The Consumer Product Safety Act: Consumer Impact

Authors

  • John F. Rabusch

Keywords:

Consumer Product Safety Act, risk, safety standards, product hazards, design defects, quality control defects, voluntary corrective action plans

Abstract

The main purpose of the Consumer Product Safety Act is to protect the consumer from unreasonable risk associated with consumer products. Terminology relating to the act, including consumer products and reasonable and unreasonable risks, is defined. The act has the authority to establish safety standards in two ways: on its own initiative or by petition from consumers and industry. The act also deals with products representing a substantial hazard. Once a preliminary determination is made, defects are classified as due to either quality control or design. Violators are then requested to submit voluntary corrective action plans. Civil and criminal penalties can be assessed if the agency's mandates are not complied with.

Downloads

Published

2007-06-05

Issue

Number 1 / Spring 1977

Section

Research Contributions

License

The copyright of an article published in Wood and Fiber Science is transferred to the Society of Wood Science and Technology (for U. S. Government employees: to the extent transferable), effective if and when the article is accepted for publication. This transfer grants the Society of Wood Science and Technology permission to republish all or any part of the article in any form, e.g., reprints for sale, microfiche, proceedings, etc. However, the authors reserve the following as set forth in the Copyright Law:

1. All proprietary rights other than copyright, such as patent rights.

2. The right to grant or refuse permission to third parties to republish all or part of the article or translations thereof. In the case of whole articles, such third parties must obtain Society of Wood Science and Technology written permission as well. However, the Society may grant rights with respect to Journal issues as a whole.

3. The right to use all or part of this article in future works of their own, such as lectures, press releases, reviews, text books, or reprint books.