Consumer product regulations - USA

The Consumer Products Safety Act (CPSA) and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) give the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) the authority to develop standards and institute product bans or recalls if a consumer product poses harm to the public. CPSC also administers and enforces the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), which requires hazardous household products to bear warning statements and first-aid directions; the Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act (LHAMA), which calls for art material to be reviewed for chronic hazards; and the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA), which requires certain household substances to be packaged in child-resistant packaging.

CPSC is the chief regulatory agency that protects the public from unreasonable risk, injury, or death from thousands of consumer products. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also works to protect consumers by enforcing compliance standards, promoting fair competition among businesses, and educating consumers about their rights and responsibilities. Consumer products may also be regulated by various state laws such as California’s Proposition 65.

Types of products

Consumer products include a wide range of household items such as baby and children's products; household chemicals like cleaning products that don't make anitmicrobial claims; and art materials. These products are subject to recall if they pose an unreasonable risk to consumers or if they are improperly labeled.

TSG can help

We can assist with navigating the following areas of consumer product compliance and safety regulations including:

Providing expert opinions on technical matters involving chemicals in consumer products
Developing consumer product hazard labels compliant with FHSA and Canadian regulations
Preparing hazard assessments
Providing LHAMA evaluations and risk assessments of art materials
Assessing exposure to Proposition 65 chemicals from use of consumer products and determining Safe Harbor Levels when necessary
Evaluating product compliance with state chemical laws, such as VOCs and phosphates

Why TSG

TSG provides companies with high-quality regulatory and scientific consulting services. We aim to understand our clients' goals and objectives, learn the scientific and technical aspects of projects and anticipate compliance challenges to plan a strategic path forward. TSG's team of experts is deadline-focused, responsive and committed to professionalism. We have the utmost respect for the confidentiality of our work, strong project management skills, and take great measure to cultivate long-term partnerships with clients.

Our professionals

TSG’s team of scientists and regulatory consultants manage all aspects of compliance with the Consumer Products Safety Act, including providing expert opinion, developing FHSA-compliant consumer product hazard labels and monitoring state compliance. Our Washington, DC-based Federal Affairs team is led by Abigail Wacek.

Meet our consultants