What I Learned: A Compliance Wake Up Call for Manufacturers

What I learned this week … came from a post that I found in a Consumer Reports blog. The article,  Tailgating Alert: Gasoline-powered blender banned by California Air Resources Board could have come out of the Onion because it is pretty over the top (who needs a blender with handlebars!?). But the punch line is not funny for the manufacturer in Phoenix, who probably had no idea that they were violating a California law and got slapped with a $240,00 fine.

The Lesson Learned?

I am not going to go into detail on this particular case, as much as anything I liked the picture. But the implications are real, and can serve as a wake up call to manufacturers. Compliance is serious business, and getting it wrong can cost a lot of money.

More to Come - Upcoming Research

I am in the process of finalizing a research report on product environmental compliance that deals with RoHS, REACH, and other product-related compliance issues. I will share more when I roll that out. Coincidentally, one of the biggest challenges identified with REACH was understanding the regulations. As one Phoenix-based manufacturer just found out, ignorance of the law is not an excuse. I hope that the regulators don’t make too big an example of them, I picture two guys in a garage trying to figure out how to keep from losing their shirts. But the regulators are clearly sending a message that they are ready and willing to enforce their mandates.

So I will share more of my thoughts (and a framework for product compliance) soon. For now, that is one heck of a blender! I hope you found it interesting. Who knew? I didn’t, if you did let us know about it.