Safety Matters

Registration Card Requirements for Durable Infant and Toddler Goods Effectively Postponed for up to Seven Months

Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA of 2008) requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to set in place a final ruling regarding product registration cards for durable infant and toddler goods by August 14, 2009.  However, the notice of proposed rule making (NPR) published in the federal register today indicates that public comments are not due until September 14, 2009.  Furthermore, the notice proposes that the effective date for registration cards will be 180 days after the final rule is published, rather than the customary 30  to 90 days. 

Assuming the final rule is published 30 days after all comments are received, registration cards may not be required until mid-April 2010. 

For manufacturers and importers who had anticipated having to include cards and develop database tracking systems by fall 2009, this news will come as a welcome, if only temporary, reprieve.  To consumer advocates who had been promised the hope of a more effective product recall system, the news is undoubtedly disappointing.

Whether you agree or disagree with the proposals, now is the time to speak up.  The Commission is seeking comments on everything from whether a definitive list of “durable goods” ought to be made available to whether or not the prepaid return cards should follow a mandatory format.  Above is an image of the proposed cards that the Commission is currently suggesting every manufacturer adopt (click the image to enlarge).

The proposed layout is a perforated card whereby the top half can be kept by the consumers for their records and the bottom half returned to the manufacturer.  The CPSIA mandates that the cards include the model name and number and the manufacture date, which the Commission proposes can be be pre-printed or affixed with a label.

One of the questions raised is whether the proposed design is likely to improve safety.  For example, are consumers likely to keep the stub they tear off and, should they have a safety question several years later, are they likely to refer to the card rather than look up the manufacturer online or in a directory?  If the answer is no, then perhaps the double-sized, perforated card is unnecessary.  Another question the Commission asks is whether or not manufacturers should be allowed to offer registration by email rather than maintaining a webpage where consumers can register their products.

You can submit your comments to the CPSC via the regulations.gov website, here.  Please note that your name, contact information and comments, as submitted, will be printed for public view.

WeMakeItSafer.com is LIVE!

 I am very pleased to announce that http://WeMakeItSafer.com  is LIVE!  

Please go on in to check it out and let us know what you think – feedback links at the top of every page.  Also, be sure to follow us on twitter @WeMakeItSafer (http://twitter.com/wemakeitsafer) as we will be continuously rolling out new content and features.

Please tell all your friends - especially those with kids at home or those with senior family members living alone - to stop by the site and peruse our simpler than ever recalled-product gallery to make sure there aren't any items in their homes with safety defects.  Unfortunately, nearly everyone owns dangerous, recalled products without knowing it.

And, don’t forget - never buy or sell another secondhand item without running a search at WeMakeItSafer.com first.  Together, we can make the world a safer place.

Return Blair Catalog Robes Immediately - Six Deaths Reported

In April 2009, Blair, LLC announced a recall of certain women's, 100% cotton robes sold between January 2003 and March 2009 due to failure to meet federal flammability requirements.  At the time of the recall, Blair had received three reports of robes catching fire, with one of the incidents resulting in second-degree burns.

Since the recall announcement, Blair has received six reports of death due to the robes catching fire.

The recalled robes have a button front, long sleeves, a straight bottom and two pockets. The robe’s label states: “100% Cotton, RN 81700, Made in Pakistan”.   The following item numbers are included in the recall and can be found on the label at the robe's neckline:

• 3093111
• 3093112
• 3093113
• 3093114
• 3093115
• 3093116

The photo above may not accurately portray every recalled robe. If you ever purchased a Blair robe, if you cannot remember where you purchased your robe, or if you received a robe as a gift in the last seven years, WeMakeItSafer urges you to check your robe against the above description.  Please also check the robes of your senior friends and family; three of the six deaths were of senior citizens.

Although the robes were sold for $20 -$40, Blair is offering a choice of refund or $50 merchandise certificate for return of the robes.  Contact Blair toll-free at (877) 392-7095 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, visit the firm’s Web site at www.blair.com/recall, or contact the firm by e-mail at blairproductrecall@blair.com

Please help spread the word on this very important information.  The link to this post is: http://blog.wemakeitsafer.com/jennifer/2009/06/return-recalled-robes.html

More information:

CPSC Announcement
Blair document citing efforts to retrieve recalled products

Mattel Denies Knowing Products Violated the Law – How Will MAT Stock React?

Following investigation, CPSC staff accused Mattel (MAT) of knowingly importing and selling toys that contained high levels of lead in violation of the law.  The toys were recalled by the millions during the summer and fall of 2007 in a media frenzy that awakened US citizens and government officials to the need for higher standards, more thorough monitoring and harsher consequences for violators.  Mattel will pay those consequences as one of the largest civil penalties in CPSC history, a $2.3 million settlement, was announced today.

Commissioner Moore commented that "This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead, and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act."

While manufacturers may sit up and take note, for a company the size of Mattel at $5.9 billion in annual revenue, $2.3 million won't be felt at all on the bottom line, and determining whether the announcement has any impact on Mattel’s immediate stock price will have to wait a few days.  Although the deal was signed on May 29, 2009, it was not announced until today, after the market closed on a Friday. 

In a touch of irony, The Motley Fool’s James Early mentioned the stock in his “The Best Stock to Own” post, published just an hour or two before the settlement announcement:

Speaking of companies with strong brands, I'm taking a hard look at Mattel (NYSE: MAT), which manufactures a portfolio of iconic toys, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, and Matchbox. The stock has been fairly volatile over the past few years, thanks to a string of product recalls in 2007 and dicey consumer demand of late -- but I think brighter days lie ahead as soon as consumer confidence rebounds.

Perhaps today’s settlement will signal to investors the end of a difficult period for Mattel and a chance to finally move forward.   However, the question remains whether today’s settlement will settle the matter in the minds of consumers.  As long as Mattel can avoid further missteps, my guess is that it will and, other than some minor residual effects from the reminder of Mattel’s faltering, consumers will soon get over it.  After all, our kids love Barbie, Dora, Elmo, Sarge and the rest – we’ve been searching for reasons to forgive Mattel for over a year now.

As part of an ongoing study of the financial impacts of product recall, WeMakeItSafer will be watching the Mattel stock closely over the next several weeks.  Check back for future publications on our findings.