CPSC commissioner, furnishings vendors stress importance of government involvement

Susan Dickenson -- Kids Today, 10/18/2010 2:06:35 PM

At Saturday morning's Opening Day Press Breakfast at the High Point Market, Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Nancy Nord discussed government regulation and pending legislation specific to the home furnishings industry with fellow panelists Bruce Bradburn, CEO of The Bradburn Company, Kevin Sauder, president and CEO of Sauder Woodworking, and Rob Sligh, chairman and CEO Sligh Furniture Co.

In his introductory remarks, HPMA president Brian Casey noted that more than $17 million has been invested in High Point showrooms during the past year. He also said the Market Authority's partnership with the American Home Furnishings Alliance, which monitors government and legislative matters, is strong and ongoing.

Nord's main message stressed the need for more communication and input from the industry, especially with respect to provisions in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act signed by President Bush in 2008. "As a regulator, it's critical that we hear from you who make the product, sell the product, use the product and live with the product," she said. "Without input from the industry, there's no way we're going to get it right."

After providing an overview of his and the American Home Furnishings Alliance's involvement in Washington over the past few years, Bradburn mentioned that a provision similar to California's Title 20, which currently affects lighting manufacturers selling to retailers in California, was put in the climate bill which, if passed, could affect manufacturers nationally.

Among other restrictions, Title 20 requires lamp vendors to include a compact fluorescent bulb inside the packaging of each lamp sold in California, as a way to encourage use of energy-efficient bulbs.

Nord pointed to the lack of regulatory oversight in the toy industry that led to the passage of strict laws affecting not only the toy industry but others as well, including furnishings manufacturers. The testing and certification provision of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, for example, requires extensive testing by an independent third-party lab of all products subject to any mandatory standard or regulation.

The American Home Furnishings Alliance proposes an amendment limiting the testing and certification to children's products rather than applying to everything a manufacturer makes. The AHFA is also proposing an amendment that would narrow the scope of Section 101 of the CPSIA regarding allowable lead levels so that it focuses only on those products that pose a real risk of injury to children.

Sauder brought up testing for lead in particleboard as an example. "We need to point out that this makes no sense, because there is no lead in particleboard - and provide the data."

Sligh mentioned California's Proposition 65, which lists 700 chemicals that, in large amounts, can cause cancer. Trace amounts of those chemicals, some of which are found in household furnishings, are OK. "Still, it requires a costly, timely test process. So, in California, we have to apply labels that say our furniture might cause cancer," he said.

"It's important for the government to prioritize the risks to be addressed," Sligh said. Also, in regulating such issues, Sligh says the government should be required to assess the cost benefit trade-off of compliance vs. the cost of remedying adverse effects on health.

Nord said the furniture industry is a critical partner of her agency, and that she was enjoying her first visit to the High Point Market. "Being here in High Point has been a real revelation - the scope and range of products, level of creativity and innovation," she said. "Regulators need to get out of Washington and go see where the products are being made."