From Enviro.BLR.com:

EPA has announced a new policy to increase the public’s access to information on chemicals. This policy will reject a certain type of confidentiality claim, known as Confidential Business Information (CBI), on the identity of chemicals. The chemicals that will be affected by this action are those that are submitted to EPA with studies that show a substantial risk to people’s health and the environment and have been previously disclosed on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Inventory. This action represents another step to use the Agency’s authority under the existing TSCA to the fullest extent possible, recognizing EPA’s strong belief that the 1976 law is both outdated and in need of reform.

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Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CPSC compliance, OSHA MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

From the Bureau Veritas Group:

Beginning July 1, 2010, the Competition Bureau of Canada will enforce new requirements for non-food products labelled “Products of Canada” and “Made in Canada.” Since such labels convey to the consumer that the product was made in Canada, the new guidelines clarify the appropriate use of the label by requiring that:

- The last substantial transformation of the product must be performed in Canada.
- Products with the claims “Products of Canada” are required to have 98% of total direct manufacturing or producing of the product acquired in Canada.
- Products with claims of “Made in Canada” will remain subject to 51% of total direct manufacturing or producing of the product acquired in Canada, and shall be accompanied by a qualifying statement indicating that the product contains imported content.

The Bureau enforces the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Competition Act, the Textile Labelling Act, and the Precious Metals Marking Act. Although these laws do not specifically require country of origin of a product to be identified, they do address and prohibit the making of false or misleading representations. The Bureau will apply these guidelines to country of origin claims to determine if the claim is noncompliant and enforce action under the false or misleading representation provisions in the required statutes.

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Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CCCR compliance, WHMIS MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

From The Dake Page:

In continuing their seemingly new-found enthusiasm for existing authority under the current Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the US EPA is planning to issue a series of rules to better regulate nanomaterials. These materials are made small – very small – compared to other materials with the same chemical composition, and there is concern that they may have different risk profiles than their larger counterparts.

EPA announced in December 2009 as part of its “Action Initiation List” that it is developing a SNUR, shorthand for a “significant new use rule.” SNURs require manufacturers of existing chemicals intended for significant new uses to notify EPA similar to the way they would if it had been a new chemical. The argument is that since nanoscale materials may have very different properties than the existing chemical form that they may result in very different risk. Not a big stretch given that most nanomaterials are designed specifically to impart different properties to the uses in which they are intended.

Another rule (under Section 8 of TSCA) was recently announced by EPA that would require additional reporting of such things as production volume, methods of manufacture and processing, exposure and release information, and available health and safety data. Taken together with the SNUR, these rules would give EPA substantial ability to better regulate nanomaterials.

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Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CPSC compliance, OSHA MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

From The New York Times:

In a shift of position, the Food and Drug Administration is expressing concerns about possible health risks from bisphenol-A, or BPA, a widely used component of plastic bottles and food packaging that it declared safe in 2008. The agency said Friday that it had “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children,” and would join other federal health agencies in studying the chemical in both animals and humans.

The action is another example of the drug agency under the Obama administration becoming far more aggressive in taking hard looks at what it sees as threats to public health…The government will spend $30 million on BPA research in humans and animals, to take place over 18 to 24 months, health officials said at a news briefing on Friday. Dr. Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said the research would involve potential effects on behavior, obesity, diabetes, reproductive disorders, cancer, asthma, heart disease and effects that could be carried from one generation to the next.

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Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CPSC compliance, OSHA MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

From EurActiv.com:

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has added 14 substances to the list of  “very high concern” chemicals to undergo special health and safety scrutiny under the bloc’s chemical regulation REACH. The addition brings the number of substances under scrutiny to 29.

The identification of a substance of very high concern and its inclusion on the list is the first step in the new EU authorisation procedure. The chemicals agency underlines that companies may have immediate legal obligationsPdf external following the inclusion of the substances on the list.

These obligations are linked to the listed substances and products that contain them, and mainly concern the duty of suppliers, producers and importers to provide their customers and consumers with information, notify the ECHA or provide safety data.

The fully updated list can be found here: Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern for authorisation

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Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: REACH compliance, EU SDS authoring, SDS authoring

From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unanimously approved a new rule setting guidelines and requirements for information in mandatory recall notices. A mandatory recall can be ordered by the Commission or a U.S. District Court.

Information required by the rule includes: product description, action being taken, number of units, identification of the substantial product hazard and reason for the action, identification of manufacturers and significant retailers, dates when product was manufactured and sold, number and description of any injuries or deaths, the ages of anyone injured or killed, remedy available to consumers and other information the Commission deems appropriate…

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Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CPSC compliance, OSHA MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

From CBC.ca:

U.S. and Canadian product safety authorities will investigate the presence of cadmium in children’s jewelry imported from China, and Wal-Mart has pulled the items from shelves after lab tests showed some were made almost entirely of the toxic metal.

The promise for action is the result of an Associated Press investigation that found some Chinese manufacturers have been substituting cadmium for lead in cheap charm bracelets and pendants being sold throughout the United States and possibly Canada.

Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the U.S. commission, said the agency would study the test results and take the necessary action. Health Canada said it is concerned and has begun an investigation.

A patchwork of U.S. consumer protection regulations does nothing to keep these nuggets of cadmium off store shelves. If the products were painted toys, they would face a recall. If they were industrial garbage, they could qualify as hazardous waste. But since there are no cadmium restrictions on jewelry, such items are sold legally.

In separate written statements, Dickens and Wal-Mart said they consider safety a very high priority. “We consistently seek to sell only those products that meet safety and regulatory standards,” Wal-Mart said. “Currently, there is no required cadmium standard for children’s jewelry.”

Health Canada said its investigation will include sampling and testing of children’s jewelry for cadmium, and that it will take appropriate action once that’s completed. The agency also said it’s the responsibility of companies to ensure that consumer products they import, sell or advertise meet all requirements of the Hazardous Products Act.

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Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CPSC compliance, OSHA MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring CCCR compliance, WHMIS MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

ECHA reminds companies to start classifying chemicals under CLP as early as possible. Manufacturers and importers in the EU have to classify substances according to the new CLP criteria from December 1, 2010 onwards. And also must notify these classifications to the Classification and Labelling Inventory in ECHA by January 3, 2011.

Please read this important 2 page document released from ECHA for more information: 2010 – Time to Reclassify Your Chemicals!

From the Federal Register:

OSHA is scheduling informal public hearings on its proposal to revise the Hazard Communication Standard. OSHA anticipates receiving several hearing requests, and this document describes the procedures the public must use to participate in the hearings.

Informal public hearing. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m., local time, on the following dates:
• March 2, 2010, in Washington, DC;
• March 31, 2010, in Pittsburgh, PA; and
• April 13, 2010, in Los Angeles, CA.

Interested persons who intend to present testimony or question witnesses at any of these locations must submit (transmit, send, postmark, deliver) a notice of their intention to do so by January 18, 2010.

The Federal Register document is available for download here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-30713.pdf

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CPSC compliance, OSHA MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

From the Consumer Specialty Products Association:

January 1, 2010 marks the effective date for a consumer product ingredient communication initiative that three industry groups developed as a means for companies to share with consumers more information about the ingredients in four consumer product categories—air care products, automotive care products, cleaning products, and polishes and floor maintenance products.

…Companies participating in the initiative will have the options to list product ingredients on the product label; on the manufacturers’, distributors’, or importers’ website; via a toll-free telephone number; or through some other non-electronic means.

For more information on the initiative program follow the above link.