Manufacturers of children’s products are going to have even more time to prove their products don’t contain dangerous amounts of lead. That means parents will have to wait for proof that the products they buy their children are safe.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted 4-1 on January 31, 2011 to extend the stay of enforcement for testing and certification of lead content in children’s products (except for metal components of children’s metal jewelry) until December 31, 2011. Originally products would have been required to have that certification by February 2009, two years ago.
It’s amazing to think that this entire issue has been going on since 2004 when I first reported finding dangerous levels of lead in children’s jewelry. Since that time millions of children’s products have been recalled because they contain dangerous levels of lead. And a Minnesota boy died after swallowing a kid bracelet which contained dangerous amounts of lead.
Commissioner Robert Adler was the only one to vote against another extension.
“As we approach the third year of the passage of this landmark consumer safety law, I note that consumers still do not have the assurance that the children's products they buy have been reasonably tested, or tested at all, to determine if they meet the federal lead standards required in the CPSIA. I fear that a number of companies will mistake our extending the stay on enforcement and certification as a de facto extended stay of the lead standard itself,” he said.
The chairman of the CPSC said she reluctantly voted to extend the time allowed to get third party certification for a final time.
“While the Commission has decided to provide additional time for manufacturers and importers of children’s products to take steps to document proof of compliance through third-party testing and certification, I expect the agency to continue to enforce, regardless of the size of the manufacturer, all standards and bans applicable to children’s products,” said Inez Tenebaum.
Over the years many manufacturers have argued about the cost involved in these tests.
I'm surprised it has taken this long for the government to take action. As a soon to be parent, I’d like to know that the products I buy my child won’t have dangerous amounts of lead. This is especially concerning for parents of small children who are at greater risk of lead poisoning because their brains are still developing and because they tend to put everything in their mouth.
I’m curious what you think about this move. Are you surprised that products are not yet required to meet these new stricter standards for lead? Share your thoughts below.
