Comment from Joseph Boyden

I agree with this regulation on manufacturers to have their products intended for child use inspected by a third party prior to distribution. I believe there should be a proactive measure to ensure the safety of children products, rather than waiting for something bad to happen and doing a mass recall. If a product has to be recalled because it is unsafe, it is really too late and the damage has already been done. Making manufacturers obtain a certification on their product before it is distributed can give both the consumer and the manufacturer themselves a piece of mind that the product will not harm anybody. This is obviously going to be a big task and will most definitely require a lot of funds to accomplish. I didn’t notice any specifics on what products get inspected and what don’t, unless I missed it somewhere in the regulation proposal. All I saw was that “children’s products” which was deemed as 12 years and younger would be subject to a certification prior to distribution. Does this mean products that children operate or play with or products that parents use for children? I was unable to determine whether this is a regulation on toys, child car seats, strollers, cribs etc. Those are just a few details that I was wondering about, but overall I do think this proposal is heading in the right direction. Too many stories of children becoming ill due to lead in their toys, or children playing with materials that turn out to be flammable or toys that present sharp edges that can inflict harm, have been apparent in our society and we should actively pursue an avenue to prevent these occurrences, rather than correcting them after they already happen.