CLARIFICATION on New Safety Law and Thrift Shop Items

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

CPSC Clarifies Requirements of New Children�s Product Safety Laws Taking Effect in February
Guidance Intended for Resellers of Children�s Products, Thrift and Consignment Stores

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In February 2009, new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) take effect. Manufacturers, importers and retailers are expected to comply with the new Congressionally-mandated laws. Beginning February 10, 2009, children�s products cannot be sold if they contain more than 600 parts per million (ppm) total lead. Certain children�s products manufactured on or after February 10, 2009 cannot be sold if they contain more than 0.1% of certain specific phthalates or if they fail to meet new mandatory standards for toys.

Under the new law, children�s products with more than 600 ppm total lead cannot lawfully be sold in the United States on or after February 10, 2009, even if they were manufactured before that date. The total lead limit drops to 300 ppm on August 14, 2009.

The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children�s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children�s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.

The new safety law does not require resellers to test children�s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children�s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.

More at the link ---

So it looks like thrift stores shouldn't be hassled about clothes and such.

[uppityperson]

1. Good, thank you for this. It seemed too much to have every individual store do it.

[Donnachaidh]

2. it IS -- and booksellers are just as nervous about this.

The clarification just fired through one of my lists, and I know folks really needed to see this.

[emilyg]

3. Good news.

[DCKit]

4. If the Morans quit giving their kids lead pacifiers dipped in phthalates....

I suspect we'll be seeing a whole lot of new Democrats in eighteen years.