Unexpected dangers in the home

Don Mays, Consumer Reports’ Senior Director of Product Safety and Consumer Sciences, will be appearing on the Montel Williams Show today to talk about product-safety issues (check Montel’s web site to find out what time the show is on in your area).  Don’s goal -- and our mission -- is to empower consumers to protect themselves from preventable injury and illness.  Mays will address several important issues on the talk show. We also want to talk about these topics on this blog, because in our view, you can never talk enough about safety.

Kids and Cars: There are an alarming number of injuries and deaths involving cars that have nothing to do with traffic, according to Kids and Cars, the non-profit auto-safety group. Each week at least 3 children die and 175 more are injured because of deadly blind zones that obscure children when drivers back up, power windows that can be as lethal as guillotines to young children caught in their grip and other non-traffic incidents. Sadly, the majority of fatalities are under the age of three, and in 70% of the back-over fatalities, a parent or close relative was the driver behind the wheel.

Back-over incidents now account for nearly 30% of all non-traffic fatalities involving children, according to Kids and Cars and the deaths appear to be increasing annually.

Consumer Reports recommends never leaving children in the car unattended or the keys in the car when the children are nearby. Also, use the window safety lock, so kids can’t play with the windows. And if you're in the market for a new car, make the new, safer kind of window switch -- one that requires you to pull up on the switch to raise the window -- an important consideration. Windows with auto-reverse (think elevator doors) are even better.   

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, continues to press for the installation of warning devices in cars to alert drivers when there is an obstacle behind their vehicle so they can avoid backing over it.  Rearview camaera are particualry effective. You can find more information on window entrapments and back-overs here.

Lawn Mower Backovers: It's not just cars that present a backover problem. In the U.S., there are an estimated 9,400 lawn mower-related injuries to children under 18 every year, and of the roughly 850 children injured annually from lawn mower run-overs or back-overs, about two-thirds are injured when a ride-on mower is backing up.  To help reduce the number of injuries from ride-on mower back-overs, Consumers Union has long sought a no-mow-in-reverse override switch on all riding mowers. This device would be located behind the ride-on mower operator so that he or she would be required to look behind the mower before mowing in reverse.

What you can do: Always look behind before mowing in reverse. And mow up, not parallel to slopes. Don't make U-turns at the end of downhill runs; wait until you are on level ground before turning.

More information on lawn mowers is available here. 

Blind Cord Strangulations: According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, about one child per month dies after becoming entangled in a window blind cord--even though blind cord manufacturers stopped making pull cords ending in a loop over a decade ago.

What you can -- and should -- do: Repair or replace blinds, shades and draperies purchased before 2001. Consumers can receive a free repair kit from the Window Covering Safety Council via their Web site or by calling 1-800-506-4636.

Also: 

• Move all cribs, beds, furniture, and toys away from windows and window cords.
• Keep all window cords out of the reach of children.
• Make sure tasseled pull cords are short, and that continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall.
• Consider installing cordless window coverings in children’s bedrooms and play areas.
• Never tie window blind cords or chains together because the knot creates a new loop which could strangle a young child.

More information on window blind cords is available from the CPSC. 

Furniture Tip-Overs: This blog has already spent some time talking about furniture tip-overs, so we'll be brief: In an average year, furniture tip-overs kill nine children, and an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people, mostly children, are injured. Between 2000 and 2005, there have been more than 100 deaths from furniture and TV tip-overs and more than 80 percent have involved young children. 

How to guard against this: Make sure your furniture is stable on its own; anchor or attach it to the wall or floor. TVs should be placed on sturdy, low furniture and should be pushed back as far as possible from the front of their stands. And reduce a child’s temptation to climb, by removing toys, remote controls and other items from the tops of furniture and TV stands. You can find more information here.

Treadmills: According to a May 2005 CPSC report, 8.5% of sports activities and equipment injuries are from exercise activity and equipment, including falls from treadmills. However, falls are not the only cause of treadmill injuries, as children may be injured playing on or near the equipment as well. In fact, of the approximately 25,000 hospital-treated injuries associated with home-exercise equipment each year, as many as 8,700 affect children under 5. To help reduce the risk of falls from treadmills and treadmill injuries to children, Consumer Reports recommends that you keep children and pets away when using a treadmill. Most models have a tethered safety key to start the equipment. This safety key also stops the treadmill when pulled out, either at the end of your workout or if you should fall. Attach it to your clothing when using a treadmill and keep it out of reach of children when you're done.