Lessons learned from the death of a child

The Arizona Republic today released the transcript of the 911 call made after the mother of Mike Tyson's daughter, Exodus, 4, found the girl accidentally strangled on a cord of a treadmill machine. The transcript underscores how quickly a child can become unconscious when an airway is blocked.

"When a kid gets strangled it only takes about seven to 14 seconds for them to go unconscious," Tracey Fejt, an injury prevention specialist in Arizona, told the newspaper. "They might get their head in, but they won't get out."

Investigators estimate that the girl was alone for only a matter of minutes before becoming entrapped by a slacked cord -- possibly under the console -- that left her trapped, unconscious and suffocated.

Unfortunately, it often takes this type of high-profile accident to draw attention to common hazards. After the child's death, our resident safety expert, Don Mays, was asked to appear on CNN's Situation Room to discuss the dangers of treadmills and other pieces of large exercise equipment. Take a moment to watch the interview and then heed the advice.

As Mays told the the interviewer, "Our recommendation is to keep your children away from a treadmill whether it's working or not."

This week in safety: Drywall FAQs

In an effort to better help affected homeowners, the Consumer Product Safety Commission this week created a drywall information center on it's Web site. The agency has received more than 365 reports from residents in 18 states and the District of Columbia who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of certain metal components in their homes are related to the presence of drywall produced in China. State and local authorities have received far more reports, especially in the states of Florida and Louisiana.

Tests of the Chinese-made drywall conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency revealed that it contains at least three materials not found in drywall produced in the U.S. The tested drywall contained sulfur, strontium at levels ten times as high as in U.S. drywall and two other organic compounds generally found in acrylic paint that have not been detected in any U.S.-made wallboard.

“We now know there are three things in there that aren’t in other drywall samples,” said Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) who has been working to provide homeowners with relief. “We’ve got the ‘what’ and now we need the ‘why’—and, how do we fix it? In the end, I think all this stuff is going to have to be ripped out.”

Some homeowners spoke to the Miami Herald about their drywall problems in this video.

More news
Nancy Nord stepping aside as acting chairman at CPSC
The Associated Press
The Consumer Product Safety Commission gets a new chief, at least temporarily, next week. Acting Chair Nancy Nord plans to step down and fellow commissioner Thomas Moore will take over as acting head on June 1 until a new chairman is confirmed by the Senate. (Inez Tenenbaum has been tapped to lead the CPSC.) Read more ...

House calls for closer watch on food supply
The Washington Post
The nation's complex food supply chain would become more transparent, inspections of food facilities would become more frequent and manufacturers would be required to take steps aimed at preventing food-borne illnesses under legislation proposed yesterday by key House leaders who have pledged to modernize the food safety system. Read more ...

Cigarette butts: Tiny trash that piles up
The New York Times
Some smokers see cigarette butts as a more natural kind of trash than, say, a plastic bottle. But they are not biodegradable: They contain plastic filters that enter sewers and storm drains, and get swept into rivers and then out to sea, where they can release toxic chemicals including nicotine, benzene and cadmium. Read more ...

The price of cheap: When China's products fail, Americans suffer
Fox News.com
Chinese products account for more than 60 percent of U.S. recalls each year, according the CPSC. While Congress has made significant strides in regulating Chinese goods many argue that American product liability law is still the backstop of safety for American consumers. Read more ...

A simple smooch or a toxic smack?
The New York Times
The debate seems to resurface every few years. Do some lipsticks contain lead? If so, is the amount so negligible that consumers have nothing to be concerned about? Or will all those years of applying lipstick several times a day add up to a worrisome accumulation of a dangerous substance? Read more ...

Not just fun and games: Playgrounds present health and safety risks
Medill Reports/ Northwestern University
It’s a sound of summer: children’s laughter as they whoosh down a slide, fly high on a swing or finally
make it across those monkey bars. But for all the happy childhood memories associated with playgrounds, those neighborhood gathering places present hazards of their own. Read more ...

Battle wages over the use of cell phones in cars
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Figuring out how to keep the eyes, hands and minds of drivers focused on the road has become quite popular these days. Lawmakers, activists and cell phone users across the nation are fighting over what we can and cannot do while zipping down an interstate at 60 mph. The desire to regulate cell phones isn't new, but the intensity is. Read more ...

Study: Youth baseball injuries down 25 percent
Dayton Daily News
Researchers in Ohio say emergency rooms are seeing 25 percent fewer kids and teens with baseball injuries than in the mid-1990s. Dr. Gary Smith at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus says the decline may reflect the increased use of protective gear, such as mouth guards and reduced-impact safety baseballs. Read more ...

Product liability prevention: Even more important in tough economic times
Product Safety Letter
Tough economic times are hard on everyone. All too often, companies try to cut costs by eliminating or reducing personnel who are involved in product liability prevention (PLP) activities such as product safety, regulatory compliance, and quality. In many cases, this is not a good idea. Cutting corners in the short-term can cause long-term problems. Read more ...

Don't miss these recalls

• 4,300 Step2 Play Up Gym play sets (fall hazard)
• 60 Offset patio umbrellas sold at Home Depot (tipover hazard)

Safety news from the CR blogs

• Babies & Kids: Safe transportation for overweight kids
• Cars: How to find a car seat that fits your car
• Health: FDA wants new labels on acetaminophen
• Home & Garden: Cut your exposure to arsenic in pressure-treated lumber
• ShopSmart: Tips for buying safe food

Tyson 's daughter dies after treadmill accident

The Associated Press is reporting that Exodus, the four-year-old daughter of Mike Tyson, has died after an accident on a treadmill machine.

“There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus,” the family said in a statement. “We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal.”

Mike Tyson's daughter, 4, on life support after treadmill incident

Boxer Mike Tyson's 4-year-old daughter, Exodus, was critically injured over the weekend when she accidentally got tangled in a cord or rope hanging from a treadmill. She is on life support and “in extremely critical condition” in a Phoenix hospital. Police are calling it a "tragic accident," according to the Los Angeles Times.

"Somehow she was playing on this treadmill, and there's a cord that hangs under the console—it's kind of a loop," the police said. "Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it."

While it's uncertain what happened, some treadmills feature a tethered safety key on a long cord that is meant to shut off the machine automatically if the user slips and falls. When used correctly, it also prevents children from starting the machine. But sometimes users tie the cord around the treadmill's handle to keep it out of the way.

Exercise machines such as treadmills pose special risks to toddlers and young children, who account for the greatest percentage of serious injuries. Emergency rooms around the country are reporting a growing number of severe burns on the hands and fingers of young children who reach down or under and touch a treadmill belt when it’s running.

Tyson's daughter's injuries serve as a sad and serious reminder of the dangers that home exercise equipment can pose to children. If you have any in your home, make sure the equipment is unplugged and out of a child's reach, and keep young children away from equipment without safety locks. Children should especially be kept away from exercise equipment when it is in use.

60,000 trampolines recalled because of fall hazard

Skywalker Holdings recalled 60,000 trampolines today because the enclosure can fail, creating a fall hazard. The company has received at least 250 reports of support straps breaking that connect the top of the enclosure to the poles. No injuries have been reported, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The recall includes a 13-foot square trampoline and enclosure combo, which has blue spring pads, a black net enclosure and a jumping mat. “Skywalker Holdings” is printed on a label located under the jumping mat and on the enclosure net. Made in China, the trampolines were sold at specialty stores and major retailers nationwide and online from January 2007 through February 2009 for between $400 and $600.

Owners should immediately stop using the trampolines and contact Skywalker Holdings to obtain a free repair kit at (866) 603-5867 or visit the company’s Web site.

Neither Consumer Reports nor the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend buying trampolines for your kids.  Based on our analysis of CPSC data, more than 105,000 hospital-treated injuries in the U.S. in 2007 were linked to trampolines. Common injuries include broken bones, head injuries, sprains and cuts and bruises.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following guidelines regarding trampolines:

• Trampolines should not be viewed as play equipment for children. Do not keep a trampoline at home, whether indoors or outdoors, for your children to jump on.
• Make sure your child’s school does not have a trampoline on the playground, as this can pose a serious hazard.
• Use of a trampoline is appropriate only under the direct supervision of trained individuals such as physical therapists or athletic trainers. If used under these conditions, only one person should be on the trampoline at a time.
• Children younger than age 6 should never use a trampoline, even in supervised training programs.
• The surface of a trampoline used for supervised training programs should be checked routinely for rust, tears and detachments.
• A safety pad should cover all portions of the steel frame and springs.

Parents who choose to have trampolines should check them thoroughly for wear and tear to make sure they are in good condition, especially if they are stored outside in harsh weather conditions.

This week in safety: Bunk beds to lose sleep over

A recall of 1,500 bunk beds this week featured a trifecta of safety hazards—fall, entrapment and strangulation—caused by the beds' lack of sufficient headboards, footboards or guardrails as well as gaps that can trap a child's head. More concerning was the fact that the beds had been on sale for eight years by Gothic Cabinet Craft of Maspeth, N. Y.

The beds violate the 10-year-old mandatory standards for bunk beds issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1999 after it found widespread compliance problems with the ASTM voluntary standard. The CPSC recalls bunk beds almost every year but the design flaws of the Gothic beds seem particularly egregious. (See photo at right and other models on the recall notice.)

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 the results of a study released last year by Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. According to the CPSC, there were 91 bunk bed fatalities from 1990 to 1999, the year the standards were adopted.

More news
Mom charged with manslaughter in death of tot left in truck
The Miami Herald
Miami-Dade police have charged the mother of an 18-month-old boy who died Thursday after he was left in a truck for several hours. Read more ...

The risks of riding an ATV
The Deseret News
The industry that manufactures all-terrain vehicles generally tries to push the blame for injuries and deaths onto the operators of their machines. And, generally speaking, that is correct. But even when people follow safety rules, horrible things can happen. Read more ...

As nanotechnology hits the marketplace, safety is a growing issue
MinnPost.com
Although the federal government spends more than a billion dollars on nanotechnology research annually, safety studies aren't getting the funding they should. Read more ...

Product safety a 115-year pursuit at  Underwriters Laboratories
The Chicago Tribune
For 115 years, thise company has tested U.S. products and written safety standards, promoting a trademark so commonplace that many people assume "UL" comes from a government agency -- not one of the Chicago-area's oldest firms. Read more ...

Look out 'cause this stuff is TOXIC!
The Globe and Mail
We are now into the fourth generation of people exposed to toxic chemicals from before conception through to adulthood,” writes noted health analyst Theo Colborn in the foreword to Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects our Health . Read more ...

FDA relied heavily on BPA lobby
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
As federal regulators hold fast to their claim that a chemical in baby bottles is safe, e-mails obtained by the Journal Sentinel show that they relied on chemical industry lobbyists to examine bisphenol A's risks, track legislation to ban it and even monitor press coverage. Read more ...

Safety news from CR's Cars blog

• Recalls: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge , Ford and GMC vehicles
• Despite risks, Missouri moves to relax motorcycle helmet law
• Parents and devices watch over teen drivers

A recall to remember
We get lots of recall notices each week but some make us sit up and take notice. Or at least we would if we had a place to sit. This recall was for a bench that "can collapse when weight is placed on it." Huh? And what else would you do with a bench? Fortunately, there were only 225 benches in question, sold by Ross Stores of Pleasanton, California.

More recalls

• 160,000 Samsung “Jitterbug” cell phones (failure to reach 911)
• 16,000 Trek bicycles with JD suspension forks (crash hazard)
• 3,600 Norco bicycle frames (crash hazard)
• 1,500 Cannondale bicycles with JD suspension forks (crash hazard)
• 580 Cumberland Outfitters girl’s hooded sweatshirts (strangulation hazard)

Pool chemicals send thousands to ER each year

It turns out that drowning isn’t the only pool hazard. A new government report from the Centers for Disease Control tallies injuries caused by pool chemicals, based on records from hospitals and poison control centers. In 2007 alone, an estimated 4,600 people went to emergency departments and another 9,500 called poison centers after being injured by pool chemicals. Most had inhaled the fumes or gotten the chemicals in their eyes.

Here’s a wonky line from the report: “Although no one data source alone elucidates completely the epidemiology of pool chemical-associated injuries, together they reveal multiple commonalities that suggest these injuries are preventable.”

Translation: Be careful. You can avoid an accident that sends you or someone else to the emergency room by using common sense and taking some precautions. Always follow the directions on the package; wear appropriate protective gear; store chemicals in a dry place; don’t mix chemicals together; and keep kids away when you’re handling any pool supplies.

The CDC has a handy pamphlet on the dangers of pool chemicals that pool owners can print out and keep with their other pool information.

Death of Cleveland girl linked to recalled beef

The death of a 7-year old Cleveland girl has been linked to the beef recall we wrote about yesterday involving 95,898 pounds of ground beef patties tainted with E. coli that had been distributed nationwide by Valley Meats of Coal Valley, Ill. In addition, three people in the Cleveland area are recovering from illnesses tied to the beef including a 3-year-old girl, a 24-year-old man and a 71-year-old man, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The brands involved in the recall include 3S, Grillmaster, J & B, Klub, Thick 'N Savory and Ultimate and several generic products. It is unclear whether the meat is distributed in grocery stores or exclusively to restaurants. Cleveland health officials are also investigating two local restaurants, according to the newspaper.

Illnesses related to the recalled meat have also been reported in Pennsylvania and Illinois, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on its Web site.

Does your pool meet the new safety rules?

Here in the northeast, temperatures went from the mid 30s at night to the mid 80s during the day within the space of a week. Welcome to our part of the country. The sudden warmth and approaching Memorial Day weekend has everyone thinking “pool.” This year, that means a lot more than usual.

New regulations (the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act) governing pool drains went into effect last December to prevent entrapment from the powerful suction.  Municipalities, clubs, hotels and homeowners who are opening pools for the first time since then may be scrambling to comply.

We’ve heard there’s been some confusion about the new rules, and it’s possible that the pool you swim in is not up to code. We continue to advise that before you dive into the pool at a U.S. hotel, swim club, or apartment complex, confirm with the manager or engineer that the pool meets the new regulations. He or she should be able to tell you specifically that the drain systems conform to the new standards.

And keep in mind that while the new, safer drains reduce the risk of entrapment, drowning is still the second-leading cause of accidental death in children ages one to 14. Each year 300 children younger than age five drown in pools and spas, according to new data released today by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

So take every precaution possible to secure your own pool and keep your family safe. The CPSC has these pool safety tips:

• Employ layers of protection: Barriers, such as a fence with self-closing, self-latching gates, completely surrounding pools prevent unsupervised access.
• Beware of entrapment: Suction drains in pools and spas can cause entrapments involving hair, body parts, clothing and jewelry, which can lead to death and serious injury.  Do not allow children to play in a pool or hot tub/spa with missing or broken drain covers.
• Look in the pool first: Precious time is often wasted looking for missing children anywhere but in the pool. 
• Drowning is silent: Parents may think that if their child falls in the water, they will hear lots of splashing and screaming,  however, children can slip under the water silently. 
• Never leave a child unattended: Designate a “Water Watcher”, someone who can concentrate on kids in the water.

Ground beef patties recalled because of E. coli contaminiation

Before you fire up the grill, check your the beef burgers in your freezer to make sure they're not part of the 95,898 pounds of ground beef products recalled today by an Illinois company. Valley Meats is recalling beef patties that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Several brands were involved in the recall, including 3S, Grillmaster, J & B, Klub, Thick 'N Savory and Ultimate. The frozen beef patties bear the establishment number "EST. 5712" inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as an individual case code, which can be found on the recall notice. The products were produced on March 10, 2009, and distributed nationwide.

The problem was discovered through an epidemiological investigation of illnesses. On May 13, 2009, FSIS was informed by the Ohio Department of Health of a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Illnesses have been reported in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.