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Prior Guidance On Safety
Programs
Shortly after it was created in the
1970s, the CPSC published the
Handbook for Manufacturing Safer
Consumer Products
. The most recent edi-
tion of the handbook came out in 2006
and discusses product safety policies,
organization and training as well as all
aspects of design, manufacturing, quality,
corrective actions, etc. In other words, it
discusses safety procedures that the com-
mission believes are appropriate for any
company making consumer products.
At the beginning of the handbook,
manufacturers are encouraged to adopt
“a comprehensive systems approach to
product safety, which includes every step
from the creation of a product design to
the ultimate use of the product by the
consumer.”
In addition, the CPSC’s
Recall
Handbook
, in existence for many years but
most recently updated in March 2012,
has had sections on the appointment of a
recall coordinator, development of a com-
pany recall policy and plan, and extensive
PRODUCT SAFETY
INCE ITS INCEPTION,
the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has
encouraged companies to implement active product safety management programs. Since
2010, however, the CPSC has made this a bit more official. This article will examine the
CPSC’s previous guidance on safety programs, describe the new requirements and proposed rules
and discuss what they might mean.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
WHY THE CPSC MANDATES ENHANCED SAFETY PROGRAMS
BY KENNETH ROSS
S
MAY 2015 •
PPB
• 61
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