Plenary Session # 1: Collaboration: A Case Story and the Potential of Harmonization Across North America
This plenary session will cover two separate issues, with two separate panels of speakers involving examples of a past and a future collaboration.
The first panel discussion involves a case study of an issue where a consumer product had false markings. The panel will discuss how retailers, government regulators, and test laboratories collaborated to resolve the matter showing how a crisis can bring stakeholders together to resolve compliance issues.
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The second panel will present an idea for harmonizing a standard in the U.S. and Canada. Existing protocols will be discussed for each country and a demonstration of what testing can potentially occur in the future to bring the countries closer together to a harmonized standard.
In addition, the second panel will also briefly discuss collaboration among regulators in cross border recalls.
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This panel will explore the best practices for managing safety risks for innovative products in the ever-faster pace for both products and services and introduce the double challenge of innovative products and the speed at which those products appear and disappear in the market. Discussion points will include how the historic approach to developing and implementing safety standards is not keeping pace with innovation. Safety standards may lag the entire life cycle of a product, including innovative “second-generation” alternatives, resulting in the need for ever changing business models. The audience will have significant time to participate in the discussion.