KID's Furniture Report Has Lasting Impact

On September 22, CPSC staff briefed the commission on the CPSC Fiscal Year 2017 Operating Plan. When the topic of furniture safety arose, the comission cited the groundbreaking Furniture Stability  report released by KID and Shane's Foundation  in August. CPSC Chairman  Elliot Kaye noted that CPSC Staff is about to release a briefing on furniture safety standards "based on absolutely outstanding work by Underwriter Laboratories and Kids In Danger. They have already identified test methods, changes, and improvements that I think will make a huge difference." We're excited to see how the report will continue to impact furniture safety standards and prevent tip-over injuries and deaths. Click here  to view the CPSC briefing. Click here  to read the full Furniture Stability report.

October is Safe Sleep Month. In order to support infants and their caregivers during this time, KID compiled some tips on safe sleep environments. Creating a safe sleep environment for infants is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) and other unintentional injuries. More information on safe sleep and infant safety can be found at the NICHD's Safe to Sleep campaign home page. For more quick safety tips, check out this video created by one of our interns.

KID has helped in the planning of a workshop on October 13 in Washington, DC on Information and Education (I&E) Campaigns.  The morning sessions will review I&E campaigns on numerous injury topics and the afternoon will cover best practices.  Chairman Elliot Kaye of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission will give the keynote address and Commissioners Robert Adler and Anne Marie Buerkle will close the day with a discussion of this issue.  There is no charge for the workshop, but registration is required for either in person or web attendance.  

In the month of September, we've seen some important safety legislation introduced at the federal, state, and local levels. Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California introduced the No Lead in School Water Act, which  helps schools test for and remove lead to better protect children from its damaging effects. House Bill 5689 has come before Michigan State legislators. The bill would update Michigan's Child Passenger Safety law by requiring children to be restrained in rear-facing car seats up to age 2.  New York City Council Member Dan Garodnick  announced legislation requiring clear warnings labels and opaque or sigle color packaging for liquid detergment pods. "Candy-colored and bite-sized detergent pods pose real dangers to kids, and are accidents waiting to happen," said Garodnick. 

In September, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released their report: Blueprint for Children: How the Next President Can Build a Foundation for a Healthy Future. In it, they outlined policy recommendations for the next presidential administration in order to ensure the health and safety of future generations. Their recommendations on child product safety included strengthening regulations on emerging and persistent hazards such as liquid nicotine, detergent pods, and window blind cords, as well as the elimination of crib bumper pads from circulation. 

For more details, take a look at our blog article.