CPSC’s Pathway To Stronger Child Safety Standards

Thanks to the combined efforts of manufacturers, through our colleagues at the American Home Furnishings Alliance, and retailers through HFA, the CPSC will finally focus on adhering to the STURDY Act (now law) and put in place sensible stronger standards for clothing storage units.

In a 3 to 1 vote this morning, commissioners accepted their staff recommendation to do so. That law, backed by our industry, parent and consumer groups, testing labs, and a huge bipartisan majority of House and senate members, will achieve the goal of preventing tip-over injury and death. Child safety wins.

What changed? A concerted effort by our industry and in particular our HFA members to reach out to their congressional delegations and spell out the real impacts of the CPSC’s efforts. That context and clarity moved key members of Congress to insist the CPSC do its job and adhere to the new law. Parent groups weighed in as well and supported these efforts.

Make no mistake, by year’s end there will be new standards in place and there will be changes to many clothing storage units. The difference is that STURDY is reasonable when it comes to implementation and what you can do with your existing inventory. Let’s not lose sight of the fact, however, that this is at its core a child safety issue, and this is a win for your customers and their children.

I do have one fear. The attention we were able to bring to this subject, and the support from many of our members, could fade away. From the beginning, only a small percentage of retailers and manufacturers paid much attention to this tip-over battle. A small core group pushed hard for the interest of our entire industry for years. Our Government Relations Action Team has been a leader on this issue, but the GRAT is not enough.

There are too many issues in the future, too many possible disruptions, for most of us to just sit back and wait to see what happens. We need you today and tomorrow. There is power in numbers. Stay aware; stay vigilant and stay involved. That’s how we sustain this industry, and your business and protect the safety of your customers.