CPSC to Hold Workshop on Public Consumer Product Safety Incident Database
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a notice announcing a two day staff-conducted public workshop to receive views from all interested parties on establishing a public consumer product safety incident database.
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The workshop will be held on January 11 and 12, 2010 in Bethesda, Maryland.
CPSC Seeks Input from Stakeholders on 5 Aspects of the Public Database
CPSC is conducting the workshop in order to seek input from stakeholders on five aspects of the public database: data analysis and reporting; reports of harm; manufacturer notification and response; materially inaccurate information; and additional database content.
Data analysis and reporting. Under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), the CPSC must categorize information available in the public database in a manner consistent with the public interest and in a manner to facilitate easy use by consumers.
To the extent practicable, the database must be sortable and accessible by: (i) the date
on which the information is submitted for inclusion in the database; (ii) the name of the consumer product (or other product or substance regulated by CPSC); (iii) the model name; (iv) the manufacturer's or private labeler's name; and (v) such other elements as CPSC considers in the public interest.
Reports of harm. The CPSA requires the public database to include reports of harm received by CPSC from: (i) consumers; (ii) local, State, or Federal government agencies; (iii) health care professionals; (iv) child service providers; and (v) public safety entities. Reports of harm submitted for inclusion in the public database must include certain information - see notice for details.
Manufacturer notification and response. To the extent practicable, CPSC must transmit a report of harm to the manufacturer or private labeler identified in the report not later than five business days after receiving a report that meets all of the minimum qualifications for inclusion in the public database set forth in the CPSA.
A manufacturer or private labeler may comment on the information contained in such report, and may request the comment to be included in the public database. Unless CPSC determines the comment to be materially inaccurate, CPSC must include the comment in the public database at the same time as the report of harm or as soon as practicable thereafter. Moreover, a manufacturer or private labeler may review a report of harm for confidential information and request that portions of the report be designated confidential. If CPSC determines that the report does contain trade secret, commercial or confidential information as set forth in the statute, CPSC must redact such information in the report before it is placed in the database.
Materially inaccurate information. If CPSC determines that a report of harm or manufacturer comment contains materially inaccurate information before it is made available in the public database, the CPSC must: (i) decline to add the materially inaccurate information; (ii) correct the materially inaccurate information; or (iii) add information to correct the materially inaccurate information.
For information already available in the public database, if, after investigation, CPSC determines that such information is materially inaccurate or duplicative, CPSC must, within seven business days of such determination: (i) remove such information from the public database; (ii) correct such information; or (iii) add information to correct inaccurate information in the public database. Database users must be provided with clear and conspicuous notice that CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the database contents.
Additional database content. CPSC seeks a discussion and comments on what additional information, other than reports of harm, manufacturer comments, and information derived from mandatory and voluntary recall notices, CPSC should include in the public database.
Workshop Registration Open
Registration for the public workshop is open. A registration form can be filled out on CPSC's website: http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/dbworkshop.aspx.
Live Webcast Available
There will also be a live webcast of the event for which no registration is necessary.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 12/21/99 news, 09122199 3, for previous BP summary announcing that registration for this workshop was open.
See ITT's Online Archives or 11/12/09 news, 09111210, for BP summary of CPSC hearing industry concerns about the database.)
CPSC contact - Ming Zhu (301) 504-7517 or mzhu@cpsc.gov
CPSC notice (FR Pub 12/22/09) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-30376.pdf