Saturday - October 02, 2010

The Never Ending Post

Science Kit Makers Battle Feds Over Safety Tests on Paper Clips

Federal regulators are hard at work making the world a safer place for kids—starting with the threat posed by toxic paper clips.

Never heard of a toxic paper clip? Neither have the manufacturers of science kits for classrooms across the country.

But they’re now locked in a debate with federal officials, who just moved a step closer to requiring costly new safety tests on the components of those kits.

The dispute emerged in the middle of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s work implementing a 2008 law that requires lead and other chemical tests on children’s products. As part of that process, the commission Wednesday issued guidelines over what qualifies as a children’s product—at the same time, the panel rejected a request from science kit makers to exempt the above components.

Toxic paper clip testing could be next.

Not every bell and whistle in the kits will have to undergo testing. But some of them could, depending on how the kit is marketed and other factors. The companies argue that the regulation subjects their products to a double standard—paper clips bought at the local convenience store would not be subject to any testing, but once they find their way into a child’s lab kit they might have to be certified.

“They miraculously become a children’s product when our clients pick those products up and put them in a science kit,” said Ed Krenik, a lobbyist for HandsOn Science, a network of manufacturers.

Posted by Drew458     on 10/02/2010 at 07:41 AM   
Filed Under: • Nanny State •  
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