Every time there’s a warning or recall over lead-tainted toys–and it hasn’t happened much this past year, but check out our archives from a couple of years ago–lots of people get up in arms about not being able to trust the government or big business. Well, one woman has bought herself an X-ray flourescence (XRF) analyzer and now hires her services out to worried families, reports the Washington Post. For a fee, she’ll come to your house, point her gun at your kids’ toys, your heirlooms, the fishtank, whatever you ask her to test, and then tell you whether you should throw it out. [More]
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RC2 Agrees To Pay $1.25 Million Over Lead Toys
By 12.29.09
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has just worked out another penalty settlement with a toy company over those lead-tainted toys that graced shelves from 2005 to 2007. Reuters says RC2 will pay a $1.25 million civil penalty to resolve allegations that it “imported and sold Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys with paints and surface coatings that contained lead levels above legal limits.” About two years ago, RC2 settled a class-action lawsuit over the same toys. [More]
Pretty Much All Roman And Roll-Up Blinds Recalled
By 12.15.09
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council have announced a “recall to repair” of all Roman shades and roll-up shades, after multiple reports of deaths and near strangulations in recent years. If you’ve got kids in your house and you use either type of window covering, visit www.windowcoverings.org or call 800-506-4636 to receive a free kit that will let you retrofit the shades and blinds with clips. [More]
CPSC Links Chinese Drywall To Home Corrosion
By 11.23.09
The CPSC announced findings linking Chinese drywall to reports of home corrosion, and a possible link between the sulfuric gas emitting from them and health problems.
Stroller Company Maclaren Knew About Amputation Risk 5 Years Ago
By 11.12.09
The British company Maclaren knew that its recently recalled strollers could potentially lop off a tot’s fingertips over five years ago, reports the New York Post, but it didn’t bother to alert the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
1 Million Maclaren Strollers Recalled After 12 Finger Amputations
By 11.9.09
Following 12 reports of accidental finger amputation, stroller company Maclaren is recalling 1 million strollers. Every single Maclaren stroller sold since 1999 is included in the recall.
Recall Roundup: Extra Scary Edition
By 10.31.09
It’s Halloween, and what’s scarier than exploding DVD player batteries and killer flatware? Or dairy lurking in an innocent-looking tortilla? What about a zombie ATV that accelerates on its own?
First Results Of Gov Study Of Chinese Drywall Inconclusive, But More Tests To Come
By 10.30.09
Yesterday the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced some findings from its study of the problematic Chinese drywall, which 1,900 Florida homeowners have complained stinks and makes people sick. The commission told the Associated Press that “no connections have been made yet,” but that they’re doing more tests—which means there’s still no definitive answer on who should be held financially responsible if the homes have to be gutted and repaired, which the Wall Street Journal says could cost as much as $25 billion dollars.
Blair Recalls More Flammable Clothing After Yet Another Fire
By 10.23.09
“Consumers Urged to Stop Use of Flammable Wearing Apparel,” says the warning on the Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site. You would think so, wouldn’t you? But Blair, the catalog where your grandmother probably gets all of her clothes, has expanded their recall of chenille sleepwear after nine deaths and another reported chenille fire.
Air Compressor Company Re-Recalls 700,000 Products After Continuing To Receive Injury Complaints
By 10.9.09
In 2006, DeVilbiss recalled nearly 700,000 pressure washers and air compressors to replace the pneumatic tires, which were sometimes bursting on models that used plastic rims. Apparently not enough consumers responded then, because the complaints keep rolling in, so they’ve announced a do-over.
Target Must Pay $600,000 To Settle Lead Paint Charges
By 10.1.09
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.
By 9.10.09
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Great news, homeowners! Drywall manufactured in China from waste byproducts may have a horrible stench and corrode everything in your house, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission has concluded that at least it’s not radioactive. [Consumer Reports Safety]
Mattel, Primary Reason For Toy Safety Law, Gets Exempted From It
By 8.28.09
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.
Over 5 Million Window Treatments Recalled Today, While Nation's Peeping Toms Celebrate*
By 8.27.09
Three children have died after being strangled in the cords of window blinds, so today six companies announced a massive recall of several brands of window treatments.
More Dead Infants Prompt Re-Recall Of Simplicity Bassinet
By 8.20.09
The CPSC has issued a second recall of convertible “close-sleeper/bedside sleeper” bassinets made by Simplicity after learning of two additional infant deaths since the bassinets were recalled last August. Here is a Consumer Reports video explaining the dangers of the recalled bassinets.
By 7.8.09
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More than one million play yards made by Kolcraft and sold under a variety of names have been recalled. Brands include Kolcraft, Carter’s, Sesame Street, Jeep, Contours, Care Bears and Eric Carle. There’s a problem with the side rail, and children can fall out. Check to see if yours is affected at the CPSC.
