PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Ann Brown resigned on 1 November 2001 as Chairman and Commissioner of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after more than seven years at the helm of the agency. The longest serving Chairman in the CPSC's history, Brown was appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate in 1994. She was reappointed and confirmed to a second seven year term in 1999. Brown's goal as Chairman was to keep families safe, and she made the safety of children a top personal priority. Brown has set up a non-profit organization named SAFE, Safer America for Everyone, to promote consumer health and safety, launched on November 3. More information about SAFE can be found on its web site, www.saferam.org. During Brown's tenure as CPSC Chairman, the agency's funding increased by over 25%. Civil penalty amounts increased 2500%. CPSC announced, on average, more than 300 product recalls each year. CPSC passed several important safety regulations during her time at the agency, including standards for cigarette lighters, bunk beds, bicycle helmets, fireworks, dive sticks, and improved child resistant packaging. Brown always emphasized her interest in pursuing voluntary cooperation with industry. Under her leadership, the agency agreed to five times as many voluntary standards as mandatory, including voluntary standards for baby walkers, high chairs, crib slats, strollers, play yards, halogen lamps, and mobile soccer goals. Brown also secured a cooperative agreement with the children's clothing industry to remove drawstrings from the necks of children's outer garments (a strangling hazard).

Thomas Moore, who has served as a commissioner at the US CPSC since 1995 has become Acting Chairman, replacing Anne Brown.

Caroline Warne has been appointed to chair ISO/COPOLCO, the ISO committee on consumer policy for a period of two years from January 2002. She has chaired the British Standards Institution's Consumer …