safety first

(kusine)

Study: Tipping TVs Putting Thousands Of Kids In The Hospital Every Year

Whether you’ve still got an older box TV or a flat panel mounted on a wall, a new study says falling televisions present a very real danger to young kids. Thousands of injuries resulting from tippy TVs have been reported every year, say researchers, and the numbers coming out of emergency rooms related to tipping TVs are only going up. [More]

(ktorster)

JCPenney To Require Structural Inspections Of Factories In Bangladesh

Retailers and manufacturers continue to react to last month’s tragedy at the Rana Plaza factory outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh, that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 people. Days after Walmart announced its own program to review and inspect manufacturing facilities in the region, JCPenney has outlined its plans to audit factories. [More]

The Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity said it found this document tying a Walmart vendor to the collapsed Rana Plaza factory building.

Walmart Creates Its Own Bangladesh Factory Safety Program

While major European retailers have moved to sign a legally binding accord aimed at improving working conditions and factory safety in Bangladesh, the large American retailers have yet to join. Now, amid reports that some of its products had been made at the Rana Plaza facility that collapsed in April, taking the lives of more than 1,100 people, Walmart is creating its own program to inspect these facilities. [More]

(Michelle Rick)

Parent Co. Of Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger Is First U.S. Apparel Maker To Join Bangladesh Factory Safety Accord

Weeks after a garment factory outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapse, injuring thousands and taking the lives of more than 1,100, a number of large, global apparel and retail companies have signed on to an accord aimed at improving conditions for garment workers in the area and preventing future tragedies. [More]

(Darren Sethe)

Hawaiian Lawmakers Asking Airlines To Play Safety Video Warning Tourists About Drowning

When you think of a vacation in Hawaii, you probably picture pristine waters filled with colorful marine life, days spent sunning on the beach and leisurely swims in the sunshine. But it’s not all sea turtles and gentle spray, say state lawmakers. In an effort to curb a spike in drowning deaths, the state Senate and the Kauai Visitors Bureau are asking airlines to show arriving tourists an ocean safety video. But not everybody thinks that’s a great idea. [More]

(me and the sysop)

Warning: Do Not Store Your Glock And Ammo In The Oven

Sure, the oven seems like an ideal place to stash your handgun: it’s out of sight, but easily accessible in an emergency, and it’s not the first place an intruder would think to look for guns. Unfortunately, there’s a reason why this isn’t a common practice. Ovens get hot. That’s how a Florida woman got shot by the oven while making some waffles at a friend’s house. [More]

The heater attached to my legal document works surprisingly well.

Buy Lengthy Legal Document, Get Free Space Heater

Robbie is very pleased with his new DeLonghi Mica Panel heater. Attached to the cord, though, is a tag the size of a small flag covered with warnings. This festive decoration exists to cover the company in case a customer does something stupid with their heater. That makes sense. Robbie wonders, though: at what point do we accept the limits of human stupidity and stop warning against every thing that could possibly go wrong? [More]

Durex Ad Stunt Replaces Boring Pre-Flight Safety Instructions With Condom Demo On Polish Flight

Durex Ad Stunt Replaces Boring Pre-Flight Safety Instructions With Condom Demo On Polish Flight

The cabin door is closed, you’re tuning out and maybe reading a book as your flight attendants are in the aisle demonstrating all the safety features of… a condom? Say what now? Durex Poland pulled a considerably sassy prank on some airline passengers for the sake of making advertising gold, replacing attendants’ usual safety instructions with a demo on how to properly use condoms. Safety is safety, after all. [More]

Luxury Cars Aren't Doing So Well In New Crash Tests But Hey, Check Out That Leather Interior!

Luxury Cars Aren't Doing So Well In New Crash Tests But Hey, Check Out That Leather Interior!

There you are, rolling along in your nice luxury car with custom leather interior, awesome speakers and one of those voice-activated virtual assistants offering to find you a late-night taco joint and all is well with the world. Unless maybe, you get in an accident and discover that just because your car is fancy, it might not hold up so well in a crash. A new test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has resulted in some failing grades for luxury and near-luxury automakers. [More]

Remember, Folks: Don’t Leave Your Kids In Hot Cars This Summer

Remember, Folks: Don’t Leave Your Kids In Hot Cars This Summer

People in many areas of the country are already talking about how hot it is right now, so why not take a few minutes to stress safety in such a heat wave?: We’re sure most of you know that leaving any living, breathing being locked inside a car on a hot day is a bad idea. But even so, accidents do happen. Even if you’re in a hurry, leaving your child in the car “just for a minute” is totally unacceptable. [More]

NTSB: You Shouldn't Be Using Your Cell Phone While Driving, Even Hands-Free

NTSB: You Shouldn't Be Using Your Cell Phone While Driving, Even Hands-Free

The day could be coming when it would be illegal for that girl yapping on her headset in the lane next to you on the freeway to be yapping at all, even on a hands-free cell phone. The National Transportation Board said states should ban all cell phone use for drivers [More]

Over 5,000 Children A Year Fall From Windows, Need Emergency
Care

Over 5,000 Children A Year Fall From Windows, Need Emergency Care

Protective parents take note — it’s not just staircases, electrical outlets and sharp edges in your home you need to keep your kids away from. Over 5,000 children each year fall out of windows and end up in the emergency room. [More]

Senate Passes Food Safety Bill That Would Increase FDA Authority

Senate Passes Food Safety Bill That Would Increase FDA Authority

Earlier today, the Senate passed its version of a new food safety bill that would increase the authority of the Food & Drug Administration in making recalls and inspecting food processing facilities. The intent behind the bill is to proactively prevent outbreaks of tainted food instead of just dealing with the negative health and economic after effects. [More]

Structural Cracks Found On American Airlines Jets, One Could Have Lost Engine

Structural Cracks Found On American Airlines Jets, One Could Have Lost Engine

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that structural cracks were discovered on at least two American Airlines Boeing 767s, and air-safety regulators believe that one of them “easily could have lost an engine.” [More]

Woman Attacked At Walmart, Says Security Didn't Stop
Attacker

Woman Attacked At Walmart, Says Security Didn't Stop Attacker

A Houston woman says she was attacked by a man wielding a knife inside her local Walmart and that the store security did nothing to stop the incident or to apprehend the attacker. [More]