An AP investigation has found that, barred from using lead in children’s jewelry, some Chinese manufacturers have substituted cadmium — which is more dangerous. The AP tested one piece of jewelry that was 91% cadmium by weight. The heavy metal is a known carcinogen and is used in rechargeable batteries, pigments, electroplating and plastic. Children can ingest the cadmium by sucking or biting on the jewelry. They do not need to swallow it. [More]
safety
Home Improvement Books Recalled
By 1.8.10
The publisher of a series of home improvement books has announced a recall of nine of them, because of errors in their instructions on installing or repairing electrical wiring. The Consumer Products Safety Commission says no injuries have been reported so far even though the books have been published since 1975, which I think proves that nobody has ever actually attempted a project from any home improvement book. [More]
Greyhound Leaves 88-Year-Old Outside Of Locked Station In 38°F Weather
By 1.7.10
Greyhound left an 88-year-old woman, along with around 30 other passengers, standing outside a locked bus station on Thanksgiving Day on a trip from Chicago to Detroit. Roxanne, who was one of the abandoned passengers on the sidewalk that morning, says that was just the final insult after an entire day of failure on Greyhound’s part. She sent a complaint to Greyhound’s executives on December 5th, but it was returned. Here is her summary of what happened. [More]
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]
Next Time You Fly, Prepare To Be Patted Down And Computerless
By 12.27.09
Are we not allowed to have electronics with us in the cabin when we fly now? Is it true that we can’t get up in the last hour of a flight, and everyone gets patted down now? Most importantly, what about the electronics? [More]
Watch Out For Fire Hazardy Knock-Off Christmas Lights
By 12.23.09
CBS’s The Early Show aired a segment last Friday about counterfeit holiday lights and extension cords, mostly from China and mostly available at dollar stores, that can cause fires. The problem is that the manufacturers use shoddy materials, and sometimes even fake UL stickers, to give the impression that they’re following safety guidelines. You find out they’re not when your tree goes up in flames. [More]
Parking Lot Safety Tips
By 12.22.09
You’re not done with your holiday shopping when you swipe your credit card at the cash register. You’ve often got to navigate a potentially treacherous parking lot and get the goods home. The personal finance blog Finance for a Freelance Life offers some common yet helpful tips on how to avoid parking lot robbers. [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]
Baby Hammock Recalled After Two Deaths
By 12.8.09
Maybe those hamsters are okay, but these Amby Baby Motion hammock beds are not. Two infants have died–one in June, the other in August–from suffocation, prompting Amby Baby and the CPSC to issue a recall notice. You can make the hammock safe to use after repairing it with a free kit, which you can order directly from Amby Baby. [More]
Relax, Toy Hamsters Not Metalloid Death Bringers After All
By 12.8.09
You can dig up that bag of Zhu Zhus from your backyard and re-wrap them for the kids again. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has said that the robot hamsters are not loaded with too much antimony after all, despite claims made by the website GoodGuide. [More]
41% Of Sudden Acceleration Complaints Are Toyotas. That's A Lot.
By 12.7.09
Here’s a beauty contest you don’t want to win: 41% of the 2008 model safety complaints about “sudden acceleration” problems were for Toyota and Lexus models. That would be the same complaint lodged by that California family this summer when they crashed into a highway barrier at 120 mph when their loaner car wouldn’t stop speeding up, if they were still alive to make it. [More]
Notorious Passenger Of Size Was Given A Full Row To Himself
By 12.4.09
A photo allegedly taken by a flight attendant that has been making its way around the internet has prompted an investigation of safety procedures by the FAA, says the New York Post. [More]
Recall Roundup: Slim Faster Edition
By 12.4.09
Here’s a fresh batch of recalls for you! Manufacturers have seemingly forgotten that drawstrings on children’s clothing are bad, and bacterial contamination in Slim-Fast cans could give you far more weight loss than you ever intended. [More]
Yay I Haven't Been Crushed To Death By Bargains Yet!
By 12.1.09
It’s easy to pick on the people who end up on PeopleOfWalmart.com, but… yeah, it’s just easy. Especially when they trap their babies under a mountain of crap. Parents, I wish I could recall you. [More]
2.1 Million Cribs Recalled, Including 150,000 From Fisher Price
By 11.24.09
Following four deaths, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced one of the largest recalls of cribs in the agency’s history: 2.1 million cribs manufactured by Stork Craft, including roughly 150,000 sold under the Fisher Price brand. As in other recent recalls, this one is based on problems with drop-side cribs entrapping babies and seriously injuring or killing them. [More]
The Dumb Health Scare Gadget
By 11.19.09
Quick, give Hammacher Schlemmer $70 + shipping so you can bring one of these magic H1N1 wand obliterators with you on Black Friday! The “technology for people who don’t get technology” catalogue explains that the wand’s UV light will kill “99.98%” of H1N1 viruses after you hold it 3/4″ above a surface for at least 5 seconds. That’s certainly convenient. Just carry it with you and use it on doors, boxes, shopping carts, and of course the cashier’s hands before you accept any change. Be sure to bring an adapter for your car, however, because it only lasts about 90 minutes after an 8-hour charge.
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.
