Most fireworks mishaps occur around the Fourth of July

It’s hard to imagine an Independence Day celebration without fireworks, whether it’s a big booming professional display or just a few sparklers in the backyard.

Unfortunately, more and more Americans are being injured or killed in fireworks-related incidents each year, especially kids. And there is no more dangerous time when it comes to fireworks than the days surrounding the Fourth of July holiday.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has just released some new figures on fireworks-related deaths and injuries and the news is not encouraging.

For starters, there has been a steady upward trend in fireworks-related injuries over the past 10 years. More than 9,800 Americans were injured by fireworks last year, according to the agency, a substantial jump from 2006 when there were about 9,200 such injuries.

The agency says there were 11 fireworks-related deaths last year, the same number recorded in 2006. Five people were killed in incidents involving aerial and display fireworks. Three people died in fires where fireworks were the ignition source. Three people were killed as a result of manufacturing or storing illegal fireworks. 

Injuries to children were a major component of total fireworks-related incidents last year, with children under 15 accounting for 42 percent of the estimated injuries. Children and young adults under 20 had 54 percent of the estimated injuries. Of the injuries sustained last year, 70 percent were to males and 30 percent were to females. 

Following some simple, commonsense guidelines can go a long way in helping prevent fireworks-related injuries.

Make sure you know what devices are legal to use in your area. Several states, including New York and New Jersey, ban all consumer fireworks, including sparklers. Check the CPSC full list of state laws.

And, of course, legal doesn't mean safe. According to the CSPC, illegal products cause only about 2 percent of firecracker injuries.

While the CPSC says the federal government remains committed to stopping the manufacture and sale of illegal fireworks, the agency encourages consumers who use fireworks to safely use legal consumer fireworks. To reduce injuries, CPSC recommends following these fireworks safety tips:

• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
• Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
• Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers.
• Adults should always supervise fireworks activities. Parents often don’t realize that there are many injuries from sparklers to children under five. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees—hot enough to melt some metals.
• Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move back a safe distance immediately after lighting.
• Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
• Light one item at a time, then move back quickly.
• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

We've written about fireworks safety before but like to issue a reminder each year: Have a happy—and safe—Independence Day.

Recall of faulty tire valve stems expanded

The recall of millions of faulty tire valve stems from China we wrote about last week has been expanded.
The rubber replacement valve stems in question may crack prematurely and cause tires to lose air quickly. At high speeds such rapid deflation can cause a serious crash.

Tire accessory distributor Tech International of Johnstown, Ohio, originally recalled model TR-413, which was manufactured for Dill Air Control Products of Oxford, N.C. by Topseal Shanghai Auto-Parts Co. Ltd. in China. The company said at that time the recall involved as many as six million valve stems.

But Tech International has now expanded the recall to include five additional models—TR-413CH, TR-414, TR-415, TR-418 and TR-423—manufactured between August 2006 and November 2006. Tech Int'l did not say how many of those additional models of valve stems it has distributed. Dill said earlier that it had shipped as many as 30 million of the TR-413 valve stems in the North American market.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation of the valve stems on May 15.

Most consumers will have a have a hard time figuring out with any certainty if they have any of the defective valve stems on their tires, however. That's because once a valve stems is installed, the only way to check to see if it is one of the suspected models is to dismount the tire from the wheel and inspect if from the inside.

Eugene Petersen, program leader for tire testing at Consumer Reports, says motorists should conduct a visual inspection of their valve stems to check for cracks. To do this, he says, remove the hubcap (if there is one) and move the top of the stem around, checking for any sign of cracks in the base of the stem where it meets the wheel.

Dill has posted photos online of what consumers should look for when they inspect valve stems.

320,000 Jardine cribs recalled because slats and spindles can break

The Consumer Product Safety Commission today recalled 320,000 cribs made by Jardine Enterprises and sold for the past six years at retail and online outlets of Toys 'R' Us properties because the slats and spindles can break leading to entrapment and strangulation hazards. The agency has gotten 42 reports of crib slats and spindles breaking including four in which children became entrapped in the gap created by the broken piece. Two of the children suffered abrasions and bruising.

The recall involves 28 models of Jardine cribs sold under the names Berkley, Hilton, Positano, Spindle and Windsor at Toys 'R' Us, Babies 'R' Us, Geoffrey Stores and KidsWorld from January 2002 to May of this year. The cribs cost between $150 and $300, although one model was priced at $450.

The model numbers include BC-23, BC-36B, BC-36G, BC-36P, BC-007, BC-010, BC-010C, BC-010HP, BC-010W, BC-017, BC-107C, BC-107CR, BC-110C, BC-110HP BC-110W, DA617BC, DA620BC, DV730N, DV730W, DA770BC, DV830-N, DV830-W, 0113B00, 0113K00, 0303C00, 0303G00, 0303B00, 0309K00. They can be found on the inside of the bottom rail of the headboard or footboard.

Parents and caregivers are advised to stop using the cribs immediately and to contact Jardine to receive a full credit toward the purchase of a new crib. Crib owners can contact Jardine at (800) 646-4106 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET Saturday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.jardinecribrecall.com.

FDA seizes pet food at PETCO distribution center

U.S. Marshalls have seized various animal food products from a PETCO distribution center that serves much of the middle of the country after federal inspectors found widespread and active rodent and bird infestation.

The distribution center in Joliet, Ill., provides pet food products and supplies to PETCO retail stores in 16 states: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

The products were seized at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on a warrant issued by the U.S. District Court in Chicago. "We simply will not allow a company to store foods under filthy and unsanitary conditions that occur as a direct result of the company's failure to adequately control and prevent pests in its facility," says Margaret Glavin, the FDA's Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. "Consumers expect that such safeguards will be in place not only for human food, but for pet food as well."

The unsanitary storage problems were first found during an FDA inspection of the PETCO distribution center in April. Another FDA inspection in May found continuing and widespread infestation.

In a letter to customers posted on its Web site, PETCO's CEO Jim Myers acknowledged that mice had opened packages of food in the warehouse and added, "Since the May inspection, we have acted aggressively to address every concern raised by the FDA."

The FDA says that neither the agency nor PETCO have received reports of pet illnesses or deaths from consuming animal food distributed by PETCO, and the agency does not have evidence that the food is unsafe for animals. However, it cautions that the seized products were in permeable packages and held under conditions that could affect the food's integrity and quality.

The FDA offers the following safety tips for consumers who suspect they have animal food products from the PETCO distribution center:

• Consumers who have handled the products should thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap.
• Any surfaces that came in contact with the product packages should also be washed.
• Products sold in cans and glass containers from PETCO in the 16 affected states should also be thoroughly washed.
• If a pet becomes ill after eating these food products, pet owners should contact their veterinarian and report illnesses to the FDA's consumer complaint coordinators for their geographic areas.

 

In the news: CU scientist weighs in on testing for mad cow disease

Last week our colleague, Michael Hansen, a senior scientist here at Consumers Union, wrote about the court battle between a meatpacker and the U.S. Department of Agriculture over testing for mad cow disease. Today, we are pleased to see a piece he wrote on the issue, Stop the Madness, in the Op-Ed section of The New York Times.

In his piece, Hansen explains why in Korea tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets to speak out against their president's attempt to reopen the market to U.S. beef. Their fear is that the beef could be tainted with mad cow disease, which can be fatal to humans and which was found in this country in 2003.

"American beef producers could easily allay those fears by subjecting every cow at slaughter to the so-called rapid test, which costs about $20 per carcass and screens for this brain-wasting disease in a few hours rather than days," Hansen wrote. "But the United States Department of Agriculture won’t allow that."

Find out why the USDA objects by reading Hansen's Op-Ed piece and his earlier blog entry, then tell us what you think in the comments section below.

The CDC issues a public health alert on lead in artificial turf

Here's something for parents to think about the next time the kids come home dusty after a soccer game or other event on an artificial turf playing field. Certain types of old or weathered artificial turf fields contain levels of lead that pose a potential public health concern, according to a just-released alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC says it is specifically concerned about older artificial turf made of nylon or nylon/polyethylene blend fibers. Turf made with only polyethylene fibers showed very low levels of lead. The agency also says the immediate risk for harmful lead exposure from new fields  is low because the turf fibers are still intact. As the turf ages and weathers, lead is released in the form of dust that could then be ingested or inhaled, and the risk for harmful exposure increases.

The alert was prompted by the results of a recent routine health investigation of a Newark, N.J. scrap metal facility by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). As part of the probe, the agencies tested a nearby community athletic field for lead contamination. Samples taken from the field showed high levels of lead in the field dust, but the lead did not come from the scrap metal facility.

After determining that the artificial turf was, in fact, the source of lead, the NJDHSS began to test other artificial turf fields and found similarly high lead levels. The agency reported that some of these fields were weathered and visibly dusty and that fields that are old, that are used frequently, and that are exposed to the weather can break down into dust as the turf fibers become worn and weathered. These findings raised concerns about potentially high lead levels in artificial turf used in other locations including fields and playgrounds elsewhere in the state and across the country.

The NJDHSS has asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate this potential problem and the CDC and ATSDR are currently waiting for information from the CPSC to help guide future public health recommendations and actions.

The CDC says it currently does not know how much lead the body might absorb from artificial turf fields, but warns that if enough lead is absorbed it can cause harm to neurological development. The CDC says additional tests are being performed by the NJDHSS to help understand the absorption of lead from such fields.

In general, children less than 6 years old are more likely to be affected by lead than adults because of increased contact with lead sources in the environment, including lead-contaminated house dust and soil. Children also absorb lead more easily. Children's developing nervous systems are also more susceptible to the adverse health effects of lead including developmental delay and behavioral problems.

The CDC emphasized that although turf testing has been limited to the state of New Jersey, no cases of elevated blood lead levels in children have been linked to artificial turf on athletic fields in New Jersey or elsewhere.  Concerned parents should talk to their child's pediatrician about potential and known sources of lead in their children'€™s environment and about whether their children should have a blood lead test. This is a simple test that is paid for by most private insurers and by Medicaid.  Although the greatest source of lead poisoning is from the ingestion of lead paint chips and dust, children are exposed to lead from many stealthy sources, including their toys, their jewelry, and even possibly their vinyl lunch boxes. Since lead accumulates in the body, we think it's important to eliminate all sources of exposure to the neurotoxin.

Taking precautions
At this time, the CDC says it does not yet fully understand the potential extent of lead exposure from worn artificial turf. Until it does, the agency says that some precautions can be taken to minimize any potential risk.

For example, field managers should consider implementing dust-suppression measures. And to protect the public, in particular young children, field managers should consider posting signs indicating that:

• After playing on the field, individuals are encouraged to perform aggressive hand and body washing for at least 20 seconds using soap and warm water.
• Clothes worn on the field should be taken off and turned inside out as soon as possible after using the field to avoid tracking contaminated dust to other places. In vehicles, people can sit on a large towel or blanket if it is not feasible to remove their clothes. These clothes, towels, and blankets should be washed separately and shoes worn on the field should be kept outside of the home.
• Eating while on the field or turf product is discouraged.
• Avoid contaminating drinking containers with dust and fibers from the field. When not drinking, close them and keep them in a bag, cooler, or other covered container on the side of the field.

In addition, the CDC has also issued these recommendations for turf field owners and/or managers:

• Test turf that has fibers that are abraded, faded or broken, contains visible dust, and that is made from nylon or nylon-blend fibers.
• If the dust contains more than 400 ppm lead, do not allow turf access to children under the age of 6 years.
• If access is restricted, care should be taken to ensure that alternative sites contain lead levels less than 400 ppm.
• Do not test turf made from polyethylene-only fibers. This recommendation is based on currently available data.
• Do not test turf made from nylon or nylon blends that is not worn and does not contain visible dust. But these fields should be routinely monitored for wear and dust generation.
• Replace fields as soon as practicable if worn and dusty, as a precautionary measure.

Additional Information

• For additional information about testing, dust suppression measures, and other topics related to the NJDHSS's work to address lead in artificial turf visit NJDHSS's artificial turf Web site.
• For a list of state health departments, visit the site of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers  (ASTHO).
• ASTHO also provides a list of state environmental health directors.
• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates consumer products, including artificial turf.

Magnetic jewelry poses risk to children

Last year, there were millions of pieces of children’s jewelry recalled because they contained high levels of lead that could be toxic if swallowed or mouthed.  There were also millions of toys recalled because their small, powerful magnets could fall out and cause serious internal injuries if two or more magnets were ingested or inhaled. So it’s not a stretch to imagine that jewelry made with small, powerful magnets would also be of concern.

Just like tiny magnets in toys, decorative magnetic earrings and nose rings and the loose magnetic backings that hold them in place on an earlobe or nostril can be inhaled or swallowed and possibly require surgical removal.   

Data provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that there have been at least 31 incidents over the past 10 years in which medical treatment was required to remove small magnets from jewelry that had been inhaled or ingested. Most incidents involved children between the ages of 7 and 12 and a few cases required surgical removal of the magnets.

Because the jewelry may not be considered a toy or a children's product, it may not be captured in pending Federal legislation that promises to enhance the safety of products used by children.

We recognize that sometimes magnets in jewelry can be useful.  For example, magnetic catches on necklaces are a boon to those who have trouble working tiny clasps.  And magnetic jewelry seems like a less invasive option to body piercing.  But small, detachable magnets can be risky in the hands of children.  ASTM-International is exploring whether to develop and publish a safety standard to address the hazards of magnetic jewelry. Until they do, we think you ought to keep magnetic baubles away from kids.

Related reading
As part of its Hidden Hazards series, the Chicago Tribune explored the dangers of magnetic jewelry and found that often the magnets in the jewelry are more powerful than those used in toys and, therefore, even more of a hazard.

Warning issued on faulty tire valve stems following rollover death

The death of a Florida man in a rollover accident coupled with the recall of faulty tire valve stems made in China has prompted at least one safety expert to caution consumers to check vehicle wheels to make sure they don't contain the rubber replacement tire valve stems. The valves may crack prematurely and lead to serious crashes, says Sean Kane, president of Safety Research and Strategies in Rehoboth, Mass.

One U.S. distributor, Tech International, recently issued a recall of 6 million of the Chinese-made valve stems, which have been tentatively linked to the fatal rollover crash of an SUV in Orlando last year. The valve stems were made for Dill Air Control Products of Oxford, N.C. by Shanghai Baolong Industries Co. in China. 

On November 11, Robert Monk of Orlando, Fla. died when the right rear tire of his 1998 Ford Explorer failed, triggering a rollover crash. The failure of the tire, which was installed in the fall of 2006, has been linked to a cracked Dill TR-413 valve stem manufactured by a subsidiary of Shanghai Baolong Industries for Dill Air Control Products. In March, the Monk family filed suit against Dill Air Control Products, alleging that the defective tire valve stem caused the crash.

On May 15, the National Highway Traffic Safety administration opened an investigation of the valve stems.

Dill has told NHTSA that as many as 30 million of the suspected valve stems have been distributed in the North American market. The suspect valve stems identified by Dill include its TR-413, TR-413 chrome, TR-414 and TR-418 models, which were manufactured between August 2006 and November 2006. (The valve stem is a rubber tube with a metal valve used to inflate the tire with air.)

Cracks in valve stems can cause tires to lose air quickly, and such air loss at highway speeds can result in tire failure and a loss-of-control crash.

Most consumers will have a have a hard time figuring out with any certainty if they have any of the defective valve stems on their tires, however. That's because once a valve stems is installed, the only way to check to see if it is one of the suspected models is to dismount the tire from the wheel and inspect if from the inside.

"Once they are out of the box and on a vehicle there is no tracking for these products so you can’t notify owners," says Kane. He advises any motorist who has had a tire replaced since July 2006 to immediately have their valves inspected for signs of cracking.

"Radial tires do not show signs of under inflation by a visual inspection until they are significantly under inflated, at which point the tire may have sustained irreparable damage," says Kane. "Motorists may not realize that they are driving on tires that are under inflated and overloaded."

Eugene Petersen, program leader for tire testing at Consumer Reports, says the difficulty in identifying the faulty valve stems represents a real problem for consumers.

"I can't imagine tire shops or service centers would have kept any records on any valve stems they may have installed on a vehicle," says Petersen. "That apparently means the tire will have to be removed from the wheel to identify the manufacturer of the valve stem. That brings you to the question of who will pay for all this."

At a minimum Petersen says motorists should conduct a visual inspection of their valve stems to check for cracks. To do this, he say, remove the hubcap (if there is one) and move the top of the stem around, checking for any sign of cracks in the base of the stem where it meets the wheel.

Petersen says newer vehicles with direct tire pressure monitoring systems require special valve stems, unlike the generic-type valve stems that are involved in this recall.

Both Petersen and Kane say consumers who have had their tires replaced since the summer of 2006 should have the valve stems checked for any signs of cracking. Ideally, they say, consumers should have the tire removed from the wheel and checked by a professional to make sure the valve is not one of the defective models.

Photos of the defective valve stems can be found on the Web site of the Newsome Law Firm, which is representing the family in the lawsuit.

Motorists should report valve stem failures on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or by calling NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

Bunk bed injuries send 35,790 youngsters to ER each year

An average of 35,790 people younger than 21 are treated for non-fatal injuries related to bunk beds in emergency rooms each year, according to a new study by a trio of Ohio researchers.

The study looked at emergency room records from 1990 to 2005. Among the findings:

• Children younger than six suffered the majority of the bunk bed injuries, although significant injury rates also were seen among college-aged students.
• Roughly 60 percent of the injuries occurred in males.
• Lacerations were the most common type of injury (about 30 percent), followed by contusions and abrasions (24 percent) and fractures (20 percent).
• About three out of four of the bunk bed injuries were caused by falls.
• Children sustain bunk bed–related injuries from falls, jumps, bunk bed ladders, bed malfunctions and striking the bed.
• Injuries associated with bunk beds are typically more severe than those associated with conventional beds.
• More than a quarter of the injuries were to the head and neck.
• Bunk bed injuries remained fairly consistent over the 15 years studied.

More than 93 percent of bunk bed injuries occurred at home, primarily among children and adolescents.

For young adults, schools were a primary location. About half (50.9 percent) of the bunk bed–related injuries that occurred at schools involved young adults aged 18 to 21 years. Alcohol use could be a significant factor in bunk bed injuries among young adults, according to the study, which noted 18 to 21 year-olds experienced twice as many injuries as adolescents in the 14 to 17 year-old range.

The authors of the study—from Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus—suggest increased efforts are needed to prevent bunk bed injuries among children, adolescents and young adults.

The study was published in the June issue of Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued mandatory standards for bunk beds in 1999, based on a set of voluntary standards issued seven years earlier by the American Society for Testing and Materials. Those standards were targeted primarily at the prevention of entrapment hazards in bunk beds.

Consumer Reports offers safety guidelines on toddler, twin and bunk beds.

The CPSC recommends that children under six years of age never be allowed to sleep in a top bunk. The agency offers other basic safety tips for bunk beds in a fact sheet available online.

The CPSC also recalls bunk beds that are deemed a hazard and include them in a list of recalled children's items. Parents should check the recall list before accepting a used bunk bed. In 2007, the CPSC issued two recalls for bunk beds.

• Hooker Furniture recalls bunk beds due to strangulation hazard (photo, top)
• Bunk beds recalled by d-Scan due to collapse hazard
  

A quick way to get sick: Undercooked microwaved meals

We've been writing a lot lately about the ongoing outbreak of Salmonella linked to tomatoes. But while we're on the topic of food safety, we'd like to remind you of another possible hazard: undercooked microwaved meals. The microwave has certainly been a success at shortening the time it takes to get a meal from the oven to the table. Yet recent reports on food poisoning outbreaks show that consumers should take the same care when preparing to microwave a meal as they would when cooking in a conventional oven.

Prepackaged microwaveable meals, chicken pot pies and pre-browned or breaded chicken products have been linked to Salmonella and Listeria, two potentially deadly forms of bacteria, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past decade,  health officials in Minnesota have linked five salmonella outbreaks to microwavable foods in that state alone. Nationwide, 65 people were hospitalized and more than 200 were sickened across 35 states in 2007. The CDC pegged that outbreak to frozen Banquet brand meat and poultry pot pies and several other brands produced by ConAgra that were recalled.   

Even though they can appear to be pre-cooked, many chicken and meat dishes are  actually made with raw or partially cooked ingredients, and must be cooked thoroughly. 

Thorough cooking in the microwave is especially important because, contrary to popular belief, microwaves don't cook food from the inside out. The microwaves only penetrate food to a depth of about 1 to 1-1/2 inches. At the center, thicker foods cook by conduction, as the heat moves from the outside in. To ensure the food is cooked thoroughly inside without overcooking the outside layers, you need to cook them longer at lower power.  Some convection microwave ovens may also lead consumers to under cook chicken. In a recent Consumer Reports test of one microwave oven run in a combined microwave-convection mode, the "speed cook" setting designed for whole chicken didn't heat the interior of the bird to a temperature that would be high enough to kill bacteria.

The numerous illnesses attributed to pre-packaged meals prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2006 to strengthen its labeling requirements for prepared meat products and require testing to verify that cooking instructions ensure foods will reach bacteria-killing temperatures.  Despite these measures, Salmonella is still a problem in prepackaged microwaveable meals.

This Spring, Minnesota officials reported two serious cases of Salmonella linked to microwaveable stuffed chicken products, leading the USDA to issue a public health alert. The products, produced by Serenade Foods, include "Chicken Breast with Rib Meat Chicken Cordon Bleu" and "Chicken Breast with Rib Meat Buffalo Style" sold under the brand names "Milford Valley Farms," "Dutch Farms" and "Kirkwood."  Koch Foods, an Ohio firm, recalled similar products because they didn't comply with the new labeling requirements.

Why is raw chicken such a concern? In our tests for bacteria in fresh chicken published in 2007, we found that 83 percent of the birds harbored campylobactor or Salmonella, a stunning increase from 2003, when 49 percent of the birds tested harbored one or both pathogens.

To protect yourself, don't guess. Use a thermometer to make sure any chicken you eat is thoroughly cooked to an interior temperature of 165 degrees, no matter how it's prepared.  Consult the USDA's tips on microwaves and food safety.