Things are heating up over at the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently, with a slew of products that are being recalled for being literally hot fashions, due to the unfortunate possibility that they may burst into flames. [More]
consumer product safety commission
Maker Of Super-Powerful Desktop Magnets Must Recall Pieces, Provide Refunds
By 3.24.16
Nearly four years after federal regulators dealt a swift blow to the makers of super-powerful desktop magnetic toys Buckyballs, filing a lawsuit against the company and persuading retailers to stop selling the dangerous toys, a Colorado-based company has been ordered to recall similarly powerful magnets that can cause fatal injuries when swallowed. [More]
Target Recalls Valentine’s Day-Themed Mugs That Pose Fire Hazard
By 3.3.16
Imagine one morning sitting down to a nice cup of coffee in your cutesy mug only to realize its only lukewarm. No worries, the label on the cup says it’s microwave safe… except that it isn’t, and the minute minute you hit “start,” sparks start to fly. That’s the case for 12,300 Valentine’s Day-themed mugs sold by Target now being recalled for posing a fire risk. The retailer says the cups, which were mislabeled as microwave-safe, have been linked to three reports of sparks during microwaving. Customers should stop using the cups immediately and return them for a refund. [CPSC] [More]
Underwriters Laboratories Reveals How It Tests Hoverboard Safety
By 2.24.16
Earlier this month, Underwriters Laboratories announced that for the first time it would start testing and certifying “hoverboards.” However, the independent safety consulting and certification company didn’t actually specify how it would test the self-balancing scooters. [More]
Hoverboards Vanish From Amazon… Again
By 2.23.16
The list of retailers removing hoverboards from their virtual store shelves after receiving a warning from federal safety regulators grew again today, with Amazon stopping the sale of the self-balancing scooters for the second time. [More]
Target Stops Sale Of Hoverboards Amid Safety Concerns
By 2.23.16
More than two months after Target temporarily halted the sale of “hoverboards” over safety concerns, the retailer is at it again, removing the self-balancing scooters from its website. [More]
Toys ‘R’ Us Stops Selling Hoverboards Amid Safety Questions
By 2.22.16
Just days after federal safety regulators urged retailers and manufacturers to remove so-called hoverboards from their shelves if they don’t meet certain safety standards set by the Underwriters Laboratory, one of the country’s largest toy stores, Toys ‘R’ Us, did just that. [More]
Hoverboards That Don’t Comply With UL Safety Standards Now Considered Defective, Hazardous
By 2.19.16
Amid multiple reports of “hoverboard” batteries exploding or catching on fire, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined that the self-balancing scooters are not safe unless they meet certain standards. [More]
Underwriters Laboratories Will Start Testing, Certifying Hoverboards For Safety
By 2.3.16
If hoverboard manufacturers are going to slap counterfeit safety marks on their products, Underwriters Laboratories figures it might as well start testing and certifying the scooters, a function it previously did not perform. [More]
Microsoft Officially Recalls 2.25M Surface Pro Power Cords That Can Overheat, Catch On Fire
By 2.2.16
Nearly two weeks after rumors swirled that Microsoft would replace the AC power cords for older-model Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, and Surface Pro 3 tablets sold in the U.S. and Canada before March 2015, the Consumer Product Safety Commission officially recalled the chargers. [More]
New York City Bans Hoverboards On Buses, Trains
By 1.27.16
If you live in New York City and plan to ride the subway or hop on a city bus, you better leave your “hoverboard” at home. The state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Wednesday that it is banning the self-balancing scooters from public transportation over fire safety concerns. [More]
Britax Recalls 71,000 Car Seats For Fall Hazard, 49,000 Stroller Arms Over Choking Danger
By 1.21.16
When carrying precious cargo, you likely do everything in your power to make sure it doesn’t fall and break. Those precautions likely go double when that precious cargo is your child. To that end: Britax announced today that it would recall about 71,000 car seats equipped with handles that can break, leading the carriers to unexpectedly fall. [More]
Regulators Investigating 13 Hoverboard Companies, Amazon Announces Refunds For Scooter Owners
By 1.21.16
For nearly two months now, federal regulators have been working to get to the bottom of exploding hoverboards. This week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced just which brands of self-balancing scooters they are investigating, while also offering a few safety tips for consumers who might already have one of the devices at home. [More]
Macy’s Recalls 121,000 Martha Stewart-Brand Frying Pans For Shooting Metal Discs At Cooks
By 12.29.15
When cooking a meal on the stove, there’s always the possibility that a little bit of grease or oil will splatter on you. Something you probably aren’t prepared for, though, is the chance that a piece of the pan will shoot off, burning your arm, face, or other body part. [More]
Hoverboard Catches Fire At Texas Mall, Federal Safety Officials Record 22 Explosions In 17 States
By 12.29.15
Even as the holidays wind down, so-called “hoverboards” continue to be a hot ticket at retailers and shopping malls around the country. One such busy mall happened to be in Texas where a self-balancing scooter caught fire, marking it just one of dozens of fires reported to federal safety officials in recent months. [More]
Yet Another “Hoverboard” Catches Fire While Charging, Singes Carpet In New Jersey Home
By 12.28.15
As expected, so-called “hoverboards” – that don’t actually hover at all – were a hot commodity under the Christmas tree. But for one New Jersey family, the holiday gift quickly turned from exciting new device to dangerous fire-starter after it burst into flames while charging. [More]
CPSC Intensifies Investigation Into Exploding “Hoverboards,” USPS Restricts Shipments
By 12.17.15
One of the holiday’s hottest gifts has gotten a bit too hot, literally. Following claims that so-called “hoverboard” scooters have caught fire while charging, retailers have pulled the popular devices to ensure they’re safe. In the meantime, the country’s top product safety regulator says his agency is working “non-stop” to find the root cause for the fire hazards linked to the self-balancing scooters. [More]
Family Claims “Hoverboard” Scooter Exploded, Burned Down House
By 11.30.15
You’ve probably seen all the videos on Facebook, Vine, and YouTube of people cruising around on “hoverboard” scooters (that don’t actually hover at all, in spite of the nickname). While the product might be a hot item for the holidays, one Louisiana family says their not-actually-a-hoverboard caused a fire that burned down their home. [More]
