From the
Santa Fe New Mexican.com - WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the tools that teachers use to get kids jazzed about science — hands-on science kits — could face an uncertain future amid a debate on safety. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been mired for weeks in deliberation as it writes guidelines on what makes a product a "children's product." That guidance, expected Wednesday, is supposed to help sort out which products have to be tested under legislation passed by Congress over two years ago that requires rigorous safety checks for lead, chemicals, flammability and other potential dangers. Plenty of companies, from makers of handmade toys and Halloween costumes to firms selling science kits, have flooded the CPSC with requests for exemptions on some of their products. For the makers of science kits, it is an issue that they say could lead to fewer hands-on science experiments for younger children. The industry has asked the commission for a testing exemption for "general use" items such as rulers, rubber bands and paper clips inside the kits. They say the products aren't harmful to children, would be too expensive to test, and shouldn't have to be tested because they are everyday items found in homes and schools that don't have to be tested if bought separately at retail.
Read more
Kids' science kits may take hit from safety ruling
From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the tools that teachers use to get kids jazzed about science — hands-on science kits — could face an uncertain future amid a debate on safety. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been mired for weeks in deliberation as it writes guidelines on what makes a product a "children's product." That guidance, expected Wednesday, is supposed to help sort out which products have to be tested under legislation passed by Congress over two years ago that requires rigorous safety checks for lead, chemicals, flammability and other potential dangers. Plenty of companies, from makers of handmade toys and Halloween costumes to firms selling science kits, have flooded the CPSC with requests for exemptions on some of their products. For the makers of science kits, it is an issue that they say could lead to fewer hands-on science experiments for younger children. The industry has asked the commission for a testing exemption for "general use" items such as rulers, rubber bands and paper clips inside the kits. They say the products aren't harmful to children, would be too expensive to test, and shouldn't have to be tested because they are everyday items found in homes and schools that don't have to be tested if bought separately at retail. Read more
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment