Canada Seeks to Improve Product Safety Laws
The government of Canada recently introduced proposed legislation that will modernize and strengthen product safety laws by overhauling existing rules to further protect the health and safety of Canadians.
The proposed Canada Consumer Product Safety Act will provide better oversight of consumer products in Canada by improving the government's ability to take timely compliance and enforcement actions when unsafe products are identified. It also will encourage compliance through higher fines and increased penalties for violators, officials said.
"Our government is committed to protecting consumers from unsafe products, and has consulted widely with the public on this proposed legislation," said Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq. "We will continue to work with industry to enhance consumer product safety, and provide Canadian families with better information so they can make informed choices about the products they buy."
The proposed Canada Consumer Product Safety Act will work to prevent problems from occurring, target the highest risk products, and respond to problems more rapidly and effectively, officials said. It will prohibit the manufacture, importation, advertisement or sale of consumer products that pose an unreasonable danger to human health or safety. It will also require mandatory reporting by suppliers of serious product-related incidents, including those where injury may have been averted, or defects that could cause serious injury or illness.
The proposed legislation is part of the government's Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan, a comprehensive set of measures designed to strengthen and moderniz the regulation of food, health and consumer products. For more information regarding the Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan, visit http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.