In light of the numerous recalls of children’s products and toys that have been pulled off the market and upset parents around the country, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is launching a new program that will help educate both domestic and overseas manufacturers as well as companies that import or distribute children’s good. The educational program will help spread the world about new safety requirements that are quite extensive and carry stiff penalties for those who do not adhere. These actions come after too many chiildren’s toys and other products were recognized to be a safety hazard long after they were sold to the public. The increase in child-related incidents, injuries, illnesses, and death because of previous non-compliance will hopefully be dramatically impacted by the new changes, most of which are effective on August 14, 2009.

Some of the new rules taking effect include:

• It is now illegal for anyone to manufacture, sell, or import children’s products that contain any more than 300 parts per million of lead in any part or material of the item. The old standard was 600 ppm. Consumer paints and surface-coating has also dropped from 600 ppm to 90 ppm, some of the strictest limits in the world.
• Manufacturers are required to place tracking labels on any children’s product aimed at kids aged 12 and under in order to ensure additional protection should there be an issue.
• Any advertisement for specific toys and games for children between the ages of three to six must contain warnings about the potential choking hazards for kids under the age of three. These advertisements include television, radio and print advertisements. This rule was created especially due to the online market, where consumers can not physically view a product as they can in a retail setting.
• Violations of the rules will result in some heavy fines that can reach upwards of $100,000 per violation up to a maximum of $15 million for series of such violations. The Consumer Product Safety Commission believes that the increased fines will send a strong message to those who did not take past warnings seriously and opted instead to pay the fines while continuing to distribute and sell unsafe products to the nation’s consumers.

The measures are not only put in place to increase the safety and health of families and children but to also improve the wavering confidence of consumers who have been dealing with increased recalls as well as economic issues.

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