “Standard Specification for Gypsum Board,” as a product safety rule. As a result, Part 1110 certificate requirements will apply to imported drywall. The new mandatory standard and import certification requirements take effect for all drywall manufactured or imported on or after July 22.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is beginning a rulemaking process that could result in a mandatory safety standard for corded window coverings, inviting comments by March 17 on safety risks and regulatory options (here). The agency says cords on blinds, shades and curtains present a strangulation hazard, and young children are particularly susceptible. CPSC is asking for comments on the risk of injury associated with corded window coverings, the costs of compliance with certain regulatory options, and other ways to address safety risks. It also seeks existing standards or statements of intent to modify or develop a voluntary standard to address the risk of injury from corded window coverings.

Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Jan. 14 the following voluntary recalls of imported products:

Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Jan. 13 the following voluntary recalls of imported products:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Alibaba are collaborating on voluntary consumer safety, CPSC said in a news release (here). China’s online and mobile commerce company will block the sales of illegal or recalled U.S. products or make them unavailable to U.S. buyers on Alibaba platforms, it said. The company will also provide product safety information for U.S. importers on its platforms.

Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Jan. 8 the following voluntary recalls of imported products:

Fiskars has agreed to pay $2.6 million and institute a compliance program to settle charges that it failed to timely notify the Consumer Product Safety Commission of an injury risk from one of its products that eventually resulted in a recall, said CPSC in a Jan. 5 press release (here). The Gator Combo Axe, imported from Taiwan and sold under Fiskars’ Gerber Legendary Blades brand, included a built-in knife that dislodged while using the axe to hammer or chop, resulting in a serious laceration hazard for consumers, said the release. Fiskars began receiving complaints about the problem in 2005, but failed to notify CPSC until 2010, said CPSC.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission will consider a change to the agency's regulations to prohibit children's toys and child care articles that contain four phthalates not currently subject to restrictions, the agency said in a proposed rulemaking (here). Those phthalates are Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP), Di-n-pentyl Phthalate (DPENP), Di-n-hexyl Phthalate (DHEXP) and Dicyclohexyl Phthalate (DCHP). The agency also proposed relaxing the interim prohibitions on Diisodecyl Phthalate (DIDP) and Di-n-octyl Phthalate (DNOP), while expanding the prohibition on Diisononyl Phthalate (DINP).