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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an independent
federal regulatory agency that was created in 1972 by Congress
in the Consumer Product Safety Act. In that law, Congress directed
the Commission to "protect the public against unreasonable
risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products."
The CPSC has jurisdiction over about 15,000 types of consumer
products, from automatic-drip coffee makers to toys to lawn
mowers. Some types of products, however, are covered by other
federal agencies. For example, cars, trucks and motorcycles
are covered by the Department of Transportation; foods, drugs
and cosmetics are covered by the Food and Drug Administration;
and alcohol, tobacco and firearms are within the jurisdiction
of the Department of the Treasury.
The CPSC works to reduce the risk of injuries and deaths
from consumer products by:
- Developing voluntary standards with industry
- Issuing and enforcing mandatory standards; banning consumer products if no feasible standard would adequately protect the public
- Obtaining the recall of products or arranging for their repair
- Conducting research on potential product hazards
- Informing and educating consumers through the media, state and local governments, private organizations, and by responding to consumer inquiries.
This information was obtained from the CPSC website and is being reprinted with their permission.
