Abstract

Last year’s record number of product recalls involving 110 million products was the largest number of recalls the U.S. has seen in ten years. Media attention focused on children’s toys made in China, but food, drug, and pet products were included in the recalls as well. These events highlight the problems associated with doing business with unproven suppliers overseas. If products are defective or cause injury, the company bringing the product into the country will bear the liability and costs. Last year’s recalls were the result of U.S. corporations’ failures in design reviews, product safety and hazard analysis efforts, product testing, or in-process quality control. Quality programs don’t offer much protection from recalls. To understand the entire scope of product safety and liability prevention, everyone must understand the potential issues and get on the same page. A sidebar article details the ins and outs of product safety and liability protection.