Congress faults Mattel on failure to recall toy cuff

Nearly five dozen congressmen this week fired off a letter to the chairman of Mattel, which owns Fisher-Price, asking the company to immediately withdraw from sale toy medical kits including blood pressure cuffs that have tested high for lead. So far, Mattel has only pulled its toy blood pressure cuffs—a red one and a green one—from sale in Illinois because that state’s law limits lead in all children's products, whatever the material, to 600 parts per million.

As you may have read here earlier, our December issue featured an investigation,“New worries over lead,” in which we reported finding high lead levels when we tested samples of a red Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff. As a result, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan conducted her own investigation and the product (contained in the Fisher-Price Medical Kit) was pulled from store shelves in the state. Less than two weeks later, the attorney general announced a similar problem—and recall—with a green blood-pressure cuff that was part of another Fisher-Price product, the Sesame Street Giggle toy medical kit.

Mattel has said that the levels of lead, while higher than anticipated, are "fully compliant" with all federal regulations and thus do not merit a national recall.

But the congressmen, led by Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), said the company needs to be more proactive and pull the product nationwide. “If this product is too dangerous for the children of Illinois, it is too dangerous for children in the rest of this country,” the letter said.

Mattel has said that over 70 percent of the two medical kits have been returned to the company, a return rate significantly higher than ordinary recalls. However, that figure includes returns from large retailers, and consumers who have the products in their home typically have a lower response rate than retailers. Mattel is offering a replacement part for families who already own the cuffs; consumers can call Fisher-Price at (800)-298-0638.

We look forward to hearing Mattel's response to Congress.

Are backup cameras a national treasure?

We were highly impressed by the camera work in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," the blockbuster movie now showing in theaters. But it wasn't the cameraman's talents that scored points with us; it was Nicolas Cage's use of a rear-view camera and dashboard monitor as he dodged his pursuers. As far as we know, this is one of the first times a backup camera has been used as a plot device in a movie—and a good one at that as it helped Cage not only evade the bad guys but also the curious dogs that got in his way.

While we, of course, do not condone Cage's reckless driving, we’ve been fans of the rear-view camera for some time. The reason is simple: In the U.S. 50 children are backed over by vehicles every week, according to Kids and Cars, a nonprofit group dedicated to eliminating non-traffic motor vehicle injuries and deaths in children. Of those children, 48  are treated in hospital emergency rooms and at least two children are fatally injured.  As we’ve noted before, it’s a dangerous situation due in part to the increased popularity of large vehicles such as SUVs and minivans that have large blind zones behind them. (Consumer Reports has rated vehicles on blind zones.)

We strongly support the Kids and Cars effort to get a new law passed to require some sort of vehicle rear-view alert system, whether it’s cameras or other technology.  The Cameron Gulbransen Kids and Cars Safety Act, named for a boy whose father accidentally killed him while backing up the family’s SUV, passed the House late last year and has already been approved by the Senate Commerce committee.  We hope the senators take a clue from Cage and make rear-view technology a national treasure.

About that car
The car featured in the film is a Mercedes-Benz C-Class that was modified for the chase scenes (see photo above). While some Mercedes do come equipped with rear-view cameras, the camera is not offered with this particular model in the U.S. Here is the chase scene as featured on YouTube.

More about backup systems from Consumer Reports

• How to choose and use backup systems including Ratings (for subscribers).
• Videos: How to check the blind spot behind your car

Will fines follow last year's record recalls?

In the last three months of 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued 167 recalls, according to the Product Safety Letter, an independent newsletter that tracks product-safety issues. That’s almost 50 percent higher than the same period a year earlier and more than double the number issued the year before that. Many of those recalls were for toys that violated the lead-paint ban.

We may have turned the page on 2007, but many of last year's recalls remain fresh in the minds of CPSC officials. The agency is now investigating whether any companies should be fined for those safety breaches. As CPSC’s spokeswoman Julie Vallese told us, “It is unlikely that manufacturers will be getting off scot-free for violating the lead-paint ban.” 

It will be interesting to see just how far the CPSC goes in “punishing” the manufacturers that repeatedly violated regulations. The agency has the power to impose financial penalties on companies that violate mandatory safety standards, such as lead paint regulations, but the agency’s track record hasn't been great for levying those fines. In the relatively few instances over the past few years when the agency has fined firms, it has issued civil penalties based on a single reason: failure to report possible defects in a timely manner. Last month, for example, HSN LP (previously known as Home Shopping Network), agreed to pay a civil penalty of $875,000 to settle allegations that the company failed to report in a timely manner serious injuries and hazards with the Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cookers. 

More than 25 million children’s toys were recalled in 2007. Some of those recalls were for lead paint, toxic chemicals, and other hazards for which there are mandatory standards in place; other recalls involved toys that were defective. But last year Fisher-Price was the only toy company to be assessed civil penalties. Even then, the fine was just $975,000 for failing to report to the CPSC injuries associated with a defective toy (Little People Animal Sounds Farm) uncovered years ago, not for the violation.

The Commission usually doesn't issue fines for the safety violation itself because the burden of proof is far higher and more procedurally complicated than it is for issuing recalls. And with limited resources, agency representatives say it has preferred to spend its time, money and staff on preventative and corrective actions such as product recalls.

We at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, are well aware of the agency’s current limited resources and have been pushing Congress hard to pass the legislation necessary to boost the CPSC's budget and authority. But we think the agency should consider using some of its valuable resources right now to more aggressively pursue companies that violate mandatory safety standards. And later on, when the CPSC has more resources at its disposal and the authority to levy higher fines, we hope it will have the courage to slap some meaningful fines on companies for violating safety standards—not just violating the reporting rules—so that all companies will be more vigilant in producing quality, defect-free goods in the first place.

Manufacturers of unsafe products are also facing another type of penalty in the form of class-action lawsuits. Last week, RC2 Corporation, the maker of Thomas the Tank Engine, agreed to a proposed settlement valued at approximately $30 million to settle a nationwide class-action lawsuit representing families that purchased lead-laden toy trains. The agreement also includes toy exchanges and refund programs. Other similar actions may follow. And that could become a strong incentive for manufacturers to ramp up their product safety assurance practices.

We’d  like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Do you think civil penalties should be levied against those companies that brought all those toys with lead paint to the market? Or do you think the bad publicity and threat of lawsuits many of these companies faced is sufficient?  Please post your comments below.

More skiiers and boarders risk helmet hair to avoid head injuries

If you’ve hit the slopes lately, you may have noticed a lot more skiers and snowboarders wearing helmets. Your eyes weren’t deceiving you. New data from the National Ski Areas Association show that 40 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets last skiing season. That’s up from 25 percent helmet usage in the 2002-2003 skiing season.

Pardon the pun, but to us—and increasingly to the snow-sport industry—wearing a helmet is a no-brainer. It's an important piece of equipment that helps prevent head injuries. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 6,326 head injuries from snowboarding in 2006 and 4,922 from skiing.

Those numbers help explain why the industry has been aggressively promoting the use of helmets. This week, for example, a number of resorts across the country are offering discounts and holding all sorts of contests to promote helmet usage as part of National Safety Awareness Week.  Consider Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont where anyone who purchased a new helmet at the resort’s shop received a coupon for a half-price full-day lift ticket. And Okemo was also holding a contest for the best helmet head: “ that cool, disheveled look of matted hair that happens when a skier or snowboarder removes his helmet after a great day on the slopes.” The prize: two complimentary lift tickets.

If you haven’t hit the slopes yet this season, consider visiting lidsonkids.org, NSAA’s fun and informative Web site, with helpful tips for both parents and kids on how to select proper helmets.  As the site advises:  “The most important consideration when purchasing a helmet is the fit. A helmet is not a piece of equipment that you want to purchase too small or too large to grow into.” When shopping for a helmet, bring along your goggles, or borrow a pair that matches your own from the shop and look for a helmet that conforms to a ski/snowboard helmet standard (Common European Norm, American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and/or Snell.) Ask an experienced ski shop associate to assist you to identify the best brand for your head shape and to confirm a proper fit.  Consumer Reports has also written about and rated ski helmets.

NSAA’s latest data shows that it’s not just kids who need helmet tips. In fact, kids have the highest usage—64 percent of children nine and under wear helmets. It’s the 18 to 24 year olds, a group in which only 26 percent wear helmets, that need some reminding. We hope you’ll do that—and often.

New recall of magnetic toys highlights warning on dangers

Two Magnabild magnetic building sets, totaling 125,000 units, have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission because the small, powerful magnets inside the pieces can fall out and be swallowed. If multiple magnets are ingested, they can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

The CPSC and Battat, the company that makes Magnabild, have received 16 reports of magnets coming out of the rod or square building pieces. No injuries have been associated with this recall.

Last year, the CPSC identified magnets as one of five hidden home hazards following the recall of millions of Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets. Since 2005, one death and 86 injuries have been linked to magnets and 8 million magnetic toys have been recalled.

This latest recall involves the 293-piece (item number BB1502H) and the 180-piece (item number BB1431H) Magnabild Magnetic Building System sets. Both sets come in rotating display cases with building pieces in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors that contain small magnets. All of the plastic building pieces, except the 4-inch flexible rods, have the word “Magnabild” in raised lettering on them. The item number is found on a hang tag attached to the set. They were sold at various retailers and online sellers from 2005 through 2007 for between $30 and $40.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled sets away from children and contact Battat to receive a pre-paid mailer to return the toy and to receive a free replacement product. For additional information, contact Battat at (800) 247-6144 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.battatco.com.

Wooden block and train recall
Also this week, the CPSC recalled two sets of wooden blocks and a wooden train sold at Christmas Tree Shops under the First Learning brand because the surface paint violates lead standards. The recall involves 15,000 units including 30-block sets, 60-block sets and 70-piece train sets. The items were sold at Christmas Tree Shops located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions from October 2006 through November 2007 for between $4 and $20. For additional information, contact Christmas Tree Shops at (888) 287-3232 or visit the firm’s Web site at www.christmastreeshops.com.

Pennsylvania reverses decision on milk labeling

On January 17, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issued new rules allowing milk producers to inform consumers if they don't use recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) on their cows.  This is good news.  In October, the state had published regulations that prohibited dairies from indicating anything on milk labels about their use or non-use of hormones.  The rules were supposed to go into effect on February 1, 2008, but the October regulation has been withdrawn and replaced with the new rule.

This is a victory for free speech, free markets, sustainable farming and the consumer's right to know.  Consumers increasingly want to know more about how their food is produced, and particularly whether it is produced in a natural and sustainable manner.  Indeed, a poll by Consumer Reports National Research Center, conducted in June 2007, found that 88 percent of those polled thought that milk from cows not treated with rbGH should be allowed to be labeled as such.  There is no justification for prohibiting information about rbGH use on a milk label.  Pennsylvania deserves credit for realizing that its initial regulation prohibiting such labeling was flawed, and for reversing its position.

RbGH is a drug product marketed by Monsanto (as Posilac) that raises a cow's milk output.  However consumers have increasingly turned to organic milk and other milk brands that require their farmers to eschew use of the hormone on their cows.  The number of cows treated with the drug has dropped from 22.3 percent of all dairy cows in 2002 to 17.2 percent in 2007, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

While the USDA has ruled that that rbGH use is safe, it has been prohibited in Canada and the European Union.  Consumers Union questions its safety.

Many Pennsylvania dairy farmers have pledged not to use rbGH, and are advertising this fact on milk labels.  The new rules will allow them to continue to do so.  Other states including Indiana, Missouri and Ohio have been considering regulations similar to those that Pennsylvania abandoned.  New Jersey had until recently taken the matter under consideration but has since determined not to take action.

One new requirement in the Pennsylvania regulations is that dairies must maintain procedures to verify any production methods claimed on their labels, including keeping a paper audit trail.  The new requirements about verification are valuable.  It is important that these claims be truthful and that there are safeguards in place to prevent cheating.

The new regulations bring Pennsylvania label requirements in line with the recommendations of the FDA. 

A broad coalition of groups including consumers, dairies, farming groups, and environmental organizations requested the changes.   Their letter is available online.

—Michael Hansen

Major retailers make several post-holiday recalls

Holiday gifts including a popular board game, a play stove and decorative candles were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission today for various hazards. About 17,000 "My First Kenmore" pink play stoves were recalled by Sears and Kmart after a child was bruised when a stove tipped over. Cranium recalled 38,000 of its widely-sold Cadoo board games because the paint on the die contains lead. And 185,000 decorative candles were recalled by Pottery Barn after reports that gold paint on the outside of the candles had ignited on at least two occasions.

My First Kenmore stove
According to the CPSC's announcement, a metal bracket connecting the door to the stove can cause the stove to tip over when the door is opened. To stabilize the stove, parents are advised to remove the bracket. A diagram that details how to do so is featured on the Sears Web site. The stoves, which are almost 33-inches tall, were sold at Sears and Kmart nationwide from September 2007 through November 2007 for about $100. For additional information, contact Sears/Kmart at (800) 659-7026 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Saturday, or visit either www.sears.com or www.kmart.com.

Cranium Cadoo board game
Cadoo board games with lot numbers 2007195 through 2007244 are included in this recall because the die violates lead paint standards. The seven digit lot number is printed under the plastic tray on the bottom half of the box. The games were sold at Fred Meyer, Kmart, Shopko, Wal-Mart and specialty game stores nationwide between October 2007 through January 2008 for about $20.

Cranium is asking consumers to immediately dispose of the die and to contact the company to get a free replacement. For additional information, contact Cranium at (877) 272- 6486 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.cranium.com.

Pottery Barn decorative candles
This recall involves egg-shaped and large and small round candles sold in three sizes because the exterior paint is a fire hazard. The candles were sold in green, red and white with gold glitter and leaf designs at Pottery Barn stores from September 2007 through December 2007 for between $10 and $20. Consumers should stop using the candles and return them to any Pottery Barn store for a full refund. For additional information, contact Pottery Barn toll-free at (888) 922-9245 between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. ET Monday through Sunday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.potterybarn.com.

Other recent recalls

• 1,300 Wick & Petal jar candles due to fire hazard
• 600 photo frames sold at Babies R Us for lead paint violation
• 5,400 toy wrestler action figures sold at dollar stores for lead paint violation
• 60,000 Kash N' Gold Tinker Bell lamps for lead paint violation

New laws in two states ban hazardous toys

We want to take a moment to highlight a couple of new state laws enacted in the past few weeks that we think are good steps forward for product safety.

Earlier this month, New Jersey governor Jon Corzine signed a law banning yo-yo balls, those liquid filled rubber balls attached to a rubbery sticky cord. One of the chief proponents of the law was New Jersey mother Tina Casadei-Alleruzzo whose 4-year-old daughter was nearly strangled by the cord in 2003.  New Jersey follows Illinois in banning the yo-yo ball, a result of vigorous lobbying by Illinois resident Lisa Lipin whose 5-year-old son was injured when a yo-yo ball cord wrapped around his neck in 2003. Lipin and Casadei-Alleruzzo are seeking similar laws in other states, including New York and Wisconsin.

Last month, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed into law a measure barring the sale and manufacture of lead-based toys and other consumer products designed for children. Specifically the law bans toys with lead levels in excess of 600 parts per million as well as the use of lead in any children’s jewelry or lunch boxes. Here again, Michigan follows the lead of Illinois in banning toys that have more than 600 parts per million in lead.

We applaud the states for taking such steps forward. But at the same time, we’re dismayed that it has come to this with states forced to take action in the absence of federal regulations.

Nancy Nord, the CPSC's acting chairman, looks forward—€”and back

Nancy Nord, the acting chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, gave a speech last week outlining her plans for the agency in the coming year.

We are glad to hear that she intends to beef up import surveillance, posting the first permanent full-time CPSC staffers at key points of entry to help U.S. Customs inspect and stop suspect shipments, and that she plans to create a new, early warning system of possible hazards, particularly for cribs, bassinets and play yards.

We are eager to learn the details of both programs.

But much of Nord’s speech before the National Press Club in Washington was spent discussing 2007, often dubbed "the year of the recall." Nord faulted the press for its "near-hysteria levels" of coverage. And politicians—who have been working on legislation to give the agency more funds and powers—did not escape her criticism either.

We don't agree with that characterization of hysteria or several other of Nord's statements.  Here are a few of the key points she made in her speech and in the question and answer period that followed—and our concerns about them:

"The fact is, consumer products are safer today than they have ever been,” Nord said in her prepared remarks. And toys, she later added  "are safer than they have ever been."

More than 25 million toys were recalled in 2007 because of safety problems. Need we say more? That large number of recalls in a single year certainly suggests there are a lot of unsafe toys on the market and in our homes.

NN: "The agency has always viewed recalls as a testament to effective enforcement."

We believe recalls show that there is a gaping hole in our government’s oversight system that allows unsafe products to slip into the marketplace.  Recalls are reactionary and don’t guarantee that unsafe toys and products will be removed from store shelves and consumer homes. Case in point: Last year’s recall of one million Simplicity and Graco branded cribs for a design flaw that led to at least two deaths and seven infant entrapments. A month after the highly publicized recall, only about 45,000 customers had requested a repair kit for the crib. That is a pathetic response rate that proves more needs to be done to prevent recalls in the first place.

NN: "Despite all the hoopla, we do not have a single reported death, injury or illness caused by lead from any of the recalled toys."

Perhaps not for 2007, but in 2006 a 4-year-old child died after swallowing a small piece of a Reebok charm bracelet that was later found to contain 99 percent lead. That bracelet was ultimately recalled.

But it's not deaths that are the most pervasive problem when it comes to lead in children's toys and jewelry. It's the long term effects on brain development resulting in learning and behavioral disorders. More than 300,000 one to five year-old children in the U.S. have elevated blood lead levels, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. But even blood lead levels below what the government considers elevated may cause irreversible damage. Children under six are particularly vulnerable. Because lead accumulates in the body, the only way to reduce the risk is to minimize exposure. 

NN: The CPSC has been  "one of the most transparent agencies in the federal government. ... We put things up on our Web site, we make things public, even meetings I have as the chairman are wide open for anyone to attend if they wish to do so."

The chairman's meetings are not the issue here. What is at issue is the agency's unprecedented secrecy protections, thanks to the law that created the CPSC 35 years ago. The agency cannot let the public know of other consumer complaints or any pending investigation of a possible serious safety hazard unless the manufacturer approves. And needless to say, manufacturers don't often approve.

These are not the same practices followed by such other safety watchdog agencies as the National Highway Safety Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Both agencies maintain searchable databases with important product safety information and  NHTSA makes information public on current investigations of possible defects.

We acknowledge that the CPSC has a dedicated, hard-working staff and realize the agency has been under funded. Still, consumers deserve more vigilance from the government as well as the companies that sell us products. Characterizing press coverage as at "near-hysteria" levels ignores the fact that the public has a legitimate and urgent concern that products, especially those for children, be as safe as possible. For this reason, we are asking Congress to pass strong legislation to ensure that manufacturers are governed by tough laws ensuring safer toys and other products, and that they face tough penalties when they fail to meet those standards.   

Tires and ice: Winter driving challenges

Early winter storms and temperatures that have bounced from sub-freezing to above normal have alerted us to some of the challenges of winter driving. This week in the New York area the sun was brilliant and it was mild enough to walk outside without a coat. Last week the thermometer was down in the low teens. That 50-degree Fahrenheit difference doesn’t just pose a wardrobe dilemma, it may be the reason your car ends up in a ditch instead of staying safely on the road.

Because there’s nothing tempting about checking your tire pressure when the cold is biting and the pavement icy, you may have put it off for months. Bad idea. Tires lose about one pound per square inch (psi) of pressure for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit the temperature drops. (And the reverse is true when the mercury rises.) So the change in temperature from last week to this may mean your tires could be under inflated by five psi—more if they weren’t properly inflated properly to begin with.

Tires that aren’t inflated to the right pressure can lower fuel economy, wear out faster, and handle sluggishly. Worst of all, they may fail. So don’t take it for granted that your tires are safe; check them with an accurate gauge and inflate them to the pressure listed on your car door placard, in the owner’s manual, or in the glove box. (The number on the sidewall of the tire is the maximum to which it should be inflated; stick with the automaker’s recommendation for your particular car.) Our experts advise checking tires at least monthly when temperatures are typical of the season, and again after a big rise or drop. Take the pressure when the tires have been sitting for at least three hours, since tires that have just been driven will have a slightly elevated pressure.

If you drive a car with performance summer tires, you may also find that the cold weather has made them more like wagon wheels. Summer tires that grip just fine when it’s, well, summer, are not meant for freezing weather. In cold conditions, they can become stiff and lose their grip on the road, even when snow and ice aren’t a factor. Switch to all-season or winter tires and save the summer tires for warm weather.

Ice follies
After snow storms earlier this winter led to a flurry of accidents on Connecticut roads, the state announced it would start ticketing drivers who failed to clear the snow and ice from the roofs of their cars or trucks.

Flying ice and snow may do no harm to the driver of the blanketed vehicle, but it can be incredibly dangerous to others. Connecticut’s move came after a woman and her two-year-old child were  hurt when ice flew off another car and shattered their windshield.

The AAA says that most states have laws that allow police to ticket drivers of cars covered with ice or snow, even if the law doesn’t spell that hazard out. But there’s no question that it’s the driver’s responsibility to make the car safe enough to be on the road.

Our autos experts offer the following advice:

• Run your car with the heat on while you’re clearing the outside. Use a long-handled brush or scraper to remove as much ice and snow as possible.
• If you can’t reach the roof easily use a sturdy step stool—but only if your shoes and the ground aren’t slippery. If the ground is too slick, work at the edges of the ice and lift it away from the roof in chunks.
• Don’t use road salt or directly scrape the car, both of which can damage the finish.
• Consider a warm spray at a car wash, particularly if you have a tall vehicle (though note that car washes have differing rules about allowing snow-covered cars to enter).

If a sheet of ice comes flying at you when you’re on the highway, don’t panic. Swerving and hitting another vehicle risks a serious accident, and will likely cause more damage than getting hit by the ice. Gently apply the brakes and don’t change lanes or stop abruptly without checking that it’s safe.

More to explore

• Winter driving tips
• Early warning signs of tire failure
• Guide to safe winter driving
• Four-wheel-drive vs. All-wheel-drive

 

500,950 Cosco car seats recalled

Two models of Cosco convertible car seats—the Touriva and the Regal Ride—have been recalled by the Dorel Juvenile Group because the elastic straps that secure the pad to the shell can become loose. The concern, according to the notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is that a child could loop the loose elastic strap around portions of his or her body resulting in an injury.

The 500,950 car seats affected by the recall were manufactured from Sept. 28, 2004 through Sept. 20, 2007 and include the following model numbers, which can be found on a sticker located on the side or back of the child restraint.

• Cosco Touriva: 22100TTD, 22100FSM, 22100TIP, 22111FSM, 22130WAL, 93100FSM, 93111FSM
• Cosco Regal Ride: 22139MON

Dorel is contacting all registered owners and at the same time will provide them with a free repair kit. Those consumers who have not registered their product or have not received a repair kit should visit www.djgusa.com or call 1-888-698-6681 to order a kit. There is no need to return the affected seats to the retailer. Dorel encourages parents to obtain and install the repair kit as soon as possible but says they can continue to use the child restraint as directed in their instruction manual.

Step-by-step instructions on how to repair the straps are featured on the Dorel's web site.

Ward and Montana Stone: Father-daughter safety sleuthing team

Genetics may help explain why 11-year-old Montana Stone became so interested in what was in her jewelry box.

Montana’s mother is a biology teacher who, according to Montana, frequently cautioned her children about going to old houses because of lead paint hazards. Montana’s father is a leading wildlife pathologist for New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation who developed a lead testing process to determine if animals had been killed by bullets illegally when hunters were claiming they had used only a bow and arrow.

So it’s really not hard to understand why Montana started wondering earlier this year if the favorite items in her jewelry box contained lead. “There were a lot of people just talking about lead in jewelry and I started wondering if there's lead in [mine],” Montana recalled in a recent telephone interview.

Her curiosity was all that her father needed to launch a full-scale testing of children’s jewelry. Together, Montana and her dad went to stores near their home in Albany and bought dozens of pieces of children’s jewelry. “We bought about 75 pieces and tested into the night,” at Stone’s office, the elder Stone said. “I would hand a piece to him and he would test it,” Montana added. (Don’t worry, both wore surgical gloves so they wouldn’t get exposed to any lead). What they found was distressing: “We found lots and lots of lead, far more than half” of the pieces they purchased, Ward Stone said. And some of those pieces had very high levels of lead.

The father-daughter team then bought more items, including metal beads at Michaels Stores, where Montana buys a lot of arts and crafts items. Those items also had high levels of lead.

Disturbed by the findings, Ward Stone took his results to the office of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The staff conducted another round of tests resulting in both a nationwide recall of more than 500,000 pieces of jewelry as well as a settlement with 12 companies, including the national chains of Michaels and Big Lots, in which they promised to stop selling lead-tainted items in their stores.

Father Stone gives all the credit to his daughter. “If it had not been for her, Dad would not have done what he did”—or continues to do. Both Montana and her dad are still buying and testing jewelry. And they’ve expanded their studies to include plates and mugs as well. The results continue to be disturbing; much of the dishware has been coated with lead paint, Stone reports.

Certainly, both Montana and Ward Stone deserve to be added to our list of Safety Crusaders for their curiosity, persistence, diligence—and results.

If you know of any safety crusaders who should be added to our list, please let us know.

Local news highlights some universal hazards

A few items in the local news caught our attention recently. They could have been articles from any newspaper in the country, but that they happened in the same week in our area made us reflect on the safety challenges we face every day.

The first was a fatal house fire in Yonkers, N.Y. that killed a couple in their eighties. Police say the fire started when a space heater placed too close to the bed ignited the linens. The fire had plenty of fuel in the cluttered house. (In addition, fireman had to break through the front door, which had been bolted shut by the couple to prevent intruders.)

Next there was a report from the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection on its two-month investigation into local grocery stores. In November and December, the county sent inspectors into 59 grocery stores to look for expired foods. They found an average of 88 out-of-date items per store and removed 433 items from shelves at one store. Among the stomach-turners: cheddar cheese that was eight months past its sell-by date and four-month-old coffee creamer. Officials noted that grocery items most likely to be out-of-date were cheese (including cottage cheese and cream cheese) and yogurt, and vacuum-packed deli meat, hot dogs, and bacon. The report said that contrary to what some shoppers think, the back of the display case isn’t always where the freshest goods are, and that the top and bottom shelves of the dairy case held the most problems.

And in a sad (and sadly ironic) clash of timing and technology, an out-of-state computer technician focusing his attention on the GPS in his rental car found himself on the rails instead of the road in Bedford Hills. After the driver made a wrong turn, the car became stuck on the train tracks; the driver was able to escape before the car was hit by a commuter train leaving New York. More than 500 passengers were stranded for two hours and subsequent trains were canceled or postponed.

Perhaps we took special note of these news items because they involve issues we've covered in the past—space heater safety, food safety and GPS safety. Still, it's good to be mindful of such hazards when we're at home, on the road or at the grocery store.

January is the deadliest month for carbon monoxide poisoning

According to a new study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first month of the year is the worst for carbon monoxide poisoning. At least two people die each day from carbon-monoxide poisoning in January—three times the fatality rate recorded in August and July. Unintentional carbon monoxide exposure accounted for 15,000 emergency room visits annually between 1999 and 2004, with an average of 439 people dying each year.

Fatalities were highest among men and senior citizens: Men because they are engaged in more high-risk behaviors such as working with fuel-burning tools or appliances and seniors because they are likely to mistake the symptoms of CO poisoning (headaches, nausea, dizziness or confusion) for the flu or fatigue.

It should come as no surprise that CO deaths are the highest in winter (December is the second highest month). Cold weather increases the use of gas-powered furnaces as well as the use of risky alternative heating and power sources (portable generators, charcoal briquettes, propane stoves or grills) during power outages. It’s also understandable that the highest CO death rates are in colder states: Nebraska, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and North Dakota. By contrast, California has the lowest fatality rate.

With these sobering facts it’s a good time to remember the following safety tips to prevent CO poisoning:

• Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil or coal-burning appliance inspected and serviced by a qualified technician every year.
• Install battery-operated CO detectors on every level of your home.
• Don’t use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove or other gasoline or charcoal-burning device inside the home, basement or garage or outside the home near a window.
• Don’t burn anything in an unvented stove or fireplace.
• Don’t let a vehicle idle inside a garage attached to a house, even if the garage door is left open.
• Don’t heat a house with a gas oven.

If a CO detector sounds, leave your home immediately and call 911 from outside. Seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and if you or someone in your household is feeling dizzy, light-headed or nauseated.

Related reading
Read Consumer Reports full report on CO and smoke detectors, including an interactive diagram of where to place them in your home.

Also, here is our guidance on how to safely use a generator as well as information from our Home & Garden blog on wood and pellet stoves.