Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent agency of the United States government. It works to protect consumers from unsafe products that can cause illness, injury, or death.
The commission promotes the development of voluntary safety standards by manufacturers. It also establishes and enforces uniform federal safety standards for the content, construction, and performance of consumer products. The commission has authority over a wide variety of manufactured goods, including appliances, baby clothes, gardening tools, sports equipment, and toys. Cars, cosmetics, drugs, and food are regulated by other agencies. But the commission regulates the packaging of some of these products to ensure that children cannot open them easily.
The commission can order the recall, repair, or replacement of products that it considers hazardous. It has the authority to seize especially dangerous products or to forbid their sale. The agency conducts research on the causes and prevention of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products. It also conducts programs to help inform the public about product safety.
Congress created the commission in 1972. The president appoints the commissioners to seven-year terms, subject to the approval of the Senate.
