Fact – The Canadian Government has passed a new Canadian Consumer Product Safety Act that will require you to report all safety incidents involving your products, no matter where in the world the incidents occur.
Fact – Health Canada has initiated an “accelerated implementation plan” and is consulting on draft policies that will complement provisions in the Act. These draft guidance documents are open for comment until April 8th, 2011.
Fact – The effective date for these new industry obligations / requirements will take effect late June of 2011.
Fact – You do not just have to be a Canadian company to comply. This law applies to every manufacture who sells products in Canada!
The CCPSA makes very sweeping changes to the way product safety will be dealt with in Canada. The CCPSA will replace Part I of the Hazardous Products Act (Canada) and is intended to strengthen and modernize the 40 year old product safety law and to provide Canadian consumers with a similar level of protection as that which consumers in the United States and Europe currently enjoy. According to Health Canada, the government department responsible for the implementation and management of the CCPSA, the purpose of the CCPSA is to “protect the public by addressing or preventing dangers to human health or safety that are posed by consumer products, including those made in and that circulate within Canada and those that are imported”.
Documentation & Reporting
Any person who advertises or tests a consumer product (along with those that manufacture, import or sell consumer products) for commercial purposes must prepare and maintain documentation concerning the product as provided in the CCPSA and Regulations.
Any person who manufactures, imports or sells a product for commercial purposes has a positive obligation to report “incidents”. “Incidents” include actual and possible serious adverse health effects resulting from the product, mislabeling, and recalls in other jurisdictions
PENALTIES
The penalties for offences under the CCPSA are significant including fines of up to $5 million and prison terms of 2 years. In cases where the offence is committed by a corporate entity any directors, officers, agents or mandataries who directed, authorized, assented to or acquiesced in or participated in the commission of the offence are liable on conviction to the punishment provided even if they were not individually prosecuted for the offence. Due Diligence will be considered in the penalty assessment so can you afford to do nothing?
By implementing our patented A&A solution you can be compliant in a few days! Product Authentication, Track n Trace, Document Retention, Incident Reporting, Supply Chain Notification, and Recall Management are built in, not added on!
Contact us today to see how you can minimize the risk to you and your company and at the same time realize operational efficiencies and improve your customer service!