Panel 1 presentation from the North American Consumer Product Safety Summit, 2018.

1. Panel 1 - North American Cooperation
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Health Canada and PROFECO
Joint Project Teams
4th
North American Consumer Product Safety Summit
May 4, 2018

2. Consumer Outreach Joint Project Team
Panel 1 - North American Cooperation
Social Media Campaigns
• Sports Safety
• Backyard Safety
• Poison Prevention
• Toy Safety
• Holiday Safety
• Baby Safety

3. Industry Outreach Joint Project Team
Panel 1 - North American Cooperation
Trilateral initiatives
• Presentations:
• ICPHSO – Recalls and North American
Cooperation (2014)
• ABC Kids Fair (2014)
• Webinars:
• Textile and apparel safety requirements (2017)
Bilateral (Can-US) initiatives
• Presentations:
• ICPHSO – (also with Organization of the
American States) increased transparency in the
Americas (2015)
• North American International Toy Fair (2015)
• Webinars:
• Toy safety (2015)

4. Customs Cooperation Joint Project Team
Panel 1 - North American Cooperation
US-Mexico initiatives
• Joint US-Mexico exercise (2015):
• Best Practices
• Methods of information sharing between
PROFECO and the U.S. CPSC
US-Canada initiatives
• Joint US-Canada Table Top Exercise
(2015)
• Import processes
• Targeting methodologies
• Best practices
• Joint US-Canada Targeting Exercise
(2016):
• Information sharing
• Identifying products of common interest
• Sharing risk mitigation results
• Greater collaboration opportunities

5. 4th
CONSUMER PRODUCT
SAFETY SUMMIT
"Cooperation in North America"
Bethesda, Maryland, May 4, 2018

6. 1
NORTH AMERICAN COOPERATIONINTER-LABORATORY COOPERATION
XRF Exercise
(X-Ray Fluorescence Technology)
• A protocol was developed to be internally applied on how measurement is done in the three
countries to obtain equivalent results in the market's verification activities.
September 2014 – June 2015
•Inter-lab study of the above materials to determine their total lead content in parts per million
(ppm) using a portable XRF analyzer.
April 2014
•Start of work to determine heavy metals in PVC, non-PVC-based plastic, aluminum, zinc, brass,
silica, tin, and plastic; sharing information on XRF technology and its use among the three partner
agencies.

7. 2
November 2015 Training
•During the 3rd
summit held in Mexico, PROFECO's lab personnel received training from the
CPSC on how to use XRF equipment.
• On November 12, the CPSC loaned PROFECO two portable XRF analyzers to develop its
staff's skills in measuring lead in the field.
April 4-8, 2016, Lab exchange program, at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC)
National Product Testing and Evaluation Center, in Rockville, MD
•Activities completed:
Sharing experiences with lead-detection testing in the chemistry department.
The CPSC explained the use of XRF technology to promote its use in the three countries.
In Mexico, the country's official standard requires toys and school supplies to comply with the
same lead levels as those required in the United States. Work is being done to modify the
current legal framework to accept the results of XRF technology in the verification process.

8. 3
Phthalates Exercise
April 4-8, 2016, The three labs shared experiences at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's
(CPSC) National Product Testing and Evaluation Center, in Rockville, MD
•Activities completed:
Health Canada (HC) and the CPSC compared analysis techniques to determine phthalates (additives
primarily used in plastics to make them flexible that are associated with health risks, such as breast
cancer).
Inter-Laboratory Testing
•The CPSC and HC are preparing a report of their results. PROFECO is working with public and
private entities to conduct the testing.
September 2017 Trilateral training at Health Canada's (HC) labs in Ottawa, Canada.
•The goal was to discuss and develop best lab practices for determining phthalates.
Work is being done to create Mexico's official standard to regulate the presence of phthalates in
consumer items such as toys, school supplies, baby bottle parts, waterproof items, lifejackets,
among other things.

9. 4
2018
•Technical experts from the three labs will be identifying new studies on
which they intend to work together.
Future Exercises

10. 5
NORTH AMERICAN COOPERATION
INTER-LABORATORY COOPERATION
Conclusions
• Cooperation among the partner agencies has enabled effective work to be done on risky products,
providing technical scientific support (inter-lab testing results) to supervise the market.
• It has enabled best laboratory practices, creating greater reliability in the analyses and results
obtained.
• The XRF technique has enabled quick, reliable, on-site verification of the presence of lead in
homogenous materials.
• When the XRF technique cannot be used for verification because the products contain different
materials, said products can be taken to the lab to homogenize them by grinding it up and then
measuring them.

11. A joint recall is a voluntary alert that companies coordinate with
two or more product-safety regulatory agencies in North America
at the same time.
Issuing a joint recall is more efficient for the industry than
individually contacting each country's agency at different times.
This also helps prevent confusion for consumers.
JOINT ALERTS (RECALLS)
6

12. Health Canada, the CPSC and PROFECO have issued 24
simultaneous joint recalls either bilaterally or trilaterally since
2013, including:
•9 joint recalls
•2 simultaneous bilateral recalls
•13 simultaneous joint recalls
7

13. Comparison of
International Recalls
8
6
4
2
0
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Recalls
1
2
4
7
8
2
8

14. TRILATERAL JOINT RECALLS (9)
9
2013 2014 2015
1. Product: Glass tea tumblers
Canada: 24,850
U.S.: 445,000
Mexico: 1,200
Risk: They can lose their
resistance, causing the glass to
shatter, leading to cuts and/or
burns
2. Product: Support for television
models 0BFM60 and 0BFM120
Canada: 385
U.S.: 196,200
Mexico: 21,437
Risk: One of its parts bursting can
cause the TV to fall over
3. Product: Various models of
bicycles
Canada: 98,000
U.S.: 900,000
Mexico: 24,241
Risk: The quick-release lever on the
front wheel can get stuck on the front
disk brake
4. Product: Portable speakers
Canada: 11,000
U.S.: 222,000
Mexico: 640
Risk: The battery can overheat and
create a fire hazard

15. TRILATERAL JOINT RECALLS (9)
10
2016 2017 2018
5. Product: Wall outlet adapters
(Travel Kit)
Canada: 80,628
U.S.: 814,000
Mexico: 2,110
Risk: They can break and cause
a risk of electric shock if
touched.
6. Product: All terrain vehicle models
Canada: 5,294
U.S.: 14,100
Mexico: 63
Risk: The splash guards located behind
the passenger seat can melt, creating a
risk of burns and/or fire.
7. Product: Several models (29 in
Mexico) of fire extinguisher, two styles:
with plastic handles and with push-
buttons (pindicator)
Canada: 700,000
U.S.: 37,800,000
Mexico: 6,736
Risk: Possible discharge failures and/or
the spray nozzle comes loose
8. Product: 2018 racing bicycles
Canada: 5,500
U.S.: 390
Mexico: 302
Risk: They can have a manufacturing
weakness in the top of the fork that creates a
risk of falling.
9. Product: Several models of electric tea
kettles
Canada: 47,350
U.S.: 40,200
Mexico: 1,631
Risk: Possibility of the connection in the upper
part of the tea kettle's handle separating and
becoming unstable, which can cause hot
contents to spill, creating a risk of burns

16. JOINT BILATERAL RECALLS (2)
11
2016
CPSC and Profeco
1. Product: High-intensity LED light
bulbs
U.S.: 35,000
Mexico: 501
Risk: The bulb can separate from the
base and fall, creating a consumer-safety
risk
Health Canada and Profeco
2. Product: Electric heaters for baby
bottles and food
Canada: 17,500
Mexico: 6,799
Risk: The manufacturer didn't wire the
product according to the design
specifications and there may be a fire
hazard for the product.

17. SIMULTANEOUS TRILATERAL JOINT RECALLS (13)
12
2014 2015
1. Product: Baby strollers
Canada: 202,066
U.S.: 4,700,000
Mexico: 10,320
Risk: The folding hinge located on the back of the chair
can pinch or hurt a child's finger, creating a risk of
lacerations or amputation.
2. Product: Several models of bicycles equipped with front disk
brakes and a quick-release lever
Canada: 245,924
U.S.: 1,300,000
Mexico: 9,558
Risk: The quick-release lever can make contact with the front disk
brake's rotor, causing the front wheel to suddenly stop or fall off
the bike, creating a risk for the rider.
3. Product: Trapezoid plastic rims assembled in playsets for
children
Canada: 6,496
U.S.: 121,000
Mexico: 5,490
Risk: The rims can break or crack, creating a risk for children to
fall.

18. SIMULTANEOUS TRILATERAL JOINT RECALLS (13)
13
2016
4. Product: Child car seats
Canada: 3,900
U.S.: 71,000
Mexico: 922
Risk: The handle used to carry it can crack and break,
causing a risk of harm to the child sitting in it.
5. Product: Relaunch of plastic-rim recall due to limited
outreach to consumers.
Canada: 6,496
U.S.: 121,000
Mexico: 5,490
Risk: The rims can break or crack, creating a risk for
children to fall.
6. Product: Digital multimeters
Canada: 3,330
U.S.: 114,00
Mexico: 3,750
Risk: They can fail and give an incorrect voltage reading, causing the
operator to erroneously believe that the electricity is shut off, which
represents a risk of electrocution, electrical discharge and/or burns.
7. Product: Batteries used in computer equipment
Canada: 2,600
U.S.: 41,000
Mexico: 4,489
Risk: They can overheat, creating a fire hazard or risk of burns for
consumers.

19. SIMULTANEOUS TRILATERAL JOINT RECALLS (13)
14
2017
8. Product: Strollers in travel system mode
Canada: 36,000
U.S.: 676,00
Mexico: 4,561
Risk: They can have a damaged assembly in the
"Click&Go" adapter channel, causing the strollers to fall
over unexpectedly
9. Product: Several models of aluminum and steel patio
chairs with a round spinning base and armrests
Canada: 30,000
U.S.: 2,000,000
Mexico: 14,000
Risk: the base might break during normal use, creating a
risk of falling and/or harm for consumers
10. Product: Expansion of recall for batteries used in computer
equipment
Canada: 5,700
U.S.: 445,000
Mexico: 8,520
Risk: They can overheat, creating a fire hazard or risk of burns for
consumers.
11. Product: Chargers used for video game controllers
Canada: 7,250
U.S.: 121,000
Mexico: 2,805
Risk: They can overheat, creating a fire hazard or risk of burns for
consumers.

20. SIMULTANEOUS TRILATERAL JOINT RECALLS (13)
15
2017
12. Product: Batteries used in computer
equipment Canada: 10,029
U.S.: 83,000
Mexico: 8,520
Risk: They can overheat, which could cause a
fire or risk of burns for consumers.
13. Product: 16 models of cell phone cases
Canada: 11,444
U.S.: 263,000
Mexico: 400
Risk: If they break or crack, the liquid inside can cause
rashes and/or irritation to the skin, creating a risk for
consumer safety

21. Conclusions
Close cooperation will continue in order to share information,
methodologies, technologies, and training related to product safety, with the
goal of protecting the consumers of North America.
We invite the industry to report to Profeco, the CPSC, and Health Canada!
The agencies are in constant communication, and will coordinate with one
another.
Send your reports and mention your interest in doing a joint recall in all
three countries to:
Profeco alertas@profeco.gob.mx
rar@profeco.gob.mx
Health Canada hc.cps-spc@canada.ca
CPSC Section15@cpsc.gov
16

22. EARLY CONSULTATION INITIATIVE
THIS PRESENTATION WAS PREPARED BY CPSC STAFF, HAS NOT BEEN REVIEWED OR APPROVED BY, AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE
VIEWS OF, THE COMMISSION.

23. Issue: Product safety requirements
that differ in markets around the
world may lead to:
• Consumer concerns
• Manufacturing errors leading to hazards
• Higher production costs

24. Challenge: Can we align product
safety requirements at a high level of
safety, especially among free trade
partners?

25. Experience:
• Existing regulations very difficult to change
• Existing voluntary standards very difficult to
align
• Work already underway nearly as difficult to
align

26. Potential Benefits:
• Common expectations among stakeholders
• Facilitation of cooperative enforcement

27. Solution?
Staffs seek trilateral consensus on unaddressed
consumer product hazards that are not already
the subject of a formal review

28. Method:
• Staffs select products of common interest
• Seek consensus on
– nature of the unaddressed hazard(s)
– preferred general approach to a solution

29. Outcomes:
• After consensus, each government free to
take action or encourage others to act
according to its own domestic procedures
• Product safety agencies strive to maintain
lines of communication with each other to
maximize the potential for aligned approaches
going forward.

30. First Products:
AC chargers and USB cube adapters

31. Tilven M. Bernal
Program Manager for the Western Hemisphere
CPSC Office of International Programs
E-mail: tbernal@cpsc.gov
Contact Information
31