The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was developed to protect the public against unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products.
CPSC was created in 1972 by Congress under the Consumer Product Safety Act and began operating in 1973. In the Consumer Product Safety Act, Congress directed CPSC to protect the public "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products."
CPSC is an independent agency and does not report, to nor is it part of, any other department or agency in the federal government. The agency is headed by three commissioners nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for staggered seven-year terms. The President designates one of the commissioners as Chairman.
The three commissioners set policy for CPSC. The Chairman is the chief administrator. Five offices report directly to the Chairman: Congressional Relations, Equal Employment and Minority Enterprise, General Counsel, Inspector General, and Executive Director.
- developing voluntary standards with industry
- issuing and enforcing mandatory standards or 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.
CPSC announces recalls of products that present a significant risk to consumers either because the product may be defective or violates a mandatory standard issued by CPSC.
Each recall CPSC announces applies only to the specific brand and model identified in the recall announcement. In many cases, the recall applies only to products manufactured and date coded for specific time periods (e.g. brand "X", model "Y" manufactured between September 1 and October 17, 2000). There is usually no end date to a product recall.
