July 2021

On 8 June 2021, the Oregon Governor signed into law an amendment of the Oregon Revised Statute, ORS 646A.504, to prohibit the sale and use of crib bumpers in the state. This revision came immediately into effect on 8 June 2021.

Crib bumper pad means a pad, other than a mesh liner that rests directly above the mattress in a crib, or that runs along the surface area or any of the interior sides of the crib.

Key changes to statute:

1. Prohibits crib bumper pads to be sold individually as well as those included with cribs.

2. Prohibits manufacturing, retrofitting, selling, leasing, subletting or otherwise placing into the stream of commerce any crib bumper pads or crib equipped with crib bumper pads.

3. A crib bumper is allowed to be used when a medical professional has determined that using a crib bumper pad is medically necessary for a particular infant that uses a crib on the premises of the commercial user or place of public accommodation.

The EPA proposed on 10 June 2021, reporting and recordkeeping requirements for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Public comment will be accepted until 27 August 2021.

This proposed rule requires persons that manufacture (including import) or have manufactured PFAS in any year since 1 January 2011, to electronically report information regarding PFAS uses, production volumes, disposal, exposures, and hazards.

This will also enable the EPA to better characterize the sources and quantities of manufactured PFAS in the US, and reduce the potential risks caused.

On 23 June 2021, The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a final rule to amend its Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads (16 CFR Part 1632). The final rule amends the mattress standard to require a revised Standard Reference Material cigarette, SRM 1196a. The rule will become effective on 23 July 2021.

The ignition source cigarette specified in the standard for use in the mattress standard’s performance test, Standard Reference Material Cigarette SRM 1196, is no longer available for purchase. This final rule amends the mattress standard to require a revised Standard Reference Material cigarette, SRM 1196a, which was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), as the ignition source for testing to the mattress standard.

In the US, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recent Recalls on the CPSC website, which is updated daily. The US recalls from 01 June 2021 to 30 June 2021 are summarized below:

For a complete list click here

In Canada, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Recalls and Safety Alerts Database on the Health Canada website, which is updated daily. The Canada recalls from 01 June 2021 to 30 June 2021 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Physical Hazard, Aspiration Hazard, Health Risk Hazard, Safety Risk Hazard, Crash Hazard and Extraneous Material Hazard with a frequency of less than 2.

*Other Categories include Sporting Goods / Equipment, Pet Food, Household Items, Cannabis, Electrical Appliances and Footwear with a frequency of less than 2.

For a complete list click here

On 8 July 2021, the SVHC candidate list was updated from 211 to 219 chemicals. Companies must follow their legal obligations such as “Communication in the supply chain” and “Notification” and ensure the safe use of these chemicals. Since early 2021, companies supplying articles containing SVHCs on the Candidate List in a concentration above 0.1% weight by weight (w/w) on the EU market have had to submit information on these articles to the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Substances of Concern In articles as such or in complex objects (Products) (SCIP) database.

The newly added substances could have various applications in consumer products including cosmetics, rubber, textiles, and so on. They are added to the candidate list because they are hazardous to human health as they are toxic for reproduction, carcinogenic, respiratory sensitizers, or endocrine disruptors.

The below table summarizes the details of the newly added substances.

On 2 July 2021, Austria and Denmark submitted the intention to propose two new substances to be identified as a substances of very high concern (SVHC); an SVHC dossier is expected to be submitted to European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on 5 August 2021.

The below table summarizes the details of the two new intention substances.

On 30 June 2021, the European Commission issued a proposal introducing amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 and repealing Council Directive 87/357/EEC and Directive 2001/95/EC.

The European Commission is reinforcing its safety net for European Union (EU) consumers by making sure that dangerous products are recalled from the market or that credit offers are presented to consumers in a clear way, easily readable on digital devices.Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 concerns standardization in the European Union. Council Directive 87/357/EEC regulates products which, appearing to be other than they are, endanger the health or safety of consumers. Directive 2001/95/EC – also known as the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) – ensures that only safe products are sold on the EU single market.This draft is aimed at replacing the GPSD and it is in line with the 2020 New Consumer Agenda. It aims to update the existing rules to address challenges linked to new technologies and online sales. It also aims to ensure that the EU’s product safety regime provides greater consistency between harmonized and non-harmonized products, in line with the provisions set out by Regulation (EU) 2019/1020.

On 30 April 2021, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) sponsored UK National Standards Body (BSI) to publish a new button and coin batteries safety standard, PAS 7055:2021.

The new Publicly Available Specification (PAS) standard PAS 7055:2021, Button and coin batteries – Safety requirements – Specification, is aligned with the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR), which requires that new and used consumer products placed on the market are safe.

This PAS specifies safety requirements for button and coin batteries up to 32mm in diameter to mitigate the risk of ingestion and product safety requirements (Annex A) for batteries present in toys, electrical accessories, and medical devices. It also defines the safety requirements for manufacturers and producers of button and coin batteries, including the consumer products that use them, and the retailers and distributors of these products. The requirements cover labeling, instructions and packaging, alignment of safety and health warnings, merchandising, safe disposal, and product safety of typical consumer products using button and coin batteries.

In Europe, when hazards are identified in Non-food Consumer Products, the Products will be recalled and published in the Safety Gate system, which is updated weekly. The European recalls from 01 June 2021 to 30 June 2021 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Drowning Hazard, Microbial Hazard, Damage to Sight, Cut Hazard, Entrapment Hazard and Suffocation Hazard with a frequency of less than 9.

*Other Categories include Home Electrical Appliances, Furniture, Computer / Audio / Video / Other Electronics & Accessories, Stationary and Food Contact Material with a frequency of less than 7.

*Other Countries include Belgium, Iceland, Estonia, Malta, Czechia, The Netherlands, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Ireland, Austria and Slovakia with a frequency of less than 9.

For a complete list click here

In China, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published and this information is updated daily. The China recalls from 01 June 2021 to 30 June 2021 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Swallowing Risk, Suffocation Hazard, Cut Hazard, Safety Risk Hazard and Fall Hazard with a frequency of less than 3.

*Other Categories include Stationary, Toys and Childcare Products, Tools and Hardware, Household Items, Traveling Items and Footwear with a frequency of less than 4.

*Other Provinces include Henan, Jilin, Guangdong, Hunan and Shanghai with a frequency of less than 3.

For a complete list click here

In Australia, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Recalls and Safety Alerts Database on the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission website, which is updated daily. The Australia recalls from 01 June 2021 to 30 June 2021 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Overheat Hazard, Electric Shock Hazard, Strangulation Hazard, Entrapment Hazard and Burn Hazard with a frequency of less than 2.

For a complete list click here