Step back from the ledge, makers of lovingly hand-carved wooden dolls: the Consumer Product Safety Commission has lurched into action and tentatively agreed to exempt some materials and items from the lead-testing requirements in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

We were unable to find the actual votes on the CPSC's site, but we assume they were on these four proposed exemptions (PDFs). According to the L.A. Times, the CPSC agreed to exempt:

• Items with lead parts that a child cannot access
• Clothing, toys and other goods made of natural materials such as cotton and wood; and
• Electronics that are impossible to make without lead

If your fears still aren't assuaged, take heart: the CPSC is underfunded and can't afford to come after your Etsy store:

Whether federal regulators will enforce the rules—which might entail inspections at thousands of secondhand stores and toy shops across the country—is another question.

"The CPSC is an agency with limited resources and tremendous responsibility to protect the safety of families," said Scott Wolfson, a CPSC spokesman. "Our focus will be on those areas we can have the biggest impact and address the most dangerous products."

Regulators Rethink Rules on Testing Children's Clothing and Toys for Lead [LA Times]
(Photo: jalexchasick)
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