So, how’s this for logic: Company makes product. Product is deemed unsafe to consumers. Government recommends recall. Company issues product recall…or not.
That’s right: in many cases, product recalls are voluntary.
If that sounds odd to you, you’re not alone. Canada’s parliament voted this week to pass the sweeping new Consumer Product Safety Act, a piece of legislation that, among other things, will allow the government to order mandatory recalls of unsafe goods. Until now, it was up to businesses themselves to actually initiate a produt recall, even after the Canadian government called for one.
Naturally, most companies are inclined to comply with recall recommendations. Keeping unsafe or unhealthy items on store shelves in the face of negative publicity and government could be corporate suicide for a business.
The act will bring Canada up to speed with countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, both of which have had mandatory product recall powers for some time.
In any case, the new legislation is a great excuse for organizations across Canada and, indeed, anywhere in the world, to boost product quality and mitigate the chance of product recalls by implementing a streamlined, ISO 9001-certified quality management system.
