Protecting Yourself Prior to Purchase

Before making another purchase online or at a mall, consider saving yourself some time by first doing a little Internet research. Once online, just follow the next three steps and you’ll be on your way to a safer shopping experience:

• First, briefly review our most recent monthly product recall articles;
• Second, skim through the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC’s) Web site, making sure your desired item hasn’t been recently added there; and
• Third, visit your favorite search engine, such as Yahoo or Google, and enter your desired product’s name (and manufacturer, if you know it). This last step can help protect you if a warning notice or article has been published about the product during the past week or two.

By creating this habit, you may be able to spare yourself the later hassle of returning the product – or possibly even prevent yourself or a loved one from being actually harmed by the item.

Newest Recalls

In February of 2009, a number of new products were recalled. The following list contains a sampling of them. They’re grouped here according to their alleged defects.

(Those interested in reviewing the entire list can do so by visiting the following link:)

February 2009: Recall Products with Excessive Lead Content

Fortunately, the CPSC’s February 2009 recall list contains fewer new products with excessive lead content than the January one. Furthermore, the February report sets forth a new enforcement policy limiting the amount of lead allowed in children’s products. This new policy is described in a bit more detail following this partial list of February’s excessive lead recall products.

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) asked the CBB Group Inc., of California, to recall the following products: rattles, fishing games, pull-a-long cars, cartoon bubble guns and mini pull back cars. Several of these feature surface paint containing lead levels that violate the federal lead paint standard. Others have small parts that can fall off and pose choking hazards to children. The company is voluntarily cooperating with the CPSC in this matter.
• Both Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy are voluntarily recalling the Golfer’s Billiard Games in cooperation with the CPSC. There is apparently an excessive amount of lead in the golf balls’ surface paint. Both of these companies are based in Pennsylvania.

A new CPSC enforcement policy went into effect on February 10, 2009, setting forth new lead limits for all products marketed to children age twelve and under. This new safety requirement is part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). It states that such products “cannot have more than 600 parts per million of lead in any accessible part.”

February 2009: Recall Products That Could Cause Choking and Drowning

• Old Navy, LLC, of California, is recalling some of its stuffed toys because their detachable eyes may pose a choking hazard to children. This voluntarily recall, at the request of both Health Canada and the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC), specifically involves ‘Stuffed Animal and Creature Toys.’
• The Disney Store USA, located in Pasadena, California, is voluntarily recalling “Playhouse Disney ‘Handy Manny’ Toy Tool Sets.” The tools have “eyes” that can come off and possibly choke a young child.
• Silent Diving Systems of New Hampshire is cooperating with the CPSC by recalling its diving hoses that may pose an unacceptable drowning hazard. These Crimped Low Pressure Diving Hoses may have been constructed without crimps. This design defect may lead to gas or water entering “into the re-breather unit of the scuba diving equipment, posing a drowning hazard to the user.”

Part Two

Part One of this review of the February 2009 Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls covers products containing excessive lead and others that might cause choking or drowning. It concludes with a brief description of the new lead standard that became effective March 10, 2009, for toys marketed to children ages twelve and under.

This second part looks at some of the recall products that may pose shock, crash, fall, brake, burn and fire hazards to some consumers. (The complete February 2009 recall list can be reviewed by visiting the following link)

It concludes by reviewing several general news items set forth in the February 2009 Recall publication.

February 2009: Crash, Fall and Brake Hazards; (Also, Critical 911 Phone Issue)

• The Land of Nod, of Illinois, is cooperating with the CPSC in recalling their Cottage Bunk Beds. The screws used in this company’s bunk beds get lost or
  fall from the beds, putting children at risk of falling if the upper bunk’s guardrails detach while a child is trying to climb into or out of it.) (Note: This same company had a different product listed in our January 2009 article on CPSC product recalls.)
• Playland International of Georgia, is voluntarily recalling its Arch Swing Sets since the “metal around the weld at the top of the swing frame can fail,” possibly causing a user to fall or others nearby to be hurt.
• Dorel Juvenile Group of Indiana, is cooperating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) by recalling its Safety 1st SmartLight Stair Gates since they pose a fall hazard. Apparently, the gate hinges can break, possibly exposing a child to a serious fall if the gate was placed at the head of a staircase.
• The CPSC has obtained recall cooperation from Mavic USA of Massachusetts, which makes Bicycles with R-SYS Wheel Rims. Unfortunately, the spokes on the front wheel rims can break while the bike is being ridden, jeopardizing the rider with both a fall and crash hazard.
• Evenflo Co. Inc. of Ohio, is voluntarily recalling its Children’s Activity Centers since a cap on part of the product may fall off and possibly cause a young child to fall.

February 2009: Burn, Shock and Fire Hazard Recalls

• Dick’s Sporting Goods of Pennsylvania is voluntarily recalling its “Field & Stream” Dual Burner Camp Stoves due to potential burn hazards. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is concerned about the gas flow of the stoves possibly producing unusually large flames that might burn someone. Also, the CPSC is looking at whether the presence of rainwater in the burners might prevent normal ignition and even cause a buildup of gas that might cause the stoves to suddenly ignite.
• Catalina Lighting Inc. of Florida is cooperating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) by recalling its Halogen Clamp Lamps (sold only at Staples Stores). If the lamp’s UV glass lens cracks and exposes the halogen bulb, consumers may incur both fire and burn injuries.
  Other Important Recall Warnings and News

One other important recall item, unrelated to the categories already reviewed, is set forth below. Following that information is a brief reference to an important news
story contained in the CPSC’s February 2009 publication.

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling some of the “LG 830 ‘Spyder’ Cell Phones.” A number of these phones need an upgrade so fewer emergency 911 calls will be dropped or plagued by poor quality connections. LG Electronics MobileComm USA Inc., of California, is voluntarily recalling many of these phones. Consumers who own them should check with this company to see if their models are among those requiring immediate updates.

As of February 10, 2009, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued new guidelines for protecting children from products containing excessive phthalates. (Phthalates are defined by the CPSC as oily, colorless chemicals frequently “[used to make] vinyl and other products soft and flexible.”) http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerelfeb09.html These guidelines further state that “children’s toys and child care articles cannot contain more than 0.1% of six phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, and DnOP), regardless of when they were manufactured.” http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerelfeb09.html
The CPSC also stated that it will respect the recent court decision that held that the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) section regarding phthalates “applies to products in inventory.”

Hopefully, this review of recent product recalls and related news will help keep of our readers safe and prevent unnecessary injuries to others.

NOTE: If you believe you have an unsafe product that should be reported, please use your favorite search engine to see if it’s already been recalled and reported in the news. If it hasn’t, you might want to review the most recent, comprehensive monthly lists of recalled products set forth at the following CPSC Web page:  If you don’t see your product already on a recall list, please visit the this CPSC link to see if the commission has jurisdiction over it.  If the CPSC has jurisdiction, you can use the online form referenced on that Web page to report it.