Product saftey

U.S. Senate backs product safety overhaul

In this past year alone, more than 20 million toys have been recalled because they pose hazards to children. The CPSC, which is responsible for overseeing the safety of more than 15,000 consumer goods, employs fewer than 425 full-time staff, relies on antiquated testing facilities and employs just one full-time toy tester.There is a vote going on in the senate,the vote could mean a major boost in funding for the product safety commission and harsher penalties for companies that make hazardous products. A less expansive House bill, which had industry supportThe 79-13 vote could lead to a major expansion of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and stiffer penalties for companies that manufacture or distribute hazardous products.And it may mean broad new public access to information about potentially dangerous products before they are recalled. Manufacturers and retailers last year recalled more than 400 products, including millions of Chinese-made toys that contained lead paint, dangerous magnets or other hazards.The recalls sparked an intense effort on Capitol Hill to strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which has long had fewer investigative and enforcement tools than other federal regulatory agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.The bill authorizes a phased $60-million increase in funding for the agency to boost its budget to $142 million by 2015, which, adjusted for inflation, would put the agency close to where it was in its heyday in the late 1970s.The Senate bill would also create an Internet database where consumers could post and search for complaints about potentially dangerous products. When senate passes this bill on product saftey , they will be saving so many lives of childern and the general public . I do believe that there will be some holes in the system , some products may fall threw the cracks , but when they do the produce will get a harsher punishment.