Consumerist
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fines
Target Must Pay $600,000 To Settle Lead Paint Charges
Looks like the CPSC can afford donuts tomorrow for their office: Target has agreed to pay $600,000 for selling toys with too much lead on them from May 2006 to August 2007, reports Reuters. The fine "resolves allegations" over the issue, so now Target can focus on what it does best, which is act crazy. More » -
special treatment
Mattel, Primary Reason For Toy Safety Law, Gets Exempted From It
When the CPSIA—the toy safety law that requires independent lab tests on toys—was passed, a lot of smaller toy manufacturers complained that it was really a dirty trick by the big toy companies to increase overhead for the small ones. Now comes word that the government has secretly exempted Mattel from the law's testing requirements—even though Mattel was responsible for 6 lead-tainted toy recalls in 2007. More » -
you are what you eat
Multivitamins May Give You A Dose Of Vitamin L — That Would Be Lead
How does that Alanis Morissette song go? Oh yeah, "It's like meeting the multivitamin of your dreams, and then meeting its beautiful lead." More » -
pets
Treat Your Pet's Arthritis With Lead
People love their pets and want the best for them. That includes medical treatment, and loving, well-meaning pet owners buy over-the-counter supplements for their critters' aching joints. Unfortunately, nutritional supplements for humans don't get a lot of scrutiny, and those intended for pets get even less. A study by ConsumerLab.com discovered that arthritis supplements for dogs, cats, and horses not only didn't contain the quantity of active ingredients promised, but also contained...other things. More » -
fines
Lead Paint To Cost OKK $655,000
The OKK Trading company has agreed to pay a $655,000 fine for violating the federal ban on lead in children's toys. Over the past two years, the California-based company has issued six recalls spanning almost 18,000 toys and baby products. More » -
mattel
Mattel Will Pay $2.3 Million Penalty For All Those Lead Toys
Remember back when lead toys were all the rage? Oh, those dangerous days, when you couldn't lick a Dora the Explorer doll without fear of memory loss! Well, Mattel and the Consumer Prouct Safety Commission (CPSC) have reached an agreement on how much Mattel should pay for importing toys that exceeded U.S. lead safety guidelines, and the amount is $2.3 million. Maybe now the CPSC can use some of that money to grease the DC wheels and get their new chair nominee confirmed.
"Mattel to Pay $2.3 Million Penalty for Toy Hazard" [Bloomberg]
(Photo: IntangibleArts) -
recalls
Recent Recalls
These products were recalled recently. Watch out!
Fisher-Price 3-in-1 high chairs - falling
Acer Predator desktops - burning
FloraCraft Solar System Kits and DNA Kits - lead
Fleece child hoodies with drawstrings, various brands - strangulation
Zebco children's fishing poles - lead
Four Star Fresh Décor 10 Count LED Star String Lights - fire
OKK Trading Baby Necessities pacifiers - choking
Aviva trampoline - falling
Human Touch "Perfect Chair" - entanglement
Montessori N' Such containers - lead -
Used Clothing
Don't Worry, Reselling Children's Clothing Isn't About To Become Illegal. Probably.
Reselling your kid's used clothing could soon violate federal law. Come February 10, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will prevent retailers from selling children's products that haven't been certified as lead free. Old hand-me-downs, of course, haven't been certified for anything more than running around the yard. Parents are worried, petitions are being drawn up, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission isn't doing much to clarify the law. More » -
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consumer product safety improvement act
Hooray! CPSC Agrees To Exempt Some Natural Items From Product Safety Act
Step back from the ledge, makers of lovingly hand-carved wooden dolls: the Consumer Product Safety Commission has lurched into action and tentatively agreed to exempt some materials and items from the lead-testing requirements in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. More » -
toy safety
New Toy Safety Rule Has Collateral Damage: Handmade Toy Manufacturers
Thanks to big companies like Mattel, this may be the last Christmas season for a lot of handmade or custom toys from small businesses. More » -
walmart
Walmart Sells Lead-Tainted Facepaint For Kids
This facepaint for kids, sold by Walmart, contains lead. It says it right on the package. What the hell?! Maybe it's the tubes that contain the lead, not the paint? Doesn't sound right. Well, at least it doesn't smear. Large version, inside.
Wal-Mart Selling Lead Paint…To Put On Your Kid’s Face! [Wal-Mart Watch]
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lead
Some Outsourced Dental Implants Test Positive For Lead
If you're getting dental implant work done, you may want to ask if they outsource to other countries. A KPHO investigation bought 13 crowns from labs in China, Thailand and the US. Ten of them came back positive for lead, with levels from 110 parts per million to 240 parts per million. The problem may be from the surface stain used to whiten and brighten the teeth. Throughout history, lead has been used in paints because it's bright, cheap, and highly durable.
Some Dental Work May Contain Lead, Tests Show [KPHO] (Thanks to Nicole!) (Photo: dental ben)
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chinese poison train
Mattel's Toy Blood Pressure Cuff's Paint Was About 5% Lead
Just how much lead was in that toy blood pressure cuff Mattel were so reluctant to recall back in February? The one they said "me federal regulations and international consumer product safety standards?" Well, a reader's scientist friend working in lab tested it on the equipment there. According to his results, the amount of lead in the paint was 4-5% lead by weight. "For reference," he writes, "U.S. EPA HUD guidelines set the action limit for paint at 0.5% lead by weight. Any level over 0.5% is considered to be contaminated...Lead paint used on houses 50 years ago had lead content of 2-15%." -
proposition 65
Do Warning Labels On Flashlights Really Mean Anything?
Reader Bill wrote to us wondering about some cheap flashlights he bought from Amazon. Their warning label says to "Always wear ANSI approved safety goggles when using this product...Normal everyday use of this product is likely to expose the user to dust and microscopic particles containing lead and other chemicals known in the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm." Should Bill be worried about the cancer risk and reproductive harm of his flashlights? More » -
toxic toys
Mattel Losing Money As Manufacturing Costs Rise
Mattel is losing money as manufacturing costs in China rise, according to Bloomberg: More » -
lead
Let's Celebrate Easter With A Lead Contamination Recall!
The CPSC would like you to know that the Hobby Lobby has a couple easter-themed recalls. More » -
settlements
Reebok To Pay $1 Million Fine After Lead Poisoning Death
Two years ago athletic shoe giant Reebok announced a recall of 300,000 lead tainted charm bracelets that were given away as free gifts with the purchase of children's footwear. More »
lead
New York, 4:23 AM
Mon Nov 9
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