This week in safety

It's almost the witching hour so we'd like to share some Halloween safety tips from our fellow bloggers at Consumer Reports. Both the Cars blog and the Baby & Kids blog featured posts on pedestrian safety cautioning drivers to watch out for wee walkers after dusk. But with the clocks being turned back this weekend, those tips will hold true for the rest of the fall and winter as well. Our colleagues on the Home & Garden blog remind readers to change the batteries in their smoke alarms at the same time they reset their clocks. Here's what else was in the news this week.

FDA ignored evidence when calling BPA safe
USA Today
The Food and Drug Administration ignored evidence when concluding that a chemical in plastic baby bottles is safe, according an expert panel asked to review the agency's handling of the controversial substance. Read more ...

Some tainted toys get another turn
The Wall Street Journal
Pixos, a toy marketed by Spin Master Ltd. of Toronto, lets children arrange small beads into designs, then add water to make them stick together permanently. The toy is similar to Aqua Dots, a product recalled last November after several children swallowed beads and slipped into temporary comas. In fact, Pixos is a new version of the same toy, marketed under a different name. Read more ...

Mexican 'vanilla' with coumarin no bargain
Food and Drug Administration
Tourists tempted to pick up bargains south of the border should beware of one bargain that isn't always a good buy—so-called Mexican "vanilla." This flavoring product may smell like vanilla, taste like vanilla, and be offered at a cheap price. But it's often made with coumarin, a toxic substance banned in food in the United States. Read more ...

USFA releases new residential and buildings fire report
U.S. Fire Administration
Cooking (41 percent) and heating (13 percent) are the leading causes of residential building fires. Cooking also accounts for approximately 25 percent of fires that injure civilians. Smoking (20 percent) is the leading cause of fatal residential building fires. Read more ...

More Marines killed on motorcycles this year than in Iraq
CNN.com
Motorcycle accidents have killed more Marines in the past 12 months than enemy fire in Iraq, a rate that's so alarming it has prompted top brass to call a meeting to address the issue, officials say. Read more ... Our Cars blog explored the rise in motorcycle fatalities earlier this year.

Don't miss these recalls

• 135,310 Firestone and 26,941 Le Mans tires (insufficient tread)
• 35,000 Sony lithium-ion laptop batteries (fire and burn hazard)
• 17,000 DYMO  power adapters used with printers (burn hazard)
• 54,500 Fit & Fresh smooth blend mixers (laceration hazard)
• 370,000 Homelite chain saws (chain brake failure)
• 19,000 Cybex treadmills (fall hazard)
• 6,100 Serta zipper-covered mattresses (flammability)
• Mars Petcare Special Kitty dry food (Salmonella)