NEXT PROGRAM COMING 2027
Program Introduction
The Fundamentals of Product Safety program (previously titled Product Safety Leadership Fundamentals) is in its 15th year of serving as an orientation program for those who are new in the product safety field, or those who are more experienced professionals interested in a refresher course and updating their understanding of new practices.
The Fundamentals of Product Safety program is conducted over two and a half days on site with an option to tour the Bureau Veritas consumer product testing laboratories in nearby Buffalo, NY, during the afternoon. In addition, participants will be given a tour of the fabulous Fisher-Price toy museum.
The program curriculum is divided into pre-sale and post-sale product safety issues. It will provide a walk through the product safety process from product conception to recalls and returns. Topics covered will include organizational culture and ethics, risk assessment and hazard identification, product safety program design, legal and regulatory issues, the difference between compliance and safety, and more.. During the program, participants will engage in two different group exercises allowing them to work with others in their field to solve problems. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and network with attendees. A networking cocktail reception will be held the first evening to allow participants to get to know one another.
Who is this program designed for?
The Fundamentals of Product Safety program is designed to create a solid foundation of knowledge to support development as a product safety professional.
This program is designed for those who are new to the product safety field, for those who are well-versed in one or more aspects of product safety and would like a more robust understanding, or as a refresher course for any product safety professional.
This program can be a supplemental training program for members of a product safety team to create a baseline standard of knowledge and skill.
Why should you choose this program?
In this program, participants will be introduced to:
Product Safety Ethics
Organizational Structure
Risk Management
Design for Safety
Testing for Compliance and Safety
Legal and Regulatory Requirements
Best Practices for Sourcing and Manufacturing
Managing Recalls and Returns
and more
This program is led by the most experienced and respected product safety professionals in the field. They are comprised of engineers, attorneys, university professors, laboratory directors, and former CPSC officials. Our instructors are dynamic and thought provoking, and willing to share their extensive experience to help others develop their skills in the field of product safety.
Larry Bell is the Director of Product Safety at BSH Home Appliances Corporation in Irvine, California. Leading the company's product safety compliance program, he chairs the Product Safety Committee and oversees processes including hazard analysis, risk assessment, and incident data analysis for products in North America. With a pivotal role in product liability subrogation and regulatory liaison, Larry ensures BSH maintains high standards in consumer safety.
Pre-Sale Issues: Manufacturing Defects
Heather Capell Bramble is the VP of Product Safety and Regulatory Compliance at Mattel. Heather is a seasoned product safety professional, senior policy advisor, compliance executive, and litigator who has spent her career analyzing the various ways laws and regulations affect the markets, individual companies, and consumers. Importantly, she has done so from both sides—as Senior Counsel for Amazon's Product Safety, Chief Counsel at the CPSC, and advising major international clients on issues related to consumer safety, consumer products, consumer protection, emerging technology, and legislative and government affairs.
Product Safety Management
Ken d’Entremont is a professional-engineer working as faculty in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Family & Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah. He teaches engineering courses in product safety and engineering ethics, system safety, industrial safety, and occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS). Ken published a textbook titled “Engineering Ethics and Design for Product Safety”, which he uses for his product-safety course with an emphasizes on ethical decision making in designing safe products. Prior to academia, he was a Manager of Corporate Product Safety for Polaris, and a consulting engineer with Exponent (Failure Analysis Associates) and Triodyne.
Pre-Sale Issues: Design for Safety
Boaz Green is a seasoned consumer product lawyer. He has extensive experience advising and representing a wide range of companies on product safety compliance, policy, and enforcement. Before going back to private practice, Boaz was Chief Counsel to CPSC Commissioner Marietta Robinson.
Post-Sale Issues: Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Chris Harvey is Senior Vice President of Client Services at Sedgwick and leads a team of experts who provide comprehensive and customized solutions for clients facing product recalls, crises, or reputational risks across various industries, including consumer products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food and beverage, and automotive. Chris has over 19 years of experience in recall and crisis management and has successfully handled some of the most complex and high-profile cases in the field. He also serves on the board of directors and executive committee for ICPHSO.
Post Sale Issues: Recalls and Return Logistics
Mark Hickok is Vice President, Product Safety and Regulatory Compliance for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. He has been responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable standards and regulation for Milwaukee products, including UL, CSA, OSHA, FCC, DOT, and international safety compliance. He manages a team that performs hazard analysis reviews and technical literature activities. Mark participates in trade associations and standards making committees and is a member of numerous product design teams. Previous role as a Project Engineer for Underwriters Laboratories, Northbrook, IL. He holds numerous membership and affiliations including being a Certified Product Safety Professional™ (CPSP) and a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator.
Pre-Sale Issues: Sourcing
Don Mays is a product safety consultant, President of SPSP, and Chairman of ASTM’s F15 Committee on Consumer Products. Through past employment with Samsung, Deloitte, Consumer Reports, and Intertek, Don has gained deep understanding of the product safety field.
Pre-Sale Issues: Manufacturing Defects
A board-certified product safety expert and former CPSC Commissioner, Joe Mohorovic provides guidance on product safety compliance, supply-chain interruption, product liability defense, expert testimony and dispute resolution.
Product Safety Organization and Culture
Cheryl Possenti is a founding partner of the law firm Goldberg Segalla LLP and has more than 35 years’ experience in the defense of complex personal injury actions. With a practice that focuses on product liability matters and related litigation, Cheryl helps clients navigate the regulatory terrain set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other agencies. A respected counselor to the makers of toys and other children’s products, small appliance manufacturers, and many others, Cheryl assists clients in maintaining CPSC compliance, manages product safety litigation, helps coordinate effective product recalls and advises on mandatory government reporting and the assessment of civil penalties.
Pre-Sale Issues: Legal Considerations
Rick Rosati has been at Bureau Veritas for almost 25 years in different roles—as a product engineer, lab manager, and now a Director and VP in the Technical Services department. Rick was a member of the board of directors of ICPHSO and a past president of the organization. He chairs several ASTM subcommittees and is the past chair (current vice chair) of the ASTM F15 executive committee for consumer products. Rick currently sits on the boards of directors of ASTM and AHFA.
Pre-Sale Issues: Testing
Kenneth Ross has been consulting and providing legal advice on product safety, product liability prevention, and regulatory compliance for over 40 years. He has written extensively and educated thousands of business people, lawyers, and law students on these subjects.
Pre-Sale Issues: Warnings, Instructions and Marketing Literature, and Post-Sale Issues: Legal and Regulatory Compliance