Product Safety

Consumer Federation of America Supports Consumer Product Safety Commission Against Unwarranted Attacks

By: Courtney Griffin, Director of Consumer Product Safety

 |  Blog Post

Attacks from regulated industries and some lawmakers are threatening the important work of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  The attacks against the CPSC are consistent with other efforts to weaken the federal agencies that protect consumers and workers.  CFA, with its long history of fighting for consumer protections, supports the CPSC and its critical safety mission.

Established in 1972, the CPSC’s sole mission is to “save lives and keep families safe by reducing the unreasonable risk of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products.”  So, while the CPCS is a small agency, its jurisdiction includes 15,000 types of consumer products.  To accomplish its critical work, CPSC issues and enforces mandatory standards, bans dangerous products for which no feasible standard is possible, obtains recalls of dangerous products, researches product hazards, develops voluntary standards with other groups including businesses, and educates consumers.

The CPSC’s work is important to the safety of all consumers and, in the five decades since its creation, the CPSC has reduced death and injuries from many products.  However, its focus on children’s safety is one of the most significant features of the CPSC’s work.  For example, from 1973 to 2019, crib fatalities decreased by nearly 80%, in part because of the CPSC’s important work.  The CPSC’s mandatory safety standard for cribs went into effect in 2011.  Similarly, from 1972 to 2020, pediatric poisoning for all children decreased 80% and for children under 5, decreased 83%.  This year the CPSC finalized a rule for clothing storage units (CSUs) that will protect children from tip-over-related deaths and injuries. From January 2000 through April 2022, CPSC was aware of 234 total fatalities resulting from CSUs, including 199 child fatalities.

The CPSC has also been active in announcing the recalls of dangerous products.  For example, in January 2023 the CPSC reannounced Fisher-Price’s recall of 4.7 million Rock n’ Play sleepers because the product has been linked to approximately 100 infant deaths.  In June 2023, the CPSC reissued a statement urging consumers to stop using certain recalled Boppy newborn loungers that have been linked to multiple infant deaths.  The Commission has continued to seek information from Meta about the issue of dangerous recalled consumer products, such as the Rock n’ Play sleeper and Boppy newborn lounger, sold on Facebook Marketplace.

CFA strongly believes that consumers deserve a marketplace that is just and transparent. To this end, the CPSC’s work is critical to the health and safety of American consumers.  CFA supports the CPSC’s vital mission and its important work against efforts to undermine its authority.  To support the CPSC in its mission to protect consumers from dangerous products, individuals and organizations should:

The attacks on the CPSC reflect the broader goal of regulated industries and some lawmakers to undermine the authority of federal agencies whose mission it is to protect consumers. As CFA continues to advocate for a marketplace that is just and transparent, trust that we will continue to defend this critical consumer protection agency.