The rules have changed about bringing many products into the U.S. marketplace. Effective yesterday, every manufacturer, importer or private labeler of a product regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) must issue a certificate indicating compliance with the CPSC’s product safety rules, bans, standards or regulations.

That sounds like an earful of regulatory babble, but it’s a big step in consumer safety. The CPSC’s ability to police the marketplace and prevent unsafe products from reaching our hands has been dismal. Requiring some kind of proof that a product is safe before it’s sold should encourage compliance with federal regulations.

The new requirements affect almost 300 regulated products such as cribs, toys, bicycles, walk-behind lawn mowers and lead paint. The certification must be based on testing results that indicate compliance with the regulations. In the case of children’s products, the testing must be conducted by third-party laboratories accredited to conduct applicable testing. The certificate of compliance must be available to the CPSC, distributors and retailers before the product is offered for sale. It won’t be made available to the public. And unfortunately for consumers, there will be no mark on the product to show that it has been safety certified to meet CPSC’s regulations.

The new regulations aren’t perfect, but they do put us all just a bit closer to a safer marketplace.—Don Mays