Interviews
AAFA President Kevin Burke testifies at CPSC forum
26 Aug '09
7 min read
Our industry continues to place a priority on consumer product safety. To satisfy industry demand, AAFA has created a number of educational tools that have helped industry understand what product safety regulations apply to their products.
One of the most helpful tools we have created is our free global Restricted Substances List, which we initially launched in June 2007. The RSL tracks all regulated chemicals that go into apparel and footwear products. The RSL, which is updated every six months, identifies the strictest international standard that applies to those chemicals, along with updated test methods, legal citations, and information on other jurisdictions. The most recent version, Release 5 – which incorporates new safety standards from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act – is being made public today as we speak.
Our educational activity has increased substantially because our industry craves guidance and information on how to comply with new product safety regulations, namely the CPSIA. Shortly after the legislation passed, AAFA created a Product Safety Council to deal specifically with product safety issues that relate to our industry. The Product Safety Council began with 50 members and now has over 400 members. AAFA uses the Product Safety Council to distribute information, to interpret regulations, to provide best practices, and to keep members up to date on the ever changing product safety landscape.
To provide the information as broadly and as quickly as we could, we held, on average, an educational event every week for the last year.
These include two domestic and two international product safety seminars, three of which featured direct participation of the Commission. AAFA has also held numerous Product Safety Council meetings, additional product safety workshops and seminars, conference calls, and webinars that target specific product safety issues. Moreover, we have spoken at a variety of trade shows and industry events.
For the remainder of 2009, AAFA has built on our momentum and will continue to produce quality and informative educational events, including additional seminars in India and around the country.
Over the past year, the U.S. apparel and footwear industry, like many others, has struggled to understand and implement the CPSIA. Implementation has been a considerable challenge, has exacted extraordinary costs, and has even resulted companies exiting the childrenswear industry or exiting the industry all together.
But despite these enormous difficulties, the CPSIA has brought about a positive dialogue that has focused on improvements to consumer product safety. Congress has approved additional funding for the agency and filled all five leadership positions at the Commission are filled. We hope new leadership brings about a renewed discussion on how to effectively and efficiently approach and enforce product safety regulations.
One of the most helpful tools we have created is our free global Restricted Substances List, which we initially launched in June 2007. The RSL tracks all regulated chemicals that go into apparel and footwear products. The RSL, which is updated every six months, identifies the strictest international standard that applies to those chemicals, along with updated test methods, legal citations, and information on other jurisdictions. The most recent version, Release 5 – which incorporates new safety standards from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act – is being made public today as we speak.
Our educational activity has increased substantially because our industry craves guidance and information on how to comply with new product safety regulations, namely the CPSIA. Shortly after the legislation passed, AAFA created a Product Safety Council to deal specifically with product safety issues that relate to our industry. The Product Safety Council began with 50 members and now has over 400 members. AAFA uses the Product Safety Council to distribute information, to interpret regulations, to provide best practices, and to keep members up to date on the ever changing product safety landscape.
To provide the information as broadly and as quickly as we could, we held, on average, an educational event every week for the last year.
These include two domestic and two international product safety seminars, three of which featured direct participation of the Commission. AAFA has also held numerous Product Safety Council meetings, additional product safety workshops and seminars, conference calls, and webinars that target specific product safety issues. Moreover, we have spoken at a variety of trade shows and industry events.
For the remainder of 2009, AAFA has built on our momentum and will continue to produce quality and informative educational events, including additional seminars in India and around the country.
Over the past year, the U.S. apparel and footwear industry, like many others, has struggled to understand and implement the CPSIA. Implementation has been a considerable challenge, has exacted extraordinary costs, and has even resulted companies exiting the childrenswear industry or exiting the industry all together.
But despite these enormous difficulties, the CPSIA has brought about a positive dialogue that has focused on improvements to consumer product safety. Congress has approved additional funding for the agency and filled all five leadership positions at the Commission are filled. We hope new leadership brings about a renewed discussion on how to effectively and efficiently approach and enforce product safety regulations.
Popular News
Leave your Comments
Editor’s Pick
Ritesh Dodhia
Dodhia Synthetics Limited
Esteemed Clients
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
