Thursday, February 22, 2018 @ 5:30 pm: 2019 Annual Meeting and Training Symposium, Washington, D.C.- Monday, February 25 - Thursday, February,28, 2019 (Matt Howsare, Symposium Planning Chairman) - Marriott Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel - Regency Hall Meeting Room
Friday, February 23, 2018 @ 7:30 am: 2018 Northwest Regional Product Safety Training Workshop, Seattle, Washington - June 2018, Dee Fenton, Planning Chair - Palm A-F Meeting RoomFriday, February 23, 2018 @ 7:30 am: 2018 International Symposium, Brussels, Belgium, Week of November 12, 2018 in conjuncton with EC International Product Safety Week - Rod Freeman, Planning Chair - Palm A-F Meeting Room
All attendees are welcome to attend these planning meetings. Future meetings will be open to ICPHSO members only.Friday, February 23, 2018 @ 7:30 am: 2018 Northwest Regional Product Safety Training Workshop, Seattle, Washington - June 2018, Dee Fenton, Planning Chair - Palm A-F Meeting Room
Friday, February 23, 2018 @ 7:30 am: 2018 International Symposium, Brussels, Belgium, Week of November 12, 2018 in conjuncton with EC International Product Safety Week - Rod Freeman, Planning Chair - Palm A-F Meeting Room
All attendees are welcome to attend these planning meetings. Future meetings will be open to ICPHSO members only.
This tutorial will provide advice for how to anticipate and stay ahead of potential product hazards. Jenny Clifford of YETI will provide tips for training Customer Service reps so that they effectively elicit accurate reporting details from consumers and identify emerging hazards. She will explain both the types of questions your Customer Service Reps should be asking and also, the manner in which the questions should be asked in order to extract the most accurate information and anticipate potential hazards. In addition to understanding the strategies that have been shared here today for teaching customer services representatives how to identify emerging hazards, Ellie Pittman of Intertek will discuss proactive tools that can be utilized by companies to predict potential emerging hazards including leveraging historic injury data for related products. She will also explain how a consumer’s risk tolerance might change in light of new product technologies and innovations.
There is no one magic equation for determining the when and how of placing standards around a product. The panel will share their differing views on when it is more appropriate to start rule-making versus when to initiate the voluntary standards development process in the face of an emerging product safety hazard. Panel members will share insights into establishing a culture of product safety within the organization, and a robust procedure for building safety into products, including goal setting, getting after the science of the challenge, and understanding hazards beyond functional safety assessments, and assurance of legal obligations. Successful examples from the home appliance, furniture, and other industries will be discussed.
My product contains a listed chemical! What warnings are necessary under the new regimen that is effective August 2018? How do I know if a warning is necessary and how do I comply with the new rules?
Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide a “clear and reasonable” warning before knowingly and intentionally exposing anyone to a listed chemical. Businesses are exempt from the warning requirement if it can be shown that potential exposures are so low as to not create a significant risk of cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (“OEHHA”) develops numerical guidance levels, known as “safe harbor numbers”, for determining whether a warning is necessary. Determining anticipated levels of exposure to listed chemicals are product specific which can be complex undertakings; however, an approach relying on specialized analytical testing and methods similar to those established by OEHHA for the Safety Use Determination process can streamline this process. In the event that the safe harbor levels are not met warnings under the new regimen effective August 2018 will be necessary. This tutorial will address exposure assessment methods and assumptions and will also provide practical solutions to complying with the new warnings. These solutions will be addressed through interactive hypotheticals as well as providing real world solutions to inform the decision making process regarding Proposition 65 warnings.
The Internet of Things is the new buzzword, but what are the hazards, where do they lurk, and how concerned should the consumer products industry be? As consumer product manufacturers of all levels of sophistication race to connect their products, what should they consider? What is the proper role of government in analyzing and regulating these risks? What is the “good, better, and best” of security by design for a new connected device being brought to market? What are some of the tools that companies have at their disposal – both in-house and through third-parties – to best protect their customers (and, ultimately, their company) from a runaway product defect on a connected device. Join us as we look at the issue, study examples, and learn about some of the cutting-edge investments and work being done on this issue.
Given their access to vulnerable populations, particularly children, health and human service providers (health care providers, first responders, and social workers) can serve as important conduits for information to help keep consumers safe. In this presentation, we will discuss the potential benefits of, as well as strategies to achieve, greater engagement with health and humans service providers. We will explore how they might work more closely with product safety colleagues, more easily transfer their knowledge to those who create products and policy, and better advise vulnerable consumers with product safety information that may be life-saving.
Is it a bird…is it a plane or is it a drone? Even Federal or State regulators may not know for sure. Drone industry experts, regulatory authorities and consumer safety experts will lay the informational foundation for a vigorous and exciting discussion of current and future drone regulatory policy impacts you, including how consumer safety pervades both commercial and recreational drone use. Federal policy such as the FAA’s recent “line of sight” regulations could clearly restrict the potential use of drones in the retail delivery space, or how a product is dropped off at a consumer's home. Consumers could also see a future impact if CPSC decides to regulate retail “drones” used by hobbyists. This is a “must attend” panel to provide insight as unmanned vehicles fills our skies.
In the 25 years since ICPHSO was founded, the world of consumer product manufacturing has changed profoundly. It has been almost ten years since passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, and that has had a major impact on the rules – especially for children’s products. The percentage of consumer products made overseas has increased dramatically. The requirements for importation are complex, so manufacturers and retailers have to be far more sophisticated to comply with increasingly complex importation and certification rules. Whether you're a retailer or a manufacturer, it can be difficult to know how to meet all the requirements.
In addition to CPSIA, CCPSA, EN71, GHS, MSDS and other requirements, many retailers have their own compliance programs with unique platforms. Some of these platforms are proprietary; some retailers specify certification laboratories and dictate acceptance criteria.
Is there a practical global protocol out there that satisfies everyone? What are the experiences of firms trying to bring products into the United States? If you’re a retailer trying to reach a purchase agreement with a foreign manufacturer, do you seem caught in Catch-22 situations? Does it matter that the MSDS documents indicate that hazardous raw chemicals were used to make the finished product? Could CPSC do more to help firms understand what they need? Are there conflicts between CPSC certification requirements and others, such as GHS? What is U.S. Customs and Border Protection looking for when products come into the country? Where should a firm turn for help? What resources are available? What have we learned in 25 years?
Products using new technologies such as artificial intelligence, connected technologies, autonomous functionalities and drones have the potential to bring real benefit to consumers. However, the debate continues as to whether existing product safety rules and regimes are fit for purpose when dealing with these new technologies. Panellists will debate the need for more rules around the development of new technologies in order to ensure safety and audience members will be given the opportunity to participate in real-time voting to indicate their agreement, or not, with the arguments being made. The debate will consider, for example, the adequacy of rules to deal with responsibilities for the actions of “robots”, connected devices, 3D printed products and artificial intelligence.
The panel will be an interactive, audience involved discussion of promising new technologies shaping the future of consumer product safety. The panel will present recent advances in the world of big data analytics, consumer Internet of Things (IoT), crowdsourcing and machine learning. Audience members will be given an opportunity to participate and experience several exciting new technology concepts for themselves. Learn how cutting-edge technology advances can reduce the risk of injury, improve product safety and enhance the consumer experience.
Customer concerns captured in viral video. Product advisories. Recalls. Civil and criminal penalties. Every company that manufactures, sells or distributes consumer products faces the possibility of a product safety crisis that erodes their corporate reputation, brand preference and bottom line. Are you prepared to lead in this crisis? Don’t miss this exciting and interactive crisis simulation lab. You’ll gain practical insights and best practices in product safety from the 360-degree perspectives of regulatory compliance, legal strategy, engineering science, recall management and crisis communications. Together with our expert panel, you’ll be immersed in multiple simulated scenarios designed to expose the operational and reputation risk of accelerated, exponential change in the product safety landscape.
This panel discussion is intended to provide practical advice from manufacturers. Representatives from diverse industries will talk about some of the challenges they anticipate facing in the near future and the solutions they have developed and are implementing to better meet those challenges.
In 2018, consumer products are more innovative than ever, with new features and new functionality, being introduced every day. In many cases, these products represent novel combinations of features that haven't been seen in the marketplace. As more functionality and features are sewn-in or bolted-on to products, we may be creating a greater potential for problems in terms of consumer health and safety or the environment. The ever increasing pressure to shorten the product development time line also adds to the difficulty in fully evaluating product risks.
The panel will share best practices and insight on how to capitalize on this innovation, while managing product safety, testing and regulatory implications and protecting consumers, as well as your company and brand’s reputation.
The session will emphasize practical take home points and the use of specific case examples to illustrate concepts that could otherwise be abstract. We will reserve at least 20 minutes for interactive discussions with the audience.
No matter how recall effectiveness is measured or defined, the goal of getting a recalled product out of homes should be a primary goal. However, today’s consumers expect speed and ease – especially Millennials and Gen Z - and in fact may even prefer, during a recall, to interact with chatbots to accomplish their daily tasks, product purchases, and receive company and personal communications.
We will discuss recalls that had high and low consumer response rates. We will discuss the factors that could have caused those differences. Research on communication and behavioral trends will be shared with the audience including demographics and lifestyle data of customers and their preferences. We will hear from marketing experts and safety and recall experts who can provide insight into these issues and discuss whether companies should have different strategies to reach different consumer populations.
25th ANNIVERSARY SILVER JUBILEE EVENTS (includes transportation from the Hyatt and back)
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
6:00 – 9:00 PM
Splitsville in Disney Springs
Off-site networking event to be held at Splitsville in Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney). Tranportation provided.
Mingle with colleagues over dinner, drinks, dessert, trivia, and bowling. Join for all or part of the evening at convenient location in Disney Springs.
Transportation provided and shuttles run back and forth from hotel during the event. There is a minimal cost ($25.00) for ICPHSO attendees to participate in this outside evening event. To attend the Splitsville event, register when you register for the for the Symposium. Space is limited, don't delay!
This session will provide an overview of the CPSC and Health Canada’s Human Factors Best Practice Guidance: The Application of Human Factors to Consumer Products.
ICPHSO BREAKING NEWS: December 15, 2017
ICPHSO’s 2018 Annual Meeting and Training Symposium will be the location for the signing of a historic Tri-lateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Product Safety by representatives from Health Canada, PROFECO and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This MOU between Canada, Mexico, and the United States further establishes the ongoing North America relationship between the three agencies who are responsible for product safety.
Be a witness to history! Don’t miss the historic MOU signing during ICPHSO’s Annual Symposium’s "International Day" activities on Thursday afternoon, February 22, 2018. Register for the Symposium today.
“If past is prologue… are product safety authorities ready for the next quarter century?” We have been faced with accelerated market developments in technology, generally, and in consumer products specifically. Will regulators be able to cope with an exponentially dynamic consumer product market? If the past truly is prologue, then we really cannot imagine what products will be available in 25 years.
In a fast paced consumer landscape, speed – of technology, innovation, and progress – is driving change in how businesses design, manufacture, and distribute their products. As this acceleration creates new and exciting cutting-edge technologies and braves the status quo, companies and consumer product safety authorities are encountering ever increasing unknowns.
How can we know and/or test that ground-breaking ideas and designs are safe in practice? What will happen when these novel products enter the market and how quickly will they expand globally? When and how can we as industry and regulators come together throughout an original product’s lifecycle? What new partnerships are needed – in research and development, patents, and entrepreneurship – to help us learn and understand the potential risks before they go to market?
These questions and more will be the genesis for dialogue between industry and regulators as we discuss new tools (trend analysis, social media analytics, standards and design), existing approaches (general provisions, recalls, and outreach), and best practices for tackling these evolving opportunities and challenges. Representing a synthesis of industry, legal, and regulatory representatives, this panel will provide insights and examples of how to mitigate risks, adapt decision-making processes, and best strive together towards safe products.
Great opportunity and potential exists for the international product safety community to learn from each other’s best practices and data analysis. This session is meant to be a framework to open the dialogue among representatives from trade associations, standard setting bodies and relevant agencies, so that positive steps can be made toward global standards alignment. Dialogue with a panel who is operating in this space and working to achieve those objectives will facilitate attendee understanding and implementation of identifying steps that need to be taken in their own segments.
Information about product safety issues can circle the globe in an instant. This interactive panel presentation will explore the ways in which information technology and social medial have changed consumer’s expectations as to the safety and quality of consumer products and what can be expected in the future. Participants in this session will gain an understanding of the impact that information technology and social media have had on changing consumer expectations for product safety and the ability to use this understanding to prepare for and proactively address consumer expectations for product safety and quality in the future.
As more is learned about the chemical substances consumers interact with in the products they use in their daily lives, the definition of safe product evolves at an increasing rate. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the regulation of children’s product and, more specifically, those regulations implemented at the state-level. The panel will review a broad range of state-level chemical disclosure requirements, state-level efforts toward alignment, industry efforts aimed at satisfying competing requirements and manufacturing control programs employed by individual manufacturers focused on reducing the potential need to report in the first place.
In the last 25 years, safety and compliance professionals have gone from an often-marginalized voice in their organizations to having great influence and even key seats in C-suites and boardrooms. Today, consumers—empowered with better information and communication tools—are now firmly in the driver’s seat, demanding transparency into the safety of the products they consume every day. This is causing huge changes in the interaction, processes and technology used to manage safety. Our panel will talk about how safety compliance and their jobs have changed over time, and how they envision the future.
There are countless examples on social media of people promoting the misuse of products, from clothes baskets used as baby baths to toothpick crossbows. Our panel will discuss specific cases of product misuse promoted by social media and the steps to help shut it down in order to limit the impact on consumer safety and your brand.
All agree that the consumer products landscape has changed forever. To remain competitive, innovative companies are replacing entire categories of products and compressing the speed and time to market. Regulations, standards and databases for new product categories do not exist, forcing companies to rethink how they design and manufacture safe products. Following a brief recap of the panel's work distilling the issues presented by compressed speed to market, the panel will present alternative approaches to address product safety in the Exponential Age. Audience participation will be facilitated and encouraged!
From recalls to compliance to designing products, we can get stuck in doing things how we’ve always done. We keep trying to do the same thing better, sometimes with little impact. Disruptive ideas bring new companies, solutions and products to market – let’s apply that to product safety. Leaders from product safety and other fields will lead the roundtables to brainstorm both process and products to further safety. Technology is part of it, but change doesn’t have to use new tech to be disruptive. Participants will think differently about old problems and explore new solutions outside current practice, guided by those with experience in making change. One session isn’t enough to change practice, but it will generate ideas, make connections and move the process forward.
