CPSC Strategic Plan 2011 - 2016The 2011–2016 Strategic Plan lays out an approach to execute the broad mission to help keep people safe and prevent hazardous consumer products from entering the marketplace. The enduring purpose of the agency is articulated in the mission statement. The C PSC’s vision provides an inspirational ideal for staff and stakeholders to work toward over the next five years. This vision evokes an agency recognized for the leadership role it must play in the future to lead and support all who seek to improve consumer product safety.To enable the mission and vision, the CPSC developed five strategic goals to guide the activities and outcomes it delivers to the American public. These goals combine well established successes in the CPSC's existing operations with new initiatives that enhance the CPSC’s ability to meet challenges and advance consumer product safety in an increasingly globalized and networked world. Within each goal, a range of programmatic objectives outline the actions the agency must carry out to accomplish and measure progress against each strategic goal.Consumer Product Safety CommissionCPSC_ae90b390-4c58-44fc-adaf-0f1f970dbd5cThe CPSC is an independent federal regulatory agency that protects the public against unreasonable risks of injury or death from consumer products.Inez M. TenenbaumChairman, U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionConsumersThe CPSC’s primary stakeholder group is consumers. Protecting them from unreasonable risk of injury or death from consumer product safety hazards is at the heart of the CPSC’s mission. Moreover, the CPSC’s hazard detection and identification efforts rely heavily on incident reports and other data provided directly by consumers. In March 2011, hazard reporting by consumers will become simpler and more transparent when the CPSC launches its public database, which will allow individuals to more easily identify and report consumer product hazards. The CPSC interacts with consumer advocacy groups that work to address specific product safety hazards and also those that advocate for particular populations, such as parents' groups or physicians’ associations. IndustrySome of the CPSC's immediate stakeholders include manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of consumer products. The CPSC conducts much of its work with industry through manufacturers' associations and other trade groups. The CPSC works with industry throughout the chain of commerce to accelerate the implementation of globally recognized best practices that help ensure the manufacture and distribution of safe consumer products.CongressThe CPSC engages a wide range of U.S. government partners. Congress provides guidance and oversight of the CPSC's work through a variety of mechanisms, including passage of product safety legislation, congressional inquiries into specific issues, and assessment reports produced through congressional bodies such as the Government Accountability Office (GAO).Government Accountability Office (GAO)Federal AgenciesThe CPSC also works closely with a range of federal agencies such as the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Customs and Border Protection (CBP)In 2008, the CPSC increased its coordination with the CBP to strengthen the oversight of imported consumer products by creating a new Import Surveillance Division. This division marks the first permanent, full-time presence of CPSC investigators at key U.S. ports of entry. The effort involved increasing the number of staff colocated with the CBP at U.S. ports of entry, implementing memoranda of understanding (MOUs) designed to enhance information sharing, and jointly inspecting importers and manufacturers of consumer products under the CPSC’s jurisdiction.Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC)The CPSC was also invited by the CBP to participate in the Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC), a collaborative center for agencies to share targeting resources, analysis, and expertise to achieve the common mission of protecting consumers from unsafe imports. In addition to the CBP and the CPSC, the government agencies represented at CTAC include the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service. This initiative allows the CPSC to access manifest entry data collected by the CBP and to target shipments prior to entry into commerce. Food Safety Inspection ServiceBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)State GovernmentsState officials are also important partners for the CPSC, and the agency has historically recognized the role that state and local governments play in protecting the health and safety of consumers. Balancing the mission of the agency with legitimate prerogatives of the states, the Commission has developed a cooperative approach with the states, which includes commissioning qualified employees of state or local agencies as officers of the CPSC for the purpose of conducting investigations and inspections. It provides states with model legislation and standards for consideration and makes federal standards and regulations available as they are developed so that possible effects on state and local government regulations can be considered by the CPSC and states. In addition, the CPSC contracts with several states to perform functions in areas such as compliance, information and education, and injury surveillance. The agency works in cooperation with the offices of the states’ attorneys general to collaborate on enforcing state and federal regulations for consumer product safety where possible and coordinate responses to large-scale safety hazards.Civic AssociationsThe CPSC maintains continuous communications with national organizations and civic associations of government employees, such as the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) and the Safe States Alliance, and involves representatives of these organizations in the CPSC’s planning process.National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM)Safe States AllianceCPSC International StakeholdersIncreasingly, international cooperation is the means by which consumers are protected from hazardous and noncompliant consumer products since a product that cannot be sold legally anywhere in the world is much less likely to be manufactured.CanadaThe Commission works with partners in the Western Hemisphere, especially Canada and Mexico; with the European Union at both the central and member-state levels; with key supplier countries, particularly China; and with the emerging exporting countries in East Asia. With developed consumer markets, the focus is on cooperation with government product safety agencies on requirements and common concerns about conformity assurance from supplier countries.MexicoEuropean UnionChinaOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)This cooperation occurs on a bilateral basis and in international venues such as the International Consumer Product Safety Caucus (ICPSC) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). With supplier countries, the emphasis is on outreach and capacity building to ensure that products are manufactured to meet U.S. safety requirements. This includes cooperation with their national product safety authorities and in-country training for their suppliers, working with other partners whenever possible. The CPSC also provides English and foreign language text, video, and interactive training for foreign suppliers via Web-based materials.The CPSC is the recognized global leader in consumer product safety. _ed257a76-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e048708Protecting the public against unreasonable risks of injury from consumer products through education, safety standards activities, regulation, and enforcement._ed257e18-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e048708Leadership in SafetyTake a leadership role in identifying and addressing the most pressing consumer product safety priorities and mobilizing action by our partners._ed2586d8-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487081Goal Context: As international trade expands and supply chains become more global -- making available an ever-growing number of consumer products that feature an increasingly wide spectrum of technologies and materials -- the potential for new safety hazards will continue to grow. Regulatory agencies, standards organizations, and consumer and industry groups worldwide are working to address consumer product safety across multiple geographies and priorities. ƒ* In 2008, over 35 million people in the U.S. sought medical attention for injuries related to, although not necessarily caused by, consumer products. ƒ* Over the past five years, the CPSC handled an average of 473 product recalls annually, involving 116 million recalled items from around the world. *ƒ In the U.S. and around the world, it is estimated that there are hundreds of traditional and non-traditional standards development bodies comprised of subject matter experts who address technical requirements of product safety standards within their area of expertise. Leadership in Safety -- The CPSC will be at the forefront of advancing the agenda for consumer product safety. Working with key global and domestic stakeholders, the CPSC will mitigate the most pressing product safety hazards by effectively determining the actions necessary to address these priorities and clearly establishing accountability for progress... Why This Strategy Will Work -- By establishing a clearly defined leadership agenda that lays out the CPSC's priorities for addressing consumer product safety hazards and mobilizing domestic and international stakeholders, the Commission can target its limited resources and collaborate with partners to improve product safety.PrioritiesDetermine the most critical consumer product hazards and issues to define the Commission's annual priorities consistent with the agency’s regulatory requirements._ed2586d9-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487081.1PartnershipsCreate and strengthen partnerships with domestic and international stakeholders aimed at improving product safety throughout the supply chain._ed2588fe-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487081.2CollaborationCollaborate with partners ranging from state and federal authorities, colleges and universities, and other stakeholders to expand the CPSC's effectiveness and reach._ed258994-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487081.3State AuthoritiesFederal AuthoritiesCollegesUniversitiesHarmonizationWork towards harmonizing global consumer product standards or developing similar mechanisms to enhance product safety._ed258995-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487081.4InnovationPromote and recognize innovation and advancements in consumer product safety._ed258996-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487081.5ExpertiseAttract, retain, and collaborate with leading experts to address consumer product hazards._ed258997-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487081.6ExpertsCommitment to PreventionEngage public and private sector stakeholders to build safety into consumer products._ed258998-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487082Goal Context: The number of products available to U.S. consumers has grown, and many products now come directly from trading partners outside of the country. The challenge is that the majority of consumer product hazards and safety defects arise in very early stages of the supply chain, including product design and the selection and use of raw materials. Additionally, given the range of products that domestic and international regulatory agencies face, enforcement activities alone are unlikely to preclude preventable product hazards from occurring. ƒ* During the first half of 2010, the CPSC screened over 4,100 import samples at U.S. ports of entry. ƒ* In 2009, the CPSC collected over 1,500 import samples for testing in CPSC laboratories. *ƒ From 1998 to 2007, consumer products imported into the U.S. from China (including Hong Kong) nearly quadrupled to constitute about 42 percent of all imported consumer goods. Commitment to Prevention -- The CPSC will protect consumers by promoting the production of safe products and the development and implementation of safety standards. This will enable industry compliance with safety standards at various stages of consumer product development and distribution. By encouraging industry leaders and foreign safety agencies to focus on safety early in the global supply chain, the CPSC will help prevent hazards from entering consumer markets... Why This Strategy Will Work -- Preventing hazards from entering the marketplace is one of the most effective ways that the CPSC can protect consumers. The CPSC participates in the development of new safety standards, creates regulations, educates manufacturers on those safety requirements so that safety is built into consumer products. The CPSC has made significant progress toward successfully creating stronger mandatory standards pursuant to the CPSIA and will continue additional rulemaking as appropriate. The CPSC will also continue working with the consumer product community to create voluntary standards and will use a combination of training and incentive programs to assist and encourage industry to build safer consumer products.Voluntary StandardsMinimize hazardous defects early in the manufacturing process through increased participation in voluntary standards activities._ed258aca-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487082.1In general, the CPSC’s statutory authority requires it to rely on voluntary standards to build safety into consumer products if the Commission determines that compliance with a voluntary standard is likely to result in the elimination or adequate reduction of the risk of injury identified and that there will be substantial compliance with the voluntary standard. Voluntary standards for consumer products are developed based on consensus within voluntary Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) that are composed of industry, agency, and consumer representatives. While the CPSC has no direct regulatory authority to enforce adherence to these standards, many industry partners make efforts to comply with the standards because they represent an agreement among industry and other SDO members. When CPSC staff members identify the need for a voluntary standard, they submit a recommendation to an SDO based on consumer product incident data and analysis of that data. Typically, an SDO organizes a group to perform a technical assessment and prepares a draft standard for public comment. During this comment period, the CPSC staff provides expert advice, technical assistance, and clarifying analyses. After evaluating and incorporating public comment on the proposal, the group developing the standards provisions votes on the final voluntary standard (the CPSC does not vote on the standard). Once the voluntary standard is approved, it usually becomes the recognized norm for that industry group and product type. Mandatory Standards Mandatory standards are federal rules, set by statute or regulation, that usually define the required performance standards consumer products must meet, or warnings consumer products must have, to be sold in the U.S. The CPSC may create a mandatory standard when it determines that compliance with a voluntary standard would not eliminate or adequately reduce a risk of injury, or it is unlikely that there will be substantial compliance with a voluntary standard.Mandatory StandardsImprove the safety of consumer products by issuing mandatory standards, where necessary and consistent with statutory authority, in response to identified product hazards._ed258c00-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487082.2 The Commission may also promulgate a mandatory ban of hazardous products when it determines that no feasible voluntary or mandatory standard would adequately protect the public from an unreasonable risk of injury. In some cases the Commission, by law, considers whether a specific voluntary consumer product safety standard should become a mandatory standard. If the CPSC determines that a mandatory standard or ban is necessary, the Commission uses a highly participatory process to create the standard or ban by soliciting comments from consumers, industry groups, government partners, and any other interested stakeholders. When a mandatory standard is promulgated by the CPSC, it applies across the entire chain of distribution, including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Mandatory standards are enforceable by the CPSC, allowing the agency to stop at the ports products that do not meet federal requirements and to seek civil or criminal penalties for violations of the mandatory standard.TrainingFacilitate the development of safer products by training industry stakeholders on the CPSC regulatory requirements and hazard identification best practices._ed258d2c-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487082.3PreventationDevelop programs that provide incentives for manufacturers and importers to implement preventive actions that enable the safety of their products._ed258e80-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487082.4ManufacturersImportersUnsafe ImportsEngage foreign product safety regulators and foreign manufacturers to reduce the production of unsafe consumer products that may enter the U.S. market._ed258fb6-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487082.5Foreign Product Safety RegulatorsForeign Manufacturers Rigorous Hazard IdentificationEnsure timely and accurate detection of consumer product safety risks to inform agency priorities._ed2590ec-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487083Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC)Goal Context: Information on injuries, deaths, and other consumer product safety incidents comes from a wide range of sources including consumers and consumer groups, hospitals and clinics, and industry. This diversity of information providers makes it challenging to monitor, standardize, and compare safety data to track known hazards and to identify new ones. The 2011 launch of the CPSIA-mandated public database (www.SaferProducts.gov) will create new opportunities and challenges for data management as will the growing need to collect data about the used/resale markets for consumer products. *ƒ On average, the CPSC collects more than 360,000 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) reports, 8,000 death certificates, and more than 23,000 manufacturer and retailer reports on product safety concerns each year. ƒ* In 2009, the CPSC received about 15,000 incident reports from the www.cpsc.gov Web site and the Hotline. ƒ* Each year, the CPSC receives numerous formal congressional inquiries, as well as hundreds of other consumer, media, and federal and state inquiries related to product hazards that have been identified. Rigorous Hazard Identification -- The CPSC must quickly and accurately determine which hazards represent the greatest risks to consumer safety. Using a systematic and transparent framework, based in science, to assess and track hazard data in a consistent manner, the CPSC will proactively detect safety threats for the thousands of product types under its jurisdiction. Using reliable data, the CPSC will continuously identify hazards that represent the greatest addressable risks to guide the agency's efforts and resources... Why This Strategy Will Work The ability to effectively obtain, organize, and analyze information is critical to the timely detection of potential consumer product hazards. The CPSC is making significant investments in information technology (IT) to enhance and streamline hazard detection processes. The Consumer Product Safety Risk Management System (CPSRMS) will simplify how consumers, industry, health officials, and others report safety incidents while standardizing how relevant data is captured to enable expanded and expedited collection and analysis by the CPSC. The CPSC is also modernizing its IT systems and processes to improve its complex analytics capabilities. Additionally, expanding efforts to share critical information with federal agencies such as the CBP’s Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC) will foster more comprehensive hazard identification capabilities.DataImprove the quality and comprehensiveness of crucial product hazard data._ed259240-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487083.1The CPSC's public database, www.SaferProducts. gov, is one of the agency's most ambitious new initiatives. Scheduled for launch in March 2011, the database will allow consumers and others to submit reports of harm in a Web-based, publicly searchable format to the CPSC. The database will be designed with the needs of multiple types of users in mind. Creation of the database is being guided by a series of public hearings, focus groups, joint workshops with CPSC staff, and a rulemaking to determine how consumers, manufacturers, and consumer advocates expect to use the database and how they think it should work. The new database will make it easier for consumers, health officials, and any other member of the public to report safety incidents and to also view publicly reported incident information that the CPSC has collected from database users. For example, when a user logs into the database to report an injury, he or she will be prompted to enter product information into the system to determine whether the product in question falls under the CPSC’s jurisdiction. If so, the user will be offered a range of methods to submit the report, including e-mail, phone, postal mail, or directly via the Web. Submitted reports will capture information provided by users, such as the details of the incident; the nature of the injury or risk of injury; and product information including the manufacturer. Users who choose to submit through www. SaferProducts.gov will have an opportunity to review, save, and print their report during the submission process. The manufacturer associated with any given report will also receive a copy of the report and they may submit comments on the report which will also be posted to the public database. As more reports are added to the system, the searchable database will allow the public to determine whether products they already own, or are considering buying, are associated with safety hazards. The database will also provide manufacturers with real-time notification of incidents involving their products. Implementation of the public database represents a new approach to consumer product safety in which consumers will play an important role in assisting the CPSC to identify problematic consumer products early through transparent collaboration and two-way information sharing. The new approach increases the Commission’s focus on preventive efforts by more quickly identifying consumer product hazards and making safety-related information readily available to consumers.TrendsReduce the time it takes to identify hazard trends by improving the collection and assessment of hazard data._ed259416-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487083.2MethodologyEstablish a transparent, risk-based methodology to consistently identify and prioritize hazards to be addressed. _ed25956a-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487083.3U.S. PortsExpand import surveillance efforts to reduce entry of unsafe products at U.S. ports._ed259754-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487083.4U.S. PortsSimilar ProductsScan the marketplace regularly to determine whether previously identified significant hazards exist in similar products._ed2598a8-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487083.5Used & Resale ProductsIncrease surveillance of used and resale consumer products to identify and remove recalled products and substantial product hazards._ed259a10-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487083.6Decisive ResponseUse the CPSC's full range of authorities to quickly remove hazards from the marketplace._ed259be6-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487084Goal Context: The longer a hazardous product remains on store shelves and in homes, the greater the potential for that hazard to cause injuries and deaths. Moreover, both industry and consumer groups demand that response and enforcement efforts be predictable and carried out in a consistent manner. The passage of the CPSIA legislation expanded the CPSC’s rulemaking and regulatory authorities, but also increased the number of enforcement functions the agency must now carry out. *ƒ In the U.S., over 500,000 retail firms sell consumer products. ƒ* On average, the CPSC addresses 900 violations of consumer product safety rules each year. *ƒ In 2009, the CPSC negotiated $9.8 million in civil penalties through out-of-court settlements. Decisive Response -- Once hazardous products have been identified, the CPSC will take action to protect consumers, remove the products from the marketplace, and hold violators accountable. To do this, the CPSC will determine the level of risk posed by the product hazard and select the appropriate course of action and commensurate level of resources to address the risk... Why This Strategy Will Work -- In order to quickly remove hazards from the marketplace, the CPSC will more expediently apply the right resources to address priority hazards. By developing a transparent, rigorous, risk-based methodology, the CPSC will have a consensus-based tool for prioritizing its responses to those risks. By aligning its timely response operations to prioritized product hazards, the CPSC will be able to take effective action on the most pressing consumer product hazards.InspectionsExpand the CPSC's ability to conduct a full range of inspections to monitor for noncompliant and defective products._ed259d3a-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487084.1Risk-Based TargetingUse a risk-based methodology to prioritize the CPSC's targeted response to addressable product hazards._ed259f4c-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487084.2RecallsIncrease the effectiveness and speed of recalls of noncompliant and defective products._ed25a10e-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487084.3TimelinessReduce the time it takes to inform consumers and other stakeholders of newly identified hazards and the appropriate actions to take._ed25a262-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487084.4EnforcementHold violators accountable for hazardous consumer products on the market by utilizing enforcement authorities._ed25a3ac-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487084.5Compliance and Enforcement Response -- The CPSC takes a multifaceted approach to addressing incidents and injuries. Field staff investigates reports of incidents and injuries; conducts inspections of manufacturers, importers, and retailers; and identifies potential regulatory violations and product defects that could harm the public. The CPSC also responds to industry-generated reports and directs its technical staff to determine which of the possible violations and defects warrant corrective action. Industry has an opportunity to streamline the recall process by participating in the Fast Track Recall Program10 to immediately remove hazardous products from the marketplace. Between 2008 and 2010, CPSC staff responded to nearly 1,400 reports filed by industry for potentially unsafe products. Staff also conducted nearly 1,400 recalls of defective and violative products subject to CPSC regulatory requirements affecting over 400 million consumer products. Additionally, nearly 2,600 regulatory violations were identified and corrected, and nearly 750 Fast Track recalls were conducted. These actions reduced injuries and saved lives.Raising AwarenessPromote a public understanding of product risks and CPSC capabilities._ed25a51e-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487085Goal Context: Consumers, advocates, industry, and partner government agencies each desire useful and timely information about consumer product safety issues in order to make informed choices. However, these audiences have different information needs, and each responds best to different methods of communicating information. With the rapid increase in the use of social media and Web-based communications, the options for conveying consumer product safety information continue to grow. ƒ* Each year, the CPSC must inform the public of hundreds of new product safety issues. ƒ* By 2050, the population of the U.S. is forecast to reach 438 million, with nonnative English speaking immigrants accounting for the majority of that growth.11 *ƒ From 2005 to 2009, CPSC Web site traffic increased 200 percent; its safety blog received 1,000 views per day on average in June 2010; its Twitter messages received 6.3 million views in March 2010; and its YouTube Crib Safety video received 4,500 views the first day it was broadcast in June 2010. Raising Awareness -- The CPSC will use a wide array of communication channels and strategies to provide the public with timely and targeted information about safety issues and CPSC capabilities.  This information will empower consumers to make informed choices about the products they purchase and how to safely use them, to be aware of hazardous products in the market, and to act quickly if they own a recalled product. Additionally, the information will make industry aware of the hazards they must address to maintain safe products... Why This Strategy Will Work -- Raising awareness is crucial to empowering consumers to make informed safety choices. The CPSC has had success in educating the public through increased use of social media to communicate safety messages and through targeted campaigns such as “Safe Sleep” and "Pool Safely" that aim to reach the most vulnerable populations affected by certain product hazards. Because of the CPSC’s previous efforts in social media and other information distribution and engagement methods, visits to the CPSC Web site increased to approximately 40 million in 2009, and the CPSC launched "CPSC 2.0" in 2009 to expand its reach via Web-based communications. More detailed targeting of awareness outreach efforts will increase the number of consumers reached by the CPSC and improve their ability to make informed decisions.AwarenessIncrease awareness of the CPSC to ensure the public knows where to turn for information on consumer product safety, where to report hazardous incidents, and knows about the enforcement capabilities used to address product dangers._ed25a672-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487085.1Social Media -- "CPSC 2.0," the agency's social media initiative, was launched in September 2009 as a key initiative of Chairman Tenenbaum's effort to increase the number of consumers who know about the CPSC and who respond to safety information. Whitehouse.gov, along with numerous blogs and other traditional media sources, highlighted the rollout of the initiative on the OnSafety blog, the @OnSafety Twitter account, a YouTube channel, a recall widget, and a Flickr page. The CPSC instantly delivers recall information to consumers through its @OnSafety account, with more than 4,000 followers and an overall reach of five to seven million people for large recalls. The YouTube account, www. youtube.com/USCPSC, includes demonstration videos, advice for consumers, speeches from the Chairman, and recall information. Internet videos are a unique way for consumers to instantly see and learn about harmful products that may spur them to act immediately if they own a recalled product. The CPSC’s blog, www.cpsc.gov/ onsafety/, is becoming popular with consumers who are looking for a different perspective on a recall announcement or safety campaign—a perspective that is tailored to answering their questions or concerns about how to keep their family safe. The recall widget is a vital tool that spreads the agency’s recall information to millions of consumers who operate or visit blogs. This low-cost, high-impact new media initiative was recently expanded to include a recall application. Consumer Product SafetyProvide stakeholders with easily accessible, timely, and useful safety information on consumer product hazards._ed25a7d0-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487085.2Neighborhood Safety Network (NSN)The CPSC created the NSN for organizations to distribute critical safety information to consumers who might otherwise not receive it. More than 4,000 individuals and organizations from around the world share lifesaving safety information with neighbors, communities, friends, and family who may not be aware of the hazards that exist in and around the home. NSN members are well respected in their community and can deliver safety messages directly to their constituents. Members include tribal leaders, fire departments, Safe Kids coalitions, health care providers, elected officials, and Blue Cross/ Blue Shield subscribers. For example, the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs forwards information to more than 50 providers who deliver services to children with disabilities so they can assist in spreading messages to keep children safe. Organizations in the network receive messages from the CPSC about crib safety, choking hazards, helmet use, hazards that affect the elderly, ATV safety, and breaking news about recalls, among other items. The CPSC has a variety of free publications, posters, and checklists that are provided to members in an electronic tool kit to help communities and consumers create their own safety programs. OutreachDeploy targeted outreach campaigns for priority hazards and vulnerable communities._ed25a96a-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487085.3Vulnerable CommunitiesMinority CommunitiesMinority Outreach -- The CPSC is committed to a better understanding of whether particular racial or ethnic groups are disproportionately affected by product-related hazards, with an emphasis on child death rates associated with drowning, strangulation or suffocation in bed, and poisoning. Due to past data limitations, however, the CPSC has not analyzed potential disparities relating to consumer products under its jurisdiction. The CPSC is currently working to leverage its own information, and that collected by other federal agencies, hospitals under contract with the CPSC, and others, to better identify, to reduce, or to eliminate any such disparities. Further, the CPSC endeavors to increase and improve consumer information efforts targeted to minority and underserved communities, and to measure the impact of its efforts. On a grassroots level, the CPSC organized a minority outreach team in 2010 that developed materials and participated in community events in several cities. Additional events are being planned, and partnerships with minority media, grassroots organizations, universities, colleges, and state and local governments already have been established. These activities and collaborative partnerships are designed specifically to increase awareness about four critical safety hazards that affect consumers in the home: safe sleep environment, poison prevention, pool and spa safety, and TV and furniture tip-over prevention.Underserved CommunitiesIndustry & Small BusinessesIncrease access to consumer product safety information for industry and small businesses._ed25aadc-b2ea-11e4-adeb-85e16e0487085.4IndustrySmall Businesses2010-10-012016-09-302015-02-12http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/123374/2011strategic.pdfOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net