July 2024

En junio de 2012, la Comisión para la Seguridad de los Productos de Consumo de Estados Unidos (CPSC) publicó una norma de seguridad de los productos de consumo para columpios infantiles en virtud del artículo 104 de la Ley de Mejora de la Seguridad de los Productos de Consumo de 2008 (CPSIA). La norma incorporada por referencia se actualiza para hacer referencia a la norma ASTM F2088-24, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Infant and Cradle Swings. La norma entrará en vigor el 14 de septiembre de 2024, a menos que la Comisión reciba un comentario adverso significativo antes del 1 de julio de 2024.

ASTM ha publicado una norma revisada, ASTM F2088-24, Especificación estándar de seguridad del consumidor para columpios infantiles y de cuna. En consonancia con el proceso de actualización de la CPSIA, esta norma final directa actualiza la norma obligatoria, 16 CFR 1223, para incorporar por referencia la versión 2024 de la norma voluntaria de ASTM. También revisa la norma obligatoria para incluir "columpios de cuna" para alinearse con la norma voluntaria.

• Contiene cambios sustanciales en los requisitos de la sección 6.9 que abordan el peligro de estrangulamiento y atrapamiento para los no ocupantes asociado a las correas y cuerdas atadas de los columpios.

• Aborda el peligro de atrapamiento y estrangulamiento de la cabeza. Los requisitos revisados y los métodos de ensayo correspondientes garantizan que cualquier abertura delimitada por la correa sea demasiado pequeña para que entre la cabeza del bebé o lo suficientemente grande para que la cabeza del bebé escape.

• Incluye disposiciones revisadas en la sección Requisitos de funcionamiento (sección 6.9) y en la sección Métodos de ensayo (sección 7.16).

• Añade el uso de una herramienta de superficie de sujeción de 3/4 de pulgada de diámetro durante el método de prueba de evaluación de la correa/cordón para garantizar la coherencia durante la aplicación de la fuerza de tracción.

• Especifica, durante la evaluación de las aberturas delimitadas, las fuerzas de inserción que deben utilizarse con las sondas de cabeza pequeña y grande. Las fuerzas de inserción permiten la compresión de los productos blandos en la zona de ensayo y la coherencia de los ensayos.

• Incluye una disposición en los métodos de prueba para utilizar una sonda cilíndrica de 7,4 pulgadas de circunferencia para evaluar la longitud de la correa/cordón y la tensión después de la prueba de la sonda de cabeza grande en la evaluación de la abertura limitada.

• Incluye nuevas figuras para proporcionar dimensiones e ilustraciones de algunas sondas

• Incluye varias adiciones y revisiones menores que son de redacción y no alteran ningún requisito sustantivo de la norma.

La norma entrará en vigor el 14 de septiembre de 2024, a menos que la Comisión reciba un comentario adverso significativo antes del 1 de julio de 2024.

• Enlace de referencia:

  https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-05-30/pdf/2024-11792.pdf

New Regulations have been enacted specific to the prohibition of mercury-containing lighting products in the state of Minnesota.

To protect the environment and public health, Minnesota has enacted a new law prohibiting the sale and distribution of mercury-containing general-purpose lighting products. The regulations are as follows:

Effective Dates:

• Starting 1 January 2025: The sale, offering for sale, or distribution of newly manufactured screw- or bayonet-base compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), mercury vapor lamps, and mercury vapor lamp ballasts is prohibited.

• Starting 1 January 2026: The sale, offering for sale, or distribution of newly manufactured pin-base compact fluorescent lamps or linear fluorescent lamps is prohibited.

Exemptions:

The following lighting products are exempt from this prohibition:

• Lamps designed and marketed exclusively for image capture and projection (e.g., photocopying, printing, film projection).

• Lamps emitting a high proportion of ultraviolet light used for germicidal purposes, disinfection, fly-trapping, ozone generation, coral zooxanthellae symbiosis, or sunlamp products.

• Specialty application mercury vapor lamp ballasts.

• Compact fluorescent lamps used to replace lamps in motor vehicles manufactured on or before January 1 2020.

Additional Provisions:

Nothing in this section limits the ability of a utility to offer energy-efficient lighting, rebates, or lamp-recycling services or to claim energy savings resulting from such programs through the utility's energy conservation and optimization plans approved by the commissioner of commerce under section 216B.241 or an energy conservation and optimization plan filed by a consumer-owned utility under section 216B.2403.

Reference Link：

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF3911&version=latest&session=ls93&session_year=2024&session_number=0&format=pdf

Health Canada has made changes to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist in May 2024.

In May 2024, Health Canada updated the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. The Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist is an administrative tool used by Health Canada to communicate to manufacturers and others that certain substances may be prohibited or restricted for use in cosmetics.

The changes include the below:

Items added: Basic green 4, Benzophenone, p-Chloro-m-cresol & Solvent violet 13

Items Amended:

• Dialkanolamines, secondary - entry amended to include secondary alkyl- and alkanolamines and their salts for clarity.

• Alpha-hydroxy acids - entry amended to clarify that Polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) and bionic acids with alpha-hydroxyl groups are included, and the maximum permitted concentration for consumer use category was increased from 10% to 18%.

• Hydroquinone - entry amended to expand the permitted nail product categories and increase the maximum concentration permitted.

• p-Hydroxyanisole - entry amended to introduce a combined limit when both p-hydroxyanisole and hydroquinone are used in a nail product.

• Talc - entry amended to help reduce chronic inhalation and genital exposure.

Manufacturers and importers should take note of these updates.

In the US, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recent Recalls on the CPSC website, which is updated daily. The US recalls from 01 June 2024 to 30 June 2024 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Laceration Hazard, Tip-Over Hazard, Crushing Hazard, Crash Hazard, Swallowing Risk, Safety Risk Hazard, Microbiological Hazard, Skin Irritation Risk Suffocation Hazard, Chemical Hazard, Electric Shock Hazard, Amputation Hazard and Eye Irritation Risk with a frequency of less than 3.

*Other Categories include Tools and Hardware, Pet Items, Machinery, Fabric / Textile / Garment / Home Textile and Food Contact Material with a frequency of less than 2.

For a complete list click here

In Canada, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Recalls and Safety Alerts Database on the Health Canada website, which is updated daily. The Canada recalls from 01 June 2024 to 30 June 2024 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Microbiological Hazard, Skin Irritation Risk, Laceration Hazard, Suffocation Hazard, Eye Irritation Risk and Entrapment Hazard with a frequency of less than 2.

For a complete list click here

On 01 July 2024, the European Commission issued the first update to the Rolling List of (groups of) Substances for Restriction, which is appended to the European Restrictions Roadmap published in April 2022. This update provides information on substances that are being considered for potential restriction under the REACH regulation.

The updated Rolling List of substances for restriction was updated on 01 July 2024.

This roadmap describes ongoing efforts and coming plans for restrictions under the European Union (EU) Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.

The Rolling List is divided into two pools as below.

• Pool 0 Substances already included in the Registry of Intention (RoI) for restrictions or where the Commission has requested the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to prepare a restriction dossier.

• Pool 1 Substances for which work is advanced and are under consideration by ECHA, Member States, or the Commission for restriction. For “Pool 0”, the recent updates are summarized as below.

And highlights for “Pool 1” are shown as below:

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and its additives: Possible mandate to ECHA for restriction dossier preparation, anticipated RoI inclusion in Q3 2024.

• Flame retardants: Investigation report due December 2024; potential restriction dossier decision in Q4 2024/Q1 2025.

• Ortho-phthalates (C4-C6): Possible restriction via Article 69(1), not anticipated before Q4 2025.

• Bisphenols: Assessment ongoing for further regulatory action, including restrictions, Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) identification, or Harmonised, Classification, Labelling (CLH).

• Hydrocarbyl siloxanes: Potential restriction based on Bio-accumulative and Toxic (PBT) or very Persistent and very Bio-accumulative (vPvB) properties, not anticipated before 2025.

The update also includes information on restriction cases under opinion making, decision making, or recently decided.

This update reflects the EU's ongoing efforts to manage chemical risks and implement the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. Stakeholders should monitor these developments closely as they may impact various industries and product categories.

In Europe, when hazards are identified in non-food consumer products, the products will be recalled and published in the Safety Gate system, which is updated weekly. The European recalls from 01 June 2024 to 30 June 2024 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Damage to Hearing, Strangulation Hazard, Suffocation Hazard, Drowning Hazard, Health Risk Hazard and Cut Hazard with a frequency of less than 12.

*Other Categories include Sporting Goods / Equipment, Computer / Audio / Video / Other Electronics & Accessories, Accessories, Stationery, Machinery, Food Contact Material, Footwear, Protective Equipment and Home Electrical Appliances with a frequency of less than 6.

*Other Countries include Slovakia, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Malta, Belgium and Austria with a frequency of less than 8.

For a complete list click here

El 10 de julio de 2024, se publicó en el Diario Oficial de Japón la Orden del Gabinete nº 244, para incluir los isómeros de PFOA o sus sales y los compuestos relacionados con el PFOA como Sustancias Químicas Especificadas de Clase I, como enmienda de la Orden del Gabinete nº 202 de 1974. A excepción del periodo transitorio establecido para el 8:2 FTOH y el PFOI, esta enmienda entrará en vigor el 10 de enero de 2025.

Japón amplió su ámbito de aplicación sobre la Gestión de Sustancias Químicas de Clase I mediante la Orden Ministerial nº 244, que modifica la Orden Ministerial nº 202 de 1974. Se trata de un esfuerzo continuado para abordar las "sustancias químicas para siempre" que se ha determinado que son cancerígenas para el ser humano. Los principales contenidos de la Orden Ministerial nº 244 son:

1. Ampliación del ámbito de aplicación de las sustancias relacionadas con el PFOA; véase la tabla comparativa de PFAS incluidas en las Sustancias Específicas de Clase I(Tabla 1 a continuación, con el contenido actualizado en rojo):

Cuadro 1

2. Prohibición de importar productos que contengan compuestos relacionados con los PFOA (véase el cuadro 2 )

Cuadro 2

In China, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the SAMR Defective Product Administrative Centre, which is updated daily. The China recalls from 01 June 2024 to 30 June 2024are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Burn Hazard, Suffocation Hazard, Explosion Hazard, Crash Hazard, Entanglement Hazard, Microbiological Hazard, Choking Hazard and Puncture Hazard with a frequency of less than 10.

*Other Categories include Household Items, Chemicals, Protective Equipment, Toys and Childcare Products, Footwear and Furniture with a frequency of less than 4.

*Other Provinces include Shanghai, Beijing, Hubei, Sichuan, Henan, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan and Jilin with a frequency of less than 5.

For a complete list click here

In Australia, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Recalls and Safety Alerts Database on the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission website, which is updated daily. The Australia recalls from 01 June 2024 ­to 30 June 2024are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Laceration Hazard, Electric Shock Hazard, Suffocation Hazard, Cut Hazard, Fall Hazard and Fire Hazard with a frequency of less than 3.

For a complete list click here