The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act: A Review

Introduction

Bill C‐36, An Act respecting the safety of consumer products (Canada Consumer Product Safety Act ("CCPSA"))¹, which received Royal Assent on December 15, 2010, will substantially revise the existing regulatory scheme for "consumer products" and bring the range of regulatory tracking and enforcement powers to par with other comprehensive federal health and safety regulation statutes such as the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the Pest Control Products Act.²

This article provides a review of most significant elements of the CCPSA which include: (1) a mandatory reporting scheme for "incidents," (2) general recall powers to be exercised by the Minister of Health, (3) inspector powers to issue conduct orders, and (4) new private sector risk information monitoring and record keeping obligations to facilitate product tracking through the supply chain. These obligations include obtaining and maintaining information on foreign manufacturers,