Laws and Regulations

HumphreyLine, based in Florence, Ky. announced independent testing was recently completed and found the company was 100 percent proposition 65 compliant, 100 percent Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) compliant and 100 percent compliant (by audit) with all relevant FDA regulations.

[...] in a changing industry full of uncertainty—one begging for someone to take an ethical stand on how to conduct business, and facing a barrage of new product safety laws—where does the industry look for guidance, a solid knowledge base and products that offer peace of mind? Perhaps the Quality Certification Alliance (QCA), a nonprofit group founded by industry leaders, can provide that assurance. With a solid mission statement, “to raise the bar in providing consistently safe, high-quality, socially compliant and environmentally conscientious merchandise to clients and their constituents,” the organization is attempting to offer as much certainty as possible without a calculator and Schedule C or one foot in the grave. At the PPAI Expo in January, Promo Marketing sat down with three of the organization’s founding members, Jay Deutsch, CEO of Bensussen Deutsch & Associates (BDA), Woodinville, Wash.; Trevor Gnesin, president of Logomark, Tustin, Calif.; and Andrea Engel, vice president of merchandising for BroderBros., Trevose, Pa., in order to learn more. The QCA is really a group of 14 founding members coming together and saying we are going to put together a quality program, a safety program, surrounding products and social compliance inside of the marketplace. The great thing about this organization is that you’ve got suppliers who are in different categories ... [and distributors who] really care about doing the right thing for the industry. There are so many laws, so many things that are procedures that really aren’t standardized, we thought it was important to do this as a service to our customer base, so they would feel comfortable knowing that no matter what product they bought from this group, they could be sure it met all the requirements, it was safe and there were no worries. First of all, we’ve been having conversations with our clients over the past five years. What we are really focused on is getting our founding members ... accredited. Consumers want safe product and that’s not too much to ask. [...] that should be the standard of this industry. ... [...] you have to [answer] prequalification questionnaires. Dee with third-party testing companies [goes] into your facilities, both here stateside—any domestic decorating, any overseas factories, and to a representation of your factories to ensure that your SOPs are alive and breathing. Product quality, product safety, social compliance, environmental stewardship and supply-chain safety. The overall basis of the self-assessment is [to ask the questions] “Do you have policies in place?” and “Do you have ways to enforce those policies?” It’s very intensive. If you have been in this business a long time and you have been doing the right amount of testing—you’ll find mistake opportunities in the manufacturing process. No one can test every single piece of every single consumer product sold or given away ... it’s impossible. In the olden days, one could start a business, you could bring in product and you could sell it. Hopefully, there is going to be a natural attraction for people who take product safety and social compliance seriously.

The Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY), based in Montvale, N.J., announced today that a Product Safety Quality Assurance Center (QAC) will be available at PROMOTIONS EAST 2009. The show’s exhibiting suppliers will have an opportunity to have products scanned for compliance in accordance with the lead thresholds outlined in the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

The Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY), based in Montvale, N.J., announced today that a Product Safety Quality Assurance Center (QAC) will be available at PROMOTIONS EAST 2009. The show’s exhibiting suppliers will have an opportunity to have products scanned for compliance in accordance with the lead thresholds outlined in the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

The new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act's (CPSIA) requirements for phthalates in children's toys went into effect of February 10th. The act limits the amount of phthalates—materials used to make plastics more durable and softer—to less than 1/10 of 1 percent and could have a significant impact on some industry products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a draft report seeking input on exactly what items should be included. Quoting from the report:

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) officially goes into effect on February 10, 2009. The bill, which mandates safe levels of lead in various children's products, could have wide-reaching effects on the promotional products industry.  Suppliers and distributors alike will be held responsible for providing and selling products that meet the safety standards laid out in the regulation.

Key leaders in the promotional products industry today announced the formation of the Quality Certification Alliance, LLC (QCA), an independent, nongovernmental organization dedicated to elevating the standard in providing consistently safe, high quality, socially compliant and environmentally conscientious merchandise to Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. Executives from the organization’s founding companies officially launched QCA today at the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo in Las Vegas. The QCA certification process assures merchandise manufactured, imprinted and imported by member companies conforms to established domestic and international product laws, regulations and standards. QCA has garnered wide support from numerous suppliers and distributors, including Avaline; Barton

EVER SINCE PRODUCT recalls hit the promotional and retail sectors this past summer, Proposition 65 has been the watchword on the lips of both suppliers and distributors. With the start of the 2008 trade show season, the sense of greater awareness became especially evident. “Prop 65 compliant” signage is more prominently displayed. Education programs on the law are offered. And suppliers are adopting product designations and new testing procedures to ensure they’re keeping pace with Prop 65, which is said to be the most strict product-safety law in the country. Otherwise known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986,