Legal News

Today, new rules aimed at improving the safety of children's products  will take effect.

The rules are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) insists that the rules will be vigorously enforced and will allow better tracking of lead in recalled products.

Specifically the new rules do the following:

• Limit lead content in kids' products. Currently the limit is 600 parts per million (ppm). As of August 14, that drops to 300 ppm. It will now be illegal to import, manufacture or sell any goods accessible to children (except electronics)containing over 300 ppm lead.
• Limit lead in paint even further. In paint and other similar surface coatings, the lead limit goes from 600 ppm to 90 ppm. This applies to children's goods as well as certain furniture goods as well.
• Increase penalties greatly. Civil penalties will increase from a maximum $8,000 per violation to maximum $100,000 per violation. A relates series of related violations currently draws a maximum fine of $1.825 million. That goes up to $15 million on August 14.
• Require new tracking labels. Goods for children 12 and younger, and the goods' packaging (to the extent possible) will need to have tracking labels that specify the manufacturer or private labeler, location, the date of manufacture, and more detailed information on the manufacturing process such as a batch or run number.
• Require warnings of choking hazards in catalog ads. Advertisement for toys and games intended for children 3 to 6 must include a warning of any choking hazard. A grace period for doing this in catalogs has now expired, and it is required of all advertisements.

• Product Tracking Label FAQ (CPSC)
• Infant/Child Product Recalls (not including toys) (CPSC)
  
• US seeks China office to ensure export safety (AP)
• Injuries from Defective Products (provided by Monsees, Miller, Mayer, Presley & Amick)
• Personal Injury Overview (provided by Sigmon, Clark, Mackie, Hutton, Hanvey & Ferrell, PA)