Compliance doesn’t always equal safety. That’s one key takeaway from the 2025 Annual Meeting and Training Symposium hosted by the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization in Florida earlier this month.
ICPHSO (“ick-fa-so”), as it’s better known, is an international, neutral forum for product safety stakeholders to learn, network and share information to promote the development of safer consumer products around the world.
This year’s conference included updates from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Health Canada and regulators from the United Kingdom and European Union, as well as industry experts, testing labs and certification organizations. About a dozen representatives from some of PPAI’s largest member firms attended the annual event to stay abreast of the latest developments in product safety and regulatory compliance.
Data sharing and clear communications were a common theme of presentations during the event, from new regulations requiring disclosures and warnings to consumers to speakers encouraging attendees to collaborate across departments within their companies to better address product safety and regulatory concerns. Regulators also encouraged attendees to reach out to their agencies when they have questions or concerns.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the four-day event:
New Regulations For Online Marketplaces
Many of the sessions focused on the proliferation of online marketplaces and the risks presented by these often anonymous forums. Emerging rules like the EU’s General Product Safety Regulation, which took effect in December 2024, aim to mitigate those risks by requiring the registration of responsible persons, specific labeling of products and providing clear contact information for suppliers.
Product Recalls Require Constant Communication
Speakers encouraged communication and collaboration early and often. One panelist said it’s important to inform every participant in the supply chain, not just the customer or end user, to facilitate understanding and avoid unpleasant surprises. It’s also important to remember that not every recall carries the same level of risk and that many recalls offer valuable learning opportunities for continuous improvement. The panel also noted the particular challenge of motivating consumers to act and recommended layered communications using a variety of media, including email, text and social posts.
Labels Matter
In addition to improving the safety of products, many sessions touched on the importance of proper labeling, such as the warnings required by California’s Proposition 65 or the federal Reese’s Law for products containing button-cell batteries. Trista Hamsmith, whose 18-month-old daughter Reese died after ingesting a button battery in 2020, told attendees that a child swallows a battery every 75 seconds. In addition to advocating for Reese’s Law, which requires prominent warning labels and battery compartments that are harder to access, Hamsmith also worked with Energizer to develop safer button batteries that taste bitter and turn blue in a child’s mouth to alert caregivers. (Note: CPSC now has a webpage devoted to business guidance for button cell and coin batteries.)
Product Safety Is For Everyone
In a lunchtime keynote address, Ron Masciantonio, senior vice president, general counsel & new business development of retailer Five Below, told attendees that most companies view product safety as a cost center. Rather than treat safety as an isolated function that only concerns the compliance department, he said, companies should engage teams from all departments to share information and build consensus. “Compliance is a shared responsibility, not a policing function,” Masciantonio told attendees.
Aligning Regulations Is A Challenge (But Possible)
Several speakers discussed the potential for harmonization – adopting similar or even the same rules across multiple regions and jurisdictions – but all acknowledged that it’s a long road ahead. Again, conversation and collaboration were encouraged, as speakers said data sharing to identify similarities and parallels in the law can make harmonization possible. “We live in a global economy,” said James Joholske, director of the CPSC Office of Import Surveillance, “[and] as regulators, it’s critical that we have open lines of communication.” Other speakers suggested that global voluntary standards like UL and ASTM can help align product safety efforts in the meantime.
Safer Products Drive Compliance
Anders Persson, regulatory affair leader for Inter IKEA Group – which sells products in 60 countries – encouraged attendees to find the strictest safety requirements and adhere to those rather than create multiple product variations for different markets. He also said that testing is “the only way to be certain what’s going on with our products” and discover when it’s necessary to develop alternatives.
Product Safety And Sustainability
In addition to its main product safety focus, the conference also included sessions on sustainability topics like extended producer responsibility and life cycle analysis. Most parts of the world have some level of packaging EPR regulation already. Six U.S. states have active packaging EPR laws, and more are considering the issue.
This is another area where intracompany communication and collaboration are essential, panelists explained, because product developers need to be aware of lifecycle costs, prohibited materials and potentially cheaper alternatives.
Corporate social responsibility was also addressed. A panel focused on the intersection between products safety and environmental, social and governance concerns highlighted how the design and manufacture of products are increasingly influenced by not only safety regulations like PFAS and other chemical bans but also product performance requirements like trending “right to repair” laws and human rights regulations like those that ban the use of forced labor.
For more information on product safety, sustainability and corporate responsibility, attend PPAI’s Product Responsibility Summit this September 15-17 in Newport Beach, California. Explore the associated business implications, challenges and opportunities across unique areas of interest, connect with fellow compliance and sustainability pros, and chart a course for your company’s continued progress. Sign up here to be notified when registration opens.
