You are production manager for a company that manufactures toy stuffed animals. The current stuffing in the manufacturing process has become prohibitively expensive and you have been tasked with finding an alternative stuffing. You have found a new stuffing that is compatible with your assembly line and within the price range set by the company. This new stuffing contains a fiber that may be linked to lung disease if it is inhaled after becoming airborne. You believe that risk can be effectively controlled by using a rayon cloth “second skin” to enclose the stuffing before attaching the outer covering of the animal. The cost of the stuffing and enclosing it in a “second skin” is still within the price range set by the company.
Discuss the regulatory issues your company faces if it should choose to use this new stuffing with the “second skin.” What federal regulatory agencies would regulate use of this stuffing, what requirements must your company comply with if it uses the stuffing?