Small Business Ombudsman

Connect with the
Small Business Ombudsman

The Small Business Ombudsman is Neal S. Cohen.

E-mail: Please our Contact Form
This is the best way to get a fast response.

Toll-free: (888) 531-9070

Follow us on Twitter

@CPSCSmallBiz

Please subscribe for occasional e-mail updates from the Small Business Ombudsman.

Responsibilities:

All manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers - regardless of size - MUST report to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission under Section 15(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) within 24 hours of obtaining information which reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial risk of injury to the public, presents an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or does not comply with a consumer product safety rule or standard issued under the CPSA or with any of the other laws, regulations, rules, standards or bans enforced by CPSC, 15 U.S.C. § 2064(b).

The Recall Handbook familiarizes companies with their reporting requirements. The Commission's interpretive regulation, Substantial Product Hazard Reports, 16 C.F.R. Part 1115, explains a company's obligations and the Commission's procedures.

Failure to notify the CPSC of a problem with your product may result in the imposition of civil penalties of up to $100,000 per violation up to the maximum of $15 million for any related series of violations and/or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.

Notification MUST be reported to the CPSC's Office of Compliance using the report form and NOT to this e-mail address.

Welcome!

The Small Business Ombudsman (SBO) is here to provide you with guidance to make sure that your small business’s consumer products are in compliance with the applicable federal laws on consumer product safety. We recognize that some of our important consumer product safety rules may be difficult to find and may appear complex to you if you don’t have prior experience in this area. To help alleviate these issues, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has approved the creation of a full-time small ombudsman position to assist America’s small businesses.

The Ombudsman serves as a dedicated resource for small businesses in CPSC-regulated industries when they have issues or technical questions concerning CPSC's statutes, regulations, regulatory processes, or other issues for which they need guidance. We seek to provide you with easy to understand answers to your questions. We are also here to identify broader issues of concern to the small business community and to proactively seek solutions to each issue by working internally with the appropriate Commission staff.

Where do I begin?

We have recently added resources about the various regulatory requirements. Presently you can find the most commonly referenced requirements below. Please bookmark this page and check back periodically in the coming months for additional resources.

CPSC Helpful Resource List:

What is a Children’s Product?	www.cpsc.gov/childrensproduct
Key Substantive Requirements for Non-Children’s Products
Table of Regulated Products:	www.cpsc.gov/businfo/reg.html
Reporting Requirements:	www.cpsc.gov/businfo/unreg.html
Key Substantive Requirements for Children’s Products
Total Lead Content:	www.cpsc.gov/lead
Toy Safety Standard:	www.cpsc.gov/toysafety
Ban on Phthalates:	www.cpsc.gov/phthalates
Lead in Paint and Surface Coatings:	Lead in Paint Regulatory Summary (pdf)
Ban on Small Parts (Children less than 6 years old):	Small Parts Regulatory Summary (pdf)
Durable Infant or Nursery Product:	www.cpsc.gov/durableinfantproducts
- Product Registration Card Requirement:	www.cpsc.gov/productregistrationcard
Key Procedural Requirements for Children’s Products
Information on Third Party Testing & Certification:	www.cpsc.gov/3PT
Locate a CPSC-accepted laboratory:	www.cpsc.gov/labsearch
Tracking Labels:	www.cpsc.gov/trackinglabel
Other Helpful Information
Register for the Publicly-Accessible Consumer Database:	www.SaferProducts.gov
Voluntary Standards:	www.cpsc.gov/volstd/vslinks.html
Small Batch Manufacturers: Does your business have total gross revenues of $1 million or less a year? Then you may qualify for special third party testing requirements as a “small batch manufacturer.” To learn all of the details, go to:	www.cpsc.gov/smallbatch

Webcasts: The webcasts below may provide you with additional context and explanation to the requirements listed above.
	Small Business Ombudsman Presentation [Slides Only]: "Toy Safety Update: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Rules, Regulations, & Special Treatment for Small Batch Manufacturers" at New York International Toy Fair (Tuesday, February 14, 2012) [pdf]
	Small Business Ombudsman Webcast: "Tracking Labels, Children’s Product Certification, Third Party Testing, & Component Part Testing" (Tuesday, January 24, 2012) (Approx. 20 minutes.) and associated slides [pdf]
	Small Business Ombudsman Webcast: "Small Batch Manufacturers: Registration with the CPSC and Limited Relief from Third Party Testing" (Tuesday, January 24, 2012) (Approx. 20 minutes.) and associated slides [pdf]
	Small Business Ombudsman Webcast: "Manufacturers of Cloth Diapers: Applicable CPSC Children’s Product Safety Rules" (Tuesday, January 24, 2012) (Approx. 30 minutes.) and associated slides [pdf]
	Small Business Ombudsman Webcast: "Small Batch Manufacturers of Children's Toys: The Who, What, When, Where, and How of Registering with the CPSC" (Thursday, December 1, 2011) (Approx. 1 hour.)
	Small Business Ombudsman Webcast: "Manufacturers of Children's Toys: What do I need to know and do by December 31, 2011?" (Tuesday, November 29, 2011) (Approx. 45 minutes.)

Additional Resources
	Doing Business with CPSC - Small Business Programs
	CPSIA Guidance for Small Manufacturers, Importers, and Crafters of Children’s Products
	Laws, Regulations, and Standards
	Report a Potentially Defective or Hazardous Product
	Resellers and Resale/Thrift Stores Information Center
	Non-Retaliation Policy
	Frequently Asked Questions
	Voluntary Standards
	Please note that certain materials in this section are being updated to better reflect additional Commission activities since those materials were first prepared.