President’s Letter - November 2009
Turning the Corner on Toy Safety Concerns?
I was privileged to accompany CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum on a U.S.
government and stakeholder delegation to the 3rd Biennial Consumer
Product Safety Summit with the Chinese safety authority (AQSIQ) in
Beijing in late October.
Toy safety was not the focus in Beijing, as it was at the 2007 Summit
held in Washington, DC. The focus of the 2009 Summit was ATV (all
terrain vehicles) safety and the larger theme of implementing best
practices in design and manufacturing. In her remarks at the press
conference at the conclusion of the Summit, Chairman Tenenbaum referred
to toy safety only briefly, saying:
“Our work with the Chinese government and Chinese
manufacturers also is bearing fruit in the area of toy safety. In
fiscal year 2008 there were more than 80 toy recalls, with nearly half
of those recalls related to lead violations. I am pleased to
report that in fiscal year 2009, there were about 40 toy recalls, with
only 15 lead violations. Our goal is to have no toy recalls and no
lead paint violations, but we are certainly moving in the right
direction.”
So we may be turning a corner and will see a decrease in the focus of
lawmakers and the media on toy safety. If this is true, it will be
because the toy industry has earned renewed confidence in the safety of
our products through intense testing and attention to meeting the
standards. But the price for maintaining this renewed confidence
will be continued, systematic assurances of conformance with the
standards.
The Beijing Summit between the U.S. and China took cooperative
efforts between our two governments to a new level by pursuing
improvements in supply and distribution chains to enhance product
safety. Chairman Tenenbaum said:
The best way to protect families is to build safety into products
during design and manufacturing. If you can do that here in China,
before they reach ports or stores shelves in the United States, we will
have accomplished a great deal. **** We now expect companies to
implement proven best practices, such as factoring misuse into design,
strict controls on components and other inputs, and enough sampling and
testing to ensure that all of the product coming off the line is safe
for consumers. **** CPSC and AQSIQ will push companies to build safety
into the product at every stage of the production and the distribution
chain. Suppliers and importers need to understand that this is now our
expectation.
The industry-wide Toy Safety Certification Program (TSCP) launched
October 1, provides a low-cost and convenient mechanism for toy
companies to assure the Agency that they are meeting these
expectations. TSCP has become a safety centerpiece for the toy
industry. It provides independent verification that products have
been designed, manufactured and tested to assure they meet the
standards. Companies can log on to learn how to use the program at
www.toycertification.org.
“Eternal Vigilance”
It is not too much of a reach to say that the assertion attributed to
Thomas Jefferson that “The price of liberty is eternal
vigilance” applies to the toy industry today:
- An event was held at the MI State Capitol to test for “toxic
chemicals” in Halloween costumes and toys.
- In Colorado, notice was received about a draft bill that would ban
many classes of chemicals in children’s products and
cosmetics.
- In New York there is pending BPA legislation with the specific
inclusion of toys in the scope of the bill.
- In Wisconsin, legislation was signed by the Governor which requires
manufacturers of certain electronic devices to be responsible for
collection and recycling.
Though our primary focus continues to be at the federal and state
level, we are seeing pending legislation extend all the way to the
county level.
TIA has weighed in on behalf of the toy industry on all these issues
and more. Without a continuous presence in state capitols and
Washington, DC, the toy industry is vulnerable to additional mischievous
legislative proposals claiming to protect children. Persistent
effort to educate legislators and regulators about safety issues is the
best and least cost insurance against unwarranted measures becoming
law.
New TIA Members in 2009
I am very pleased to report that we have gained 96 new TIA members
during 2009. 75 of the new members are toy companies and 21 are
associate members. We heartily welcome these new companies and
organizations into TIA. Their support, added to the steadfast
support of all our existing members, provides the resources we need to
continue to effectively represent the industry.
That’s it for now. Best wishes for a great holiday season
for toys!
Carter
|
