We have been getting a lot of questions from readers who are also small business owners and are trying to navigate the new rules of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and determine the impact for their companies. Fortunately for all of us, Jennifer Taggart now has a detailed analysis up at The Smart Mama that goes through the new regulations in detail. Here's just a snippet from Jennifer's run-down:

Another critical part of the CPSIA is the phthalate ban. Effective February 10, 2009, certain phthalates are banned in children's toys and child care articles. A children's toy is a product intended for a child under 12 years of age for playing. A child care article is a product intended for a child under 3 years of age that facilitates sleeping or eating. In other words, if the product is used for sleeping, feeding, sucking or teething, then the phthalate ban applies. The CPSC has stated that the phthalate ban applies to pacifiers, teethers, bibs, crib mattresses, crib sheets and pajamas.

The good news is that this part of the law does NOT apply to existing inventory - only items manufactured after February 10, 2009. The bad news is that there isn't a easy technology to use for screening goods for phthalates like XRF for lead.

You can read the whole post here. This level of detail isn't for everyone, but if you make products for children, you'll definitely want to read it to get her take on things.