I am excited to say we here at Etsy had a call with Neal Cohen, who is the new ombudsman for CPSIA related issues at CPSC. We're talking about ways we might keep the Etsy community in touch and informed.
Neal is excited to hear about this new CPSIA team “Keeping Up With the CPSIA”. He told me he wants to be as open as possible to engaging with members here.
The best way for Etsy members to contact him and receive a timely response is by going to www.cpsc.gov/sbo and clicking on the “Contact Form” link on the right side of the page. That information goes directly to Neal and enables him to quickly check in with subject matter experts at the agency concerning each individual inquiry. Here's what he said regarding what info to provide in an inquiry:
a detailed question about their product, a description of the intended function of the product, the type of materials used in production, the type of printing process or fabric treatments used, if applicable, and the intended age group or audience, and a phone number (as he often calls back with clarifying questions). The can also link to a photo of the product or provide me a copy when I follow up with them. They should also mention Etsy, if possible, because that will give him a sense of where and how they are marketing their products. As the office grows and they notice trends in the questions, they also hope to offer educational materials and webinars to reach a wider audience in the new year.
So please see Neal as a resource. Best wishes, everyone!
