July 2021 Regulatory Update

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.

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.

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.

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*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.

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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.

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

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.

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.

*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.

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

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*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.

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