Inflatable accidents are up, up and away

If it hadn't been real, the sight of an 11-year-old boy flying  40 feet into the air clinging to an inflatable slide might have seemed like a whimsical scene from the movie "Up." And after a few terrifying moments, it did  have a happy ending; the Ohio boy landed safely thanks to some quick-thinking bystanders.

The unintended balloon flight highlights the dangers of inflatable amusements, which are subject to relatively few safety rules and regulations. Popular at kids' backyard birthday parties, local carnivals and other attractions, the inflatables come in all shapes and sizes with names like moonwalker and bounce house. They're big and bouncy and irresistible to kids.

Unfortunately, the fun can end quickly. Kids pile on top of other kids, breaking bones, chipping teeth or worse, or when the structures deflate unexpectedly, trapping children inside. In the case of the Ohio boy in June, a gust of wind caught the poorly anchored slide and lifted it into air with the child still aboard. As photos from the Middletown Journal show, he was brought to safety when some adults punctured the inflatable and it returned to earth. Other children suffered bumps and scrapes when the ride flipped several times.

In 2007, a 3-year-old died when he was crushed by two adults. Last fall, a young girl died after she broke her neck doing somersaults down an inflatable ride in Festus, MO, according to the Witchita Eagle. And last month, a 17-year-old Texas boy attempted a back flip on an inflatable ride, fell on his neck, and is now partially paralyzed.

Such accidents are on the rise as the popularity of inflatables grows, according to the Web site, Ride Accidents.com, which tracks incidents. The newest numbers from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which were last updated in 2005, are sobering. The CPSC reported four fatalities in inflatable-related accidents from 2002 to 2005. In 2004, the most recent year for which we found complete data, inflatable rides, such as inflatable slides and bouncers, accounted for an estimated 4,900 injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms, according to the agency. That was up sharply from 1997, when the CPSC estimated only 1,300 such injuries -- a whopping 277 percent increase in just eight years (a time in which inflatables grew in popularity).

In 2007, the CPSC issued one of its first recalls of inflatable amusement ride devices in several years: Some 2,600 bounce houses made by Sportcraft (see image above) were recalled after the company received a handful of reports of fans and the surrounding plastic breaking apart during use, causing the inflatables to lose air.

It's up to the states or local municipalities to regulate inflatables. Few have. One of the first states to get tough on inflatables was New Jersey, which requires inspections and mandates that inflatables meet wind-anchorage and combustibility requirements. ASTM International, a voluntary-standards development organization, has developed a standard for inflatables. While ASTM standards don't carry the weight of law, they may be referenced in laws or contracts.

Before letting your child use an inflatable at a carnival or festival, check with the operator to see if it is properly anchored and that users are supervised. If you are renting one for a backyard event, the state of Washington offers these safety tips:

• Limit the number of users on the device;
• Make sure the inflatable isn't overloaded or unstable;
• Securely anchor the inflatable to the ground with pegs;
• Place the blower so it can't accidentally be unplugged, causing the inflatable to collapse.

Injuries result in recall of 1 million Kolcraft play yards

Kolcraft today recalled one million play yards because the side rail can unlatch unexpectedly, posing a fall hazard to children. Kolcraft has received 347 reports of  play yard sides collapsing, resulting in 21 injuries to young children, including bumps, scrapes, bruises and one concussion, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported.

The recall involves more than 20 models including the Travelin’ Tot series sold under a number of brand names. In addition to Kolcraft, the play yards were manufactured for Carter’s, Sesame Street, Jeep, Contours, Care Bare and Eric Carle (check the recall notice for model numbers). Some of the units have a bassinet and/or changing table. Some models have a mobile, vibrating unit or a parent organizer. The model numbers can be found on a white sticker on one of the feet of the play yard.

Some of the models involved in this recall were also recalled in September 2007 because they posed a strangulation hazard, which resulted in the death of a 10-month-old Texas boy who strangled on a changing table restraint strap that was hanging down into the play yard.

Made in China, Spain and Italy, the play yards were sold at Babies 'R' Us, Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Target and other stores nationwide and Internet retailers from January 2000 through January 2009 for between $50 and $160.

The CPSC is telling parents to stop using the play yards and to contact Kolcraft for a free repair kit at (866) 594-4208 or vy visiting the firm’s Web site at www.kolcraft.com.

Our take:  Side rail collapses on play yards, some resulting in child deaths, have long been a problem.  We wonder why it took 347 reported incidents including 21 injuries before these products were recalled.

Aqua Leisure recalls more than 4 million baby floats

Everyone out of the pool. Aqua Leisure today recalled four million baby floats because the leg holes in the seat of the float can tear, causing children to unexpectedly fall into or under the water, posing a risk of drowning. There have been 31 reports of float seats tearing, causing children to fall into or under the water. No injuries have been reported.

Fifteen different models have been recalled, including the Aquarium baby float at right. Check the recall notice for photos of all the recalled floats.

Made in China, the floats were sold at juvenile product and mass merchandise retailers nationwide, including Target, Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, Dollar General, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware and Bed, Bath & Beyond from December 2002 through June 2009 for between $8 and $15. About 345,000 of the floats were also sold in Canada at those retailers as well as Shoppers Drug Mart, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, Zellers, Samko, Canadian ABC and Loblaws.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is advising consumers to stop using the recalled baby floats and contact Aqua-Leisure for a full refund at (866) 807-3998 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or via the firm's Web site at www.aqualeisure.com.

Simplicty cribs recalled long after troubled company ceases operation

Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced yet another recall of Simplicity-branded children's products. This is the ninth recall of Simplicity products since May 2005, and the sixth recall of that brand's full-size cribs. Some of the models involved in today's announcement were recalled earlier.

This recall involves 400,000 drop-side cribs that pose a risk of death from suffocation and the CPSC knows of one death of an eight-month-old child, two incidents of entrapment, and 25 reports of drop sides detaching from the crib. The crib's plastic hardware, which has flexible plastic tabs at the top of the lower tracks can break or deform. That causes the drop side to detach from the bottom and creates a dangerous gap between the mattress and drop side in which a child can become entrapped and suffocate.

The recalled model numbers include but may not be limited to: 8050, 8325, 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8765, 8778, 8810, 8994, 8995, and 8996.  Made in China, the cribs were sold nationwide between January 2005 and June 2009 for between $150 and $300.

Consumers who own these cribs should stop using them immediately and return the crib to the place of purchase for a refund, replacement or store credit. A note on a related Simplicity crib recall says: "This firm appears to no longer conduct day-to-day operations.  Repair kits are no longer available to fix these recalled cribs.  Parents and caregivers are advised to dispose of these cribs, even if it is believed that the hardware and drop side have been installed correctly. All of the recalled cribs have the potential to pose a danger to young children."

The CPSC is also urging parents to check their homes for any recalled Simplicity products.

Our take:  This recall once again highlights our concerns about the durability of drop-side hardware. Until mandatory safety standards are developed that ensure that drop sides can withstand foreseeable use and misuse, we support banning this crib design. 

CPSC fines OKK Trading $665,000 for child safety infractions

A California company has been fined $665,000 for failing to comply with a 30-year ban on lead paint on toys and violating other federal child safety standards, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The penalty settlement with OKK Trading of Commerce, CA resolves allegations by the CPSC that the company knowingly imported and sold toys with paints that contained lead levels that exceeded legal limits as well as toys with small parts. The penalty also resolves allegations that the company knowingly imported and sold toys, games, rattles, pacifiers and art materials that violated the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.

Because of the safety infractions, OKK Trading has been required to make six recalls over the past two years— totaling almost 18,000 items—including the following:

• March 2009: 2,900 Baby Necessities pacifiers (choking hazard)
• Dec. 2008: 5,400 toy army figures (lead paint)
• Nov. 2008: 2,100 'Mini-Televisor' toys (lead paint)
• April 2008: 2,000 Interchange Robot toys (lead paint)
• Jan. 2008: 2,000 toy racing cars (lead paint)
• April 2007: 3,500 'Lovely Baby' and 'Happy Baby' dolls (choking hazard)

According to the CPSC, OKK Trading hasn't received any reports of incidents or injuries involving the products covered by the settlement and the company denies the CPSC's allegations that it knowingly violated the law.

Earlier this month, Mattel and its subsidiary, Fisher-Price, agreed to pay a $2.3 million civil penalty—the largest of its kind—for violating the federal lead paint ban.

Recalls risky for tag sale buyers and sellers

A new sense of thrift is on the rise as house prices and bank balances fall. It seems to have prompted people to cash in their unwanted stuff. So it’s no surprise that, anecdotally anyway, there seem to be more garage, tag and stoop sales than ever.

Good for thrifty consumers on both sides of the cash box, you might say. True, but one caution for sellers: The same law that bars manufacturers from peddling a million lead-tainted toys applies to the tag-sale host selling just one. And it’s now illegal to sell any product that has been recalled.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is in charge of enforcing the new safety law, (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) is offering buyers and sellers some guidance in the form of an illustrated booklet they can download.

Among the items that you cannot sell:

• Toys and other articles  intended  for  use  by  children, or any  furniture,  with  paint  or  other  surface  coatings  containing  lead  over  specified  amounts. 
• Products primarily intended for children age 12 or younger with lead content over a specific amount.
• Certain toys or child-care articles that contain any one of six prohibited chemicals known as phthalates.

The CPSC won’t be patrolling garage sales; a sense of responsibility should keep consumers from knowingly selling an item that could hurt someone, especially a child. So before you slap price stickers on the stash in your basement, check www.recalls.gov.

And if you’re shopping, we caution you not to buy a used crib, particularly one with drop sides or made before 1999. Also steer clear of car seats, play yards and any kids’ clothing with drawstrings.

Don't play it again, Sam's

Here's a really bad idea, as reported by our colleagues over at our sister blog, the Consumerist. Sam's Club in Salisbury, Maryland is enticing kids to their pharmacy (hmmm  ... why?) with pill bottles filled with candy. Never mind that parents have spent years teaching their little ones never to touch medicine. Now, in one turn of the "child-safe" top all that is for naught, because your kids think that what's inside is really, really yummy.

One commenter to the Consumerist post remembered this Public Service Announcement from the 1980s, now available on YouTube.

This is just the latest example of lousy marketing to kids. Remember edible Legos?

Kids and Cars asks for recall after two children perish in locked trunk

After the deaths last week of two Arkansas children who became locked in a car trunk, Kids and Cars has asked General Motors to recall sedans made in the 2000-01 model year before trunk-release latches became standard equipment.

Curtis Markley, 5, and his sister Virgina, 4, of Springdale, AR were discovered dead in the locked trunk of a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. An autopsy report lists the cause of death as accidental environmental hyperthermia, or high body temperature. The temperature was in the 80s the day the siblings went missing.

Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Cars, said she's sure Curtis and Virginia would have found their way out of the trunk if the car had been equipped with an emergency latch. She is pressing for a recall of older sedans.

Jeannine Fruehan, a spokesman for GM, told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that she wouldn't speculate whether the company would issue a recall. "The situation is tragic, and we were very sad to learn of the unfortunate deaths of these children. But to speak to what we will do as manufacturer without having more information would be premature," she said.

Every year, some 10 to 20 people die trapped in a car trunk, estimates Fennell. Interior release handles have been mandatory since the 2002 model year. Entrapment incidents mostly happen in older cars, which aren't equipped with release handles.

To remedy that, some carmakers offered retrofit kits, but they are no longer available. Consumer Reports tested a retrofit kit called the Quick-Out Emergency Trunk Release that is available for $18 including shipping and handling. We found the kit easy to install using common tools. The handle glows in the dark making it easy to find, and the force required to pull the trunk release was easy for an adult.

If you are buying a sedan made before 2002, check to see if it's equipped with an interior trunk-release handle. If not, install the Quick-Out Emergency Trunk Release.

Update: Earlier this month we wrote about the deaths of two children mistakenly left in cars—in two separate incidents—who died of hyperthermia. Since then we have learned of the deaths of four more children—two in Florida and one each in Louisiana and Kentucky—who died in this manner. To learn more about children and car safety, visit our car safety section.

Girl's injuries a reminder of the dangers of mowing

At age eight, Kenleigh Merritt has undergone that same number of surgeries to repair leg injuries she suffered in a lawn mower accident two years ago. In a frightening instant, Kenleigh slipped and fell underneath a riding mower as the grass at her suburban home was being cut. "It scared me so much," she said later. "My life was frozen fear."

Unfortunately, such accidents occur all too frequently: 77,000 people are rushed to the emergency room each year from accidents involving lawn mowers. At least 10 percent of those are children 18 and under, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Lawn mower injuries include deep cuts, loss of fingers and toes, broken and dislocated bones, burns, and eye and other injuries. Some injuries are very serious. Both users of mowers and those who are nearby can be hurt.

Peter Sawchuck, the mower expert here at Consumer Reports, says the speed at the tip of a mower blade can exceed 200 miles per hour. And as he demonstrates in the video, the mower can discharge pieces as far as 100 feet away—a good reason to keep kids and pets at a distance.

The AAP offers parents these safe mowing tips:

• Use a mower with a safety feature that stops the mower from moving forward when the handle is released.
• Children younger than 16 years should not be allowed to use ride-on mowers. Children younger than 12 years should not use walk-behind mowers.
• Make sure that sturdy shoes (not sandals or sneakers) are worn while mowing.
• Prevent injuries from flying objects, such as stones or toys, by picking them up from the lawn before mowing begins.
• Do not allow children to ride as passengers on riding mowers.

Watch out for that falling monitor and other computer mishaps

Complaints of back pain and repetitive stress injuries have long been associated with computer use but a new study reveals that acute injuries related to the computer are sending a growing number of folks to the emergency room. More than 78,000 injuries related to computers were treated in ERs from 1994 to 2006. Injuries were caused by tripping over computer equipment or wires, falling monitors and moving equipment around. Young children were particularly at risk.

According to data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, approximately 93 percent of injuries occurred at home. The number of acute computer-related injuries increased by 732 percent over the 13-year study period, which is more than double the increase in household computer ownership (309 percent). The study was published in the June online issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Children younger than five had the highest injury rate of all age groups. The most common cause of injury was tripping or falling by patients under five and 60 or older and hitting or getting caught on computer equipment for individuals of all other ages. While injuries to the extremities were most common, children under 10 most often suffered head injuries.

The study was the first nationwide effort to focus on acute rather than chronic injuries. “Future research on acute computer-related injuries is needed as this ubiquitous product becomes more intertwined in our everyday lives," said Lara B. McKenzie of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus, OH, which conducted the study. "More information is needed on the types of computers and equipment used, the layout of these systems, and the furniture utilized in order to develop household-safety practices in this area. Given the large increase in acute computer-related injuries over the study period, greater efforts are needed to prevent such injuries, especially among young children.”

With most households having one computer and many having more than one, researchers decided to take a closer look. They pointed out that in addition to the risk of falling equipment—similar to television tipovers—computers tend to be connected to a wider array of accessories such as keyboards, speakers and printers that require running wires. The wires tend to be more exposed than those on a television.

The most common injury was lacerations, especially in younger children and often to the head. Contusions and abrasions were the second most common.

With most of the injuries occurring at home, it's a good reminder for computer users to make sure their machines are on a stable desk or table and to tame the tangle of wires around the work space. If you have little ones, close the door to the computer room whenever possible.