Safety Matters

More Deaths Prompt Expanded Recall of Blair’s Chenille Clothing

Check your closet and make sure your parents and grandparents check as well.  Blair LLC and CPSC expanded the earlier robe recall to include additional chenille garments, including jackets and sweaters.  Blair has received several reports of the chenille garments catching fire, including nine deaths, most of which involved seniors who were cooking at the time. 

See all images for this recall. 

With the recall expansion, about 300,000 articles of clothing have been recalled. All four of the clothing items were sold for $20 to $40.

Post by Myah Evers

More Window Coverings Recalled for Strangulation Risk to Children

Three recalls of window coverings were announced Tuesday, Oct. 27, because entanglement in the cords could result in the strangulation of a child. There have been over 10 similar recalls in 2009. See images for all the recent recalls of blinds, shades and cords.

Parents and caregivers should be very cautious about the loops and cords that accompany window coverings. Check that the coverings and cords are properly installed and attached to the wall at appropriate heights. Beaded looped chains  and other cords should not hang loosely against the wall. In one incident, a 2-year-old boy climbed up on a toy chest to look out of a window and became entangled in the inner cords of the roman shade. Luckily his parents removed the cord and no permanent injuries were sustained. 

The most recent recalls were for:

• Ikea roller blinds sold from July 2005 to July 2009
• Faux suede roman shades sold by Hanover Direct/Domestications Domestications.com and through catalogs from January 2004 through December 2008
• Roman shades sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond  from August 2007 through September 2009

Be sure to use WeMakeItSafer's recall search tool to check your window coverings for recalls.

Post by Myah Evers

CPSC Advice Not Practical, WeMakeItSafer Changes That

 The CPSC continues to recommend that parents, childcare facility owners and school administrators check every belonging and new purchase on the CPSC website to make sure it has not been recalled.  While we strongly support the idea of looking for recalls, using the government site to do so simply is not practical.

Depending on the type and age of product, it can take five to ten minutes or more using the CPSC site to determine if a particular product has been recalled.  This is because each product must be searched individually using an archaic search system that requires review of text based lists and multiple clicks before one can be even relatively confident that the item they are checking has not been recalled.  To make sure a home is free from recalls would take about 60 hours, assuming 500 products, which is probably fewer than most of us own. (Consider that the kitchen and garage alone have well over 200 items each in tools, gadgets and appliances, and that the average baby registry checklist includes about 100 items.)

WeMakeItSafer turns the traditional search model on its head.  Rather than looking for each specific item that may or may not be in the recall database, consumers instead look through images of recalled products to see if they recognize something they own.  It seems paradoxical but, because humans are incredibly visual and capable of processing information in pictures at high rates of speed, this method is much faster, even with hundreds or even thousands of recalled products.  Thanks to an image gallery that is organized by product categories and can be narrowed by an array of criteria, one can quickly skim through potentially relevant recalls.

Using WeMakeItSafer it would only take one to two hours to make sure the same 500 product home is free of recalls, and the results would be much more accurate.  After consumers have conducted a complete search once, they can sign up for a bi-monthly email that includes images of newly-recalled items in order to stay up to date.  Again, being able to quickly skim through images is a much more efficient alert system than that of the CPSC, which includes lengthy text that consumers are unlikely to read.  To sign up  just send an email to InformMe@WeMakeItSafer.com .

If a consumer needs to look up a specific item, such as one they want to sell or give away, that is much faster on the WeMakeItSafer site as well.  Because we have built advanced filtering options and, again, results are returned with images, it is far faster than hunting around on the CPSC site.

The first problem we set out to fix with regard to consumer product safety was this issue regarding recalled product identification.  We could not be more pleased with the search system we developed – a true labor of love, it is our first free tool for consumers.  We hope you find it as helpful as we do.  Please let us know what you think.

Will iPhones be Recalled by the CPSC Due to Overheating Batteries?

New reports were released today regarding instances of iPhones overheating and exploding.  The reports highlight Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) documents that include at least 15 reports of incidents with iPods and iPhones.

I am not a battery expert, nor have I seen the CPSC documents related to the iPhone and iPod incidents; however, based on my research of lithium batteries when looking into remote control helicopter recalls, I would not be surprised if it turns out that the iPhones and iPods in question had been dropped at some point, either during manufacture, shipping or use. 

Lithium batteries, while lighter and able to pack more power into a smaller package compared to nickel-cadmium, are unstable and require special mechanisms to function properly. Should those mechanisms be disturbed, overheating, which can lead to fire and explosion, may ensue.  Here are some of the facts:

•  Lithium-ion is fragile and requires a protection circuit to maintain safe operation.

•  The maximum charge and discharge current must be properly limited; overcharging is dangerous.

•  The battery will become more vulnerable to failure if subjected to impact, crush or high rate charging.

•  Lithium-ion Polymer, generally thought of as safer and more stable, is often compromised in commercial use to improve conductivity.

Although there are several other factors in the case of iPhones that could be causing issues, such as overworked processors, looking back on the numerous lithium battery operated products that have been recalled over the past several years, I again find myself questioning the safety of this power source in certain products.  U.S. manufacturers and importers announced more than 30 lithium battery related recalls during the five year period from 2004 through 2008, involving nearly 14 million product units.  While most recalls involved computer batteries, products ranging from bicycle lights to toys experienced problems. As a side note, it will be interesting to watch the safety reports of the many new lithium-ion powered cars.

With regard to CPSC documents that identify reports of iPhone failure, anyone can request such documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but companies are afforded intellectual property protection.  Therefore, if a company claims that documents expose proprietary technology or trade secrets, the documents will not be released.  However, if it is true that KIRO-TV received documents from the CPSC as noted in the above referenced report, one could simply ask to see a copy of the documents already provided to the news station.  There may be a fee associated with the physical copying or scanning, but the time to receive the documents should be less than the seven months reported by KIRO now that the documents already have been produced. Here is where to request the information:  http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foiaonline.html

Interestingly, because of new rules imposed by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), consumers soon may be able to find this type of information online.  Sec. 212 of the CPSIA mandates that, "subject to the availability of appropriations," the CPSC must create an online searchable database of incident reports; information that currently must be formally requested under FOIA.  Companies will still have an opportunity to claim intellectual property rights (though less likely to stick given that the information will be coming from consumers) and will be allowed to provide comments to be published alongside the reports.  The database is scheduled to come online by August 14, 2010.

As for iPhone, regardless of what is in the CPSC documents, Apple has taken the possibility of dangerous overheating seriously enough to release an update that includes a temperature warning screen, though the temperatures are so extreme (less that 0 degrees F and greater than 113 degrees F) that most will never see the warning.

It may be too early to say whether the CPSC will require Apple to issue a recall related to iPhones.  Nevertheless, as a practical matter, in addition to watching the ambient temperatures and heeding warning screens, if you drop your iPhone or iPod - or any other lithium battery operated device for that matter - consider replacing the battery, especially if you notice unexplained changes in charge cycles.

Here’s some general information from Apple on their lithium batteries:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/ 

And, here is some research on the pros and cons of lithium batteries:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/4204202.html
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lithium-ion-battery.htm

WeMakeItSafer is Prepared for New Tracking Label Laws

By the end of August, consumers should start to see some changes on the children’s products they buy.   Products intended for children aged twelve and under that are manufactured on or after August 14, 2009 will be required to include permanent markings on both the packaging and the item itself.  The markings will include information that allows consumers to identify who the manufacturer or private labeler is as well as when and where the product was made.

The labels, mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) passed last August 2008, are designed to make identification of recalled products easier.  While initially presenting a challenge to manufacturers who must create new systems for marking products and tracking label data, lower costs may be realized in the event of a product recall. 

The thought is that the labels will 1) help manufacturers narrow down the scope of a recall to a specific, affected batch of products, 2) help retailers to more easily locate and remove items from store shelves and 3) help consumers to quickly know whether or not their version of a product is included in the recall.

WeMakeItSafer is prepared for the new law and has already added a Search by Tracking Label option to its product Recall Search tool and Inventory Checker systems.  As children’s products manufactured on or after August 14th begin to make their way to store shelves, this tracking information, including the name of the manufacturer, should be all the information you need to know whether the product has been recalled.

WeMakeItSafer Featured by Kids In Danger (KID)

WeMakeItSafer was recently featured in a Kids In Danger (KID) blog post.  KID was formed by parents of Danny Keysar, a 16-month-old boy who died in a recalled travel yard.  Neither parents nor caregivers at the childcare center where the crib was located knew about the recall.  To date, 16 babies have died, yet the travel yards remain in circulation.

Please visit http://WeMakeItSafer.com, pick the product categories relevant to you and skim through the images to make sure you don’t own anything that has been recalled.  Please urge your friends and family to do the same.  Together, We can make the world a safer place!

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

“Healthy People in a Healthy Environment”

The 2009 National Environmental Public Health Conference will take place October 26-28 in Atlanta, GA.  From the conference website: “The conference aims to develop and encourage innovative strategies for addressing existing and emerging issues in addition to being a forum for CDC [Center for Disease Control]/ATSDR [Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry] and its many partners to share research, scientific, and program information focusing on environmental public health priorities.”

Those interested in presenting at the conference are invited to submit abstracts by May 22, 2009.  Abstracts should fit into one of two categories, Scientific Research Findings or a Descriptive Summary,  the latter being “most appropriate for description of programs, discussions of environmental health policy, and models for program dissemination and capacity development.”  For more information, visit: http://www.team-psa.com/2009nephc/Abstract_Submission.asp

Safety To-Do #11: Check Bicycle Helmets

The weather is warming up and the bicycles are coming out.   Time to check your family's helmets to make sure they still fit properly and have not suffered any damage.   Any signs of cracks, compression or lose and frayed straps mean it is time for a new one.  Safety tips and links to more bicycle helmet information can be found in my post regarding 2009 Bicycle Helmet Safety Guidelines. 

Not convinced of the importance of helmets?  Check out my post from last year when my son, Sam, crashed on his bike.  A scar on his face lives as a permanent reminder that he hit the curb head-first.  Without his helmet, it would have been much, much worse.  We are incredibly grateful that he was wearing a well-fitted, CPSC compliant helmet.  There is a picture of his helmet post-crash on the blog entry along with some humbling bike crash statistics.

Safety To-Do #11 is to check each family member’s helmet and purchase new ones as needed.