What is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)? U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Reviews

Basic Introduction

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is a U.S. federal government agency whose main responsibilities are to establish standards and regulations for the safety of consumer products and to supervise their implementation.

The CPSC seeks to promote the safety of consumer products by addressing "unreasonable risk" of injury (through coordinated recalls, evaluating products that are the subject of consumer complaints or industry reports, etc.); setting uniform safety standards (some mandatory, some voluntary); and conducting research on product-related illnesses and injuries. In part because of its small size, the CPSC attempts to coordinate with outside groups -- including companies and consumer advocates -- to leverage resources and expertise to achieve outcomes that promote consumer safety.

The agency was established by the Consumer Product Safety Act of 1972 and reports to Congress and the President; it is not part of any other department or agency of the federal government. The safety commission has five commissioners who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for seven-year terms. Historically, the commission has usually been governed by three or fewer commissioners. However, since 2009, the agency has generally been led by five commissioners, one of whom serves as chair. The commissioners set policy for the CPSC. The CPSC is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Scope of supervision

The committee manages more than 1,500 products, mainly household appliances, children's toys, fireworks and other consumer products for home, sports, entertainment and school. However, vehicles, tires, ships, weapons, alcohol, tobacco, food, medicines, cosmetics, pesticides and medical devices are not within its jurisdiction.

Taking children's toys as an example, the inspection items include: flame retardancy, disassembly, etc., to assess the existing or potential dangers and hazards of children's toys to prevent children from being injured. This inspection is not to embarrass the company, but to be responsible to consumers; it does not inspect the production quality of the company, but to inspect the safety of the product during use.

The standards and regulations formulated by the committee are very detailed. For example, the safe use of refrigerators takes into account whether children can be safely pulled out if they climb into them; the safe use of lighters takes into account whether children under 5 years old can be lit and whether they can burn children, etc. Safety issues such as motor vehicles and products for the disabled are not within its management scope and are handled by other specialized agencies.

Commission rules are a way to collect product safety data, warn customers of product dangers, and reduce hazards. Commission rules are used to deal with electronic vibrations, fires, and other safety hazards. Commission rules also apply to products that are involved in lawsuits and fail to implement safety guidelines, causing injuries or deaths. Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers must make written reports on unsafe products that are detected, and only products that have obtained safety marks are allowed to enter the market.

Management tools

CPSC management methods are mainly:

a) Fines

b) Television media exposure

c) If necessary, recall the defective products

d) Through legal procedures