March 18, 2010

Citing significant improvements in product safety, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum said that 2010 is shaping up to be the "Year of the Consumer."

Tenenbaum made the comments in a recent speech to the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization, where she noted the CPSC's accomplishments, including a 75% decline of toy recalls, the opening of the CPSC's first foreign office in Beijing, China, and a 2010 budget that has doubled from four years ago. 

In detailing priorities for 2010, Tenenbaum focused on the SAFE SLEEP initiative for babies and toddlers. CPSC plans to propose a final rule mandating new performance standards for cribs, with or without the involvement of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA).  Tenenbaum concluded by warning manufacturers of toys, cribs, and other children's products that her agency will aggressively enforce safety standards and act swiftly to recall any defective products, stating that the Commission "has new powers, and we are not afraid to use them."