Nancy Nord and the CPSC have published what might the densest collection of common sense “advice” we’ve ever seen: the “2008 Holiday Decoration Safety Tips” brochure, which you can download here if you need to. Among their tips: buy fire-resistant or non-flammable items whenever possible, don’t leave candles unattended, and don’t overwhelm the CPSC with “too much” power.
safety
Asbestos Found In Several Products
By 11.28.07
Lead-tainted toys are old news! This Christmas, the new new thing is asbestos-tainted toys and other products.
By 11.28.07
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Recalls: Dick’s Sporting Goods Lazy Loungers and Recliners (collapsing), Chintzy Reeves International horse ornaments (lead).
By 11.27.07
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RECALLS: 686,500 Nissan Altima and Sentra cars (engine stalling), Bon-Ton hooded sweatshirts (strangulation), Dick’s Sporting Goods “Power Bolt” Pitchbacks (laceration), Meijer Firepits (can tip over and start fire), Performax and Wilton 10″ Sliding Miter Saws (laceration), 95,927 pounds of American Foods Group beef (E. coli), 98,000 pounds of Double B Foods frozen sausage products (Listeria).
Senator Durbin On Toy Safety: "It Might Just Be A Good Christmas For Books Or Movies"
By 11.27.07
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which recently held hearings about the state of toy safety in the U.S. What did Sen. Durbin take away from those hearings?
Dialing 911 Could Be Dangerous
By 11.25.07
Dialing 911 sets off a loud alarm on newer Verizon phones, potentially putting customers in danger. Imagine dashing under your bed at the sound of an intruder breaking through the front door, only to wonder if you should call 911 from your cellphone because it would reveal your location. A Texas woman was forced to make a similar decision when she discovered that the security chain guarding her vacant property was missing.
She grabbed her new Casio G’zOne phone from Verizon Wireless, which to her horror made an audible alarm when she called 911.
Consumer Reports Recommends Electric Turkey Fryers Rather Than Propane
By 11.20.07
Consumer Reports recommends that consumers try new, safer electric turkey fryers this Thanksgiving. Propane powered fryers have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire—a feature that tends to annoy Consumer Reports, the fire department and the burn unit at your local hospital.
Early Sesame Street DVDs Have "Adults Only" Warnings
By 11.19.07
The producers of Sesame Street have slapped volumes 1 & 2 of the eternally running children’s show with the following warning: “These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.” Why? Cookie Monster carries a pipe in one recurring parody—and then eats it. Oscar the Grouch is too grouchy and mean. And in the first episode, a grown man—Gordon—asks a little girl to come home with him for milk and cookies… and she does!
Cars Are Getting Safer, 34 Vehicles Are "Top Safety Picks"
By 11.16.07
The institute’s tests are tougher than those run by the federal government, and automakers often make changes in the vehicles and pay the institute to re-run its tests to garner better scores for advertising. General Motors Corp. altered the side air bags in its 2008 Saturn Vue to earn a top pick after they failed to deploy correctly in the first test.
Toys R Us Advertising Date Rape Drug Laced Aquadots As A "Door Buster"
By 11.16.07
We’ve been getting several complaints today about Toys R Us’ “Door Buster” newspaper ad. They’re still advertising the GHB-laced Aquadots, despite the recall. (Right next to some ominous-looking Thomas & Friends toys, we might add.)
Toys R Us Tries To Reassure You After Year Of Recalls
By 11.16.07
Toys R Us has written a reassuring letter to its customers outlining its toy safety policies and threatening to discontinue selling products from any company that ignores them. Since Toys R Us still sells Mattel toys and Thomas & Friends wooden train sets, it’s hard to imagine a company that wouldn’t make the cut.
What To Do With A Recalled Toy
By 11.14.07
In the best scenario, you’ll never make it out of the store with a recalled toy—if you manage to find one still on the shelves, retailers (at least the big ones) will likely catch it at check out because the UPC code will have been flagged. But for those times when you do end up with something that has to go back to the Island of (Really) Misfit Toys, here are some things to consider to reduce problems on your end.
The 10 Worst Toys For 2007
By 11.14.07
Boston-based World Against Toys Causing Harm Inc., or W.A.T.C.H., has announced its top-10 list of the worst toys you can buy kids this Christmas. This is a rather pointless year for a list like this, considering the massive expansion of the Unsafe Toy Industry; in fact, the first item on their list was recalled back in October for lead paint. Still, there are some fun discoveries on the list, like “Sticky Stones,” small piles of easy-to-eat magnets, and the “Spider Man 3 New Goblin Sword,” because its “spring-loaded blade expands to more than 3 feet long, creating the potential for facial injuries.” If they could just combine the Goblin Sword with the Oozinator, we’d have a Dateline special on our hands.
By 11.13.07
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Dollar Store children’s sunglasses (lead), Nike Football Helmet Chin Straps (they can break), Iceberg Enterprises folding chairs (falling), Del Rey tortillas (nausea), Tortilla land Beef Tamales (pieces of metal), Napastyle Romano Pitchers and Tumblers (lead), Kroger Light Caesar Salad Dressing (undeclared milk, eggs, and anchovies).
CPSC Head To Washington Post: My Trips Paid For By Manufacturers Were Okay!
By 11.8.07
A letter to the editor by CPSC chairperson Nancy was published in the Washington Post today. She feels that the Washington Post misrepresented the nature of several trips she took, trips which were paid for in full or in part by companies under her agency’s domain. Particularly, she got peeved about people saying how the CPSC has only one toy inspector.
By 11.8.07
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AquaDots (contain chemical that turns into date rape drug GHB after you eat it), Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTAC) and Heat Pumps (PTHP) (fire), “Robot 2000” collectible tin robot (lead), Dizzy Ducks Music Box (lead), Winnie-the-Pooh Spinning Top (lead), Duck Family Collectible Wind-Up Toy (lead), Dollar Store Super Wheels (lead), Dragster and Funny Car toy (lead), Northern Tool & Equipment “Big Red” Wagons (lead).
"Hide Your Old Pills In Poop"
By 11.7.07
The Reuters headline is so perfect, we can’t improve upon it. Hide your old pills in poop, folks, before you discard them, especially ones that are frequently abused like the painkillers oxycodone, morphine, and fentanyl, and the stimulant methylphenidate.
By 11.7.07
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Swimways “Skippy” Pool Toys (laceration), Hunter Fan Warm Mist Carefree Humidifier (fire), Polaris Industries Snowmobiles (fire), Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats (Salmonella).
