The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Chairman Inez Tenenbaum has awarded the first Chairman's Circle of Commendation Awards to five individuals and groups for their exceptional contributions to consumer product safety. The new program was established to identify and honor people and organizations who have contributed in an important way to the benefit of consumers by directly and significantly reducing deaths, preventing injuries, and improving product safety.

"Consumers are safer today because of the work of these five individuals and groups," said Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "Each has, in their own way, pushed the envelope with safety innovations, advocacy, or product testing. Their contributions to product safety are invaluable."

The five winners of this year's Chairman's Circle of Commendation Awards are:

- ASTM Subcommittee F15.18 on cribs, toddler beds, play yards, cradles and changing tables - This ASTM subcommittee has been instrumental in adopting tough new voluntary safety standards for children's nursery products, especially cribs. These standards have saved countless numbers of children's lives and prevented serious injuries. The subcommittee's work was crucial to the development of CPSC's new mandatory crib standards - the strongest in the world.

- Nancy Cowles, Executive Director, Kids in Danger - Nancy Cowles is a nationally-recognized leader in children's product safety. She has been Executive Director of the Chicago-based Kids in Danger since 2001 and has worked tirelessly on behalf of children's safety issues. Nancy is a leading voice on many voluntary standards committees working to improve the safety of children's products and she has been quoted in media across the country on children's safety issues.

- Consumers Union - The expansive work of Consumers Union to test and research the safety of products has contributed to numerous recalls, helped consumers be better informed, and supported CPSC in preventing deaths and injuries. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Consumers Union has provided insightful educational materials dedicated to consumer safety, including its magazines, blogs, and videos. The group advocates on behalf of consumers before CPSC and Congress and is deeply involved in the voluntary standards setting process for consumer products.

- Dr. Gary Smith, Director, Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio - Dr. Gary Smith is a nationally-recognized pediatrician and professor of pediatrics, epidemiology, and emergency medicine at Ohio State University, who has dedicated his life to injury prevention. He has long advocated preventing injuries through design changes, educating consumers, and eliminating product hazards. Dr. Smith has appeared on numerous nationally-broadcast television shows and has been quoted in newspapers around the world.

- Gene Rider, Intertek Inc. - Gene Rider is President of Intertek Consumer Goods, North America. He has worked for more than two decades to identify risks and improve the safety of consumer products for children. Notably, Gene has focused on preventing childhood injuries and deaths due to choking, strangulation, and aspiration hazards.

This new award program recognizes contributions to consumer product safety made by individuals, organizations, businesses, state and local governments and other groups. All nominees were reviewed by an internal CPSC staff panel that made recommendations to Chairman Tenenbaum. The final decision on the award recipients was made by the Chairman.

For more information on the award program or to forward a nomination to CPSC, visit CPSC's website. The CPSC Chairman's Circle of Commendation Award is not an endorsement of any individual, organization, company, service or product.

- Chairman Inez Tenenbaum's remarks