Consumer products and public safety
CONSUMERPRODUCTSANDPUBLICSAFETY
J
ASONMOSCOVICI*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKSAGENTS
Re-introducedasBillC-6,thenewlyrevisedCanadaConsumerProductSafetyAct
willregulateapreviouslyunregulatedclassofproducts.TheActwillinstatea
governmentmanagedsurveillancesystemthatimposesadutytoinformandaduty
toactupontothekeyplayersinvolvedinthemanufacturingandsaleofconsumer
products.
Inlightofmountingproductsafetyconcernsandincontinuingitsobjectiveof
protectingpublichealth,theParliamentofCanadahasdecidedonceagaintogothe
regulatoryroutewithregardstoconsumerproducts;thehopebeingthatwithawider
net,theywillcatchmorefish.
WhilethelegislationitselfhasnotbeengrantedRoyalassentduetolastminute
amendmentsintroducedattheSenatelevel,itisstillimportanttounderstandwhat
maybecomingdownthepipelineforConsumerProductstakeholders.
Scope
Theproposedlegislationtargetsconsumerproducts(definedasproducts,including
their”components,partsoraccessoriesthatcanreasonablybeexpectedtobe
obtainedbyanindividualtobeusedfornon-commercialpurposes,includingfor
domestic,recreationalandsportspurposes,andincludetheirpackaging”)andis
aimedprimarilyatthosewhosellconsumer-basedproductsinCanada.
WhoWillBeAffected
Consumerproductsbeingdefinedbroadly,anythingthatcan”reasonablybe
expectedtobeobtainedbyanindividualtobeusedfornon-commercialpurposes”
wouldbeconsideredaconsumerproduct.Itistrickytoexplicitlylistallofthose
productswhichcanbeaffectedbythisnewlegislation,sincethelinebetweenselling
aconsumerproductandanon-consumerproductisbecomingmoreandmore
blurred;traditionallycommercialproductsarestartingtopopulatethehomesof
consumers.Furthermore,sincecomponentsarealsothetargetofBillC-6,
©CIPS,2010.*WithROBIC,LLPamultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheWinter2009Newsletterofthefirm(Vol.13,No.4).Publication068.117E.
2
manufacturerswhosepartsfindthemselvesinconsumerproductscanalsobe
subjecttothisnewlegislation.
Also,throughitsbroaddefinitionof”sell”(monetaryexchangeisnotapre-requisite
asdistributioncanoccurwithoutconsideration),theBilltargetsanyoneinvolvedin
theproductsupplychain.
HowWillTheyBeAffected
Insummary,theAct:
·Prohibitsthesaleofcertainproductsandenforcescertainmandatorytesting
andevaluationstandardsforothers;
·Instatesareportingsystemmakingitobligatoryforsellersofconsumer
productstoreportanyincidentlinkedwiththeuseoftheirproduct,including
defectsandmisuses;
·Establishesasystemfortheinspectionandseizureofnon-compliant
consumerproducts;
·Obligessellerstoreportrecallsandempowersthegovernmenttoorder
recalls;
·Empowersinspectorstoenterapremisestoorderseizures,recallsandany
otheractivitiesdeemednecessary;
·CreatespenaltiesforbothviolationsandoffencesundertheAct.Directors,
officersandmanagerscanbehelddirectlyliablefortheactionsofthelegal
entitythattheyrepresent.
Conclusion
Inshort,itisstillearlytodeterminetheimpactthatBillC-6,ifapproved,willhaveon
theindustryandthepublic.Ononehand,thisnewrevisionmaintainstheimposition
ofastrictdocumentation,reportingandauditingsystem.Ontheotherhand,theAct
rendersexplicitvariousgeneralprinciplesthatarealreadywellrecognizedbycertain
industrystandardassociationsliketheCSAandtheISO.Aswell,therecent
amendmentsseemtoweakenthepowersgiventoInspectorsandtotheMinister
withrespecttoinspectionsandinformationsharing.
Wewillcontinuetomonitorandreportfurtherdevelopmentsregardingtherecently
amendedCanadaConsumerProductSafetyActinfuturenewsletters.Formore
informationonthecurrentBill,pleasedonothesitatetocontactus.
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