ICPHSO 25th Annual Symposium Addresses Global Product Safety Topics
February 26, 2018 | The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) kicked off its Silver Jubilee Anniversary Year with its 2018 Annual Meeting and Training Symposium, held in Orlando, FL from February 20 to 23. More than 800 attendees – representing manufacturers, retailers, consumer NGOs, U.S. and international regulators, standards and testing organizations, and other product safety professionals from 18 countries convened at the symposium to hear timely and relevant information about the safety of global consumer products.
As one of the founding members of ICPHSO and an event sponsor, The Toy Association participated in the symposium for the 25th consecutive year and hosted a booth that shared toy safety tips and information about the toy industry’s long-standing commitment to safety.
“The 2018 ICPHSO Annual Meeting and Training Symposium successfully brought together worldwide product safety practitioners of all stripes to share ideas and best practices to ensure and enhance the safety of products manufactured and sold in the global marketplace,” said Joan Lawrence, senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs at The Toy Association.
The four-day symposium included tutorials that covered topics ranging from blockchain technology and emerging hazards, to the Internet of Things and ethics in product safety. Lawrence spoke on a panel looking at best practices for addressing emerging hazards. Speaking from the perspective as chair of the ASTM subcommittee on toy safety, she offered examples from ASTM F963, which has become known for identifying and addressing emerging safety issues effectively and provides a model for other product sectors.
Plenary and breakout sessions led by experts from government, consumer groups, industry, and academia covered best practices and new tools to help companies understand requirements and ensure compliance in the ever-changing global marketplace.
On day three (known as “CPSC Day”), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) hosted morning breakout sessions that covered topics such as a tiered recall system, safety operations, and upcoming plans for the agency. Acting CPSC Chair Ann Marie Buerkle discussed recent advances in product safety during a keynote address. On that day, a special plenary session also took place, which involved the tri-lateral signing of a product safety memorandum of understanding by Health Canada, PROFECO, and the CPSC.
On behalf of The Toy Association, Lawrence provided a welcome address to attendees at a packed luncheon on CPSC Day; her comments focused on the toy industry’s commitment to product safety and to collaboration over the years – and the important role ICPHSO has played in consumer product safety. The symposium closed on Friday with a capstone luncheon roundtable that covered “disrupting the status quo to move safety forward.”
Created in 1993, the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing forums for the exchange of ideas and information on health and safety issues related to consumer products manufactured and marketed in the global marketplace.