Best Practices for Complying with Consumer Products Safety Commission Regulations

Erik Swanholt is a partner and co-chair of Foley’s Consumer Products Team in Los Angeles. He works with manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to help clients navigate the complicated rules and regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC protects the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death by issuing and enforcing mandatory standards, requiring recalls of certain products and issuing civil penalties to companies that fail to comply with their duties. In this video, Erik talks about important strategies to stay CPSC compliant.

Key Takeaways

• Foley helps clients navigate the complicated rules and regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission or “CPSC.” 
• The CPSC is the primary federal government regulator of consumer products in the U.S. and they focus on product safety.
• The CPSC’s stated purpose is to protect the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or deaths from the thousands of consumer products under its jurisdiction
• Companies that manufacture, distribute or sell consumer products in the U.S. must comply with CPSC regulations and laws.
• The CPSC protects the public in a number of ways including by issuing and enforcing mandatory standards, requiring recalls of certain products, and issuing civil penalties to companies that fail to comply with their duties under the CPSC.
• Failure to comply can lead to recalls and civil penalties as well as potential follow-on litigation.
• Keys to CPSC compliance include (1) development of a plan to ensure your company manufactures, distributes and/or sells products that meet applicable safety standards and (2) having a plan to respond to reports from the field of consumer injuries from use of your products.