Consumer Product Safety Commission Improvement Act Postponed One Year

josh hunter

• February 02 2009
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Many action sports industry manufacturers can breathe a sigh of relief.

On January 31, the Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously to postpone a new federal law requiring products made for children twelve or under to be tested for lead content. The law was to go into effect on February 10, but due to confusion caused by hundreds of manufacturers struggling to comply with the new regulations and an unprecedented number of applications for exemption filed with C.P.S.C., manufacturers were granted a year-long grace period.

Last year, due to a recall of more than 45 million toys imported from China containing high levels of lead, legislators voted in favor of HR4040, which was signed into law on August 14. The law sets the limit for lead in children’s products at 600 parts per million.

Tim Piumarta director of research and new product development at NHS explained how the law has already affected the Santa Cruz Skateboard’s business to the Santa Cruz Sentinel :

“This untenable legislation, as it was written by non-scientists in Congress, threw the entire global product supply channel into mass confusion. No one wants lead in our products, but this is the law of unintended consequences … All the testing labs are choked with work. We’re not sure the testing protocols we’re using are correct.”

NHS owner Richard Novak told The Sentinel that he laid off 17 employees last Wednesday due to decreasing sales and the uncertainty about whether skateboards must comply with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

Other action sports industry manufacturers have report struggling to implement the proper product testing procedures by the original feb. 10 deadline as well. Stay tuned to Transworld Business for updates on how the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will affect your business.