Inez Tenenbaum, chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), marks the four-year anniversary of the CPSC Improvement Act of 2008, and speaks about her work with foreign regulators and consumers to make products safer.
In October 2010, the CPSC released a strategic plan for 2011-2016, which aimed to make the commission more proactive and focused on injury prevention.
Ms. Tenenbaum has also worked to make the CPSC more transparent and accessible to consumers, and to give them greater confidence in the market place.
The CPSC is most well known for issuing consumer recalls for products that have safety concerns, from baby strollers to air conditioners. Recently the agency has come under a public relations attack from the company that manufactures Bucky Balls magnetic desk toys, which the CPSC says create a health hazard for children who eat the magnets, thinking they are candy. The manufacturer argues that the toy is clearly marked as not for children.