Social & Community
Consumer Safety
IntentPeople have the right to know whether a product that they purchase has the potential to cause injury, sickness or death if improperly used or possibly even if properly used. Certain aspects of consumer safety are currently monitored and rigorously enforced such as flame spread criteria, choking hazards for children and explosive substances. Many other potential hazards – especially those with unintended consequences - are not properly regulated or communicated. Some examples include: PVC that becomes dangerous in a fire due to chemicals that are released, CCA treated wood due to arsenic that could be ingested through contact, formaldehyde in wood products that could become allergic triggers for the chemically sensitive or mercury in light bulbs that could cause significant harm if broken and inhaled. The intent of this wedge is to illustrate the relative safety to the consumer of various products in the marketplace including the traditional monitored requirements for health and safety and expanded to include factors not typically discussed such as the mere presence of toxic chemicals within a product.
IdealThere is no content in the product or material, nor measured emission from the product, of a hazardous chemical. Hazardous chemicals are defined to include known or suspected carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants, teratogens, endocrine disruptors, or acute or chronic toxicants.
Key MetricsRisk to child safety reported due to use of product; offgassing ; leaching; known presence of toxic substances in the product (ie: phthalates, lead, arsenic, etc.) reaching the consumer; consumer safety complaints filed to date; death associated with the use and/or production of product; short- and long-term disability associated with the use and/or production of product; chronic illness associated with the use and/or production of product; terminal illness associated with the use and/or production of product. |
