Recalls of unsafe products continue to escalate

Last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a record 473 recalls as the marketplace was besieged by unsafe toys and other products.  This year isn’t looking any better.  In fact, for the first half of its 2008 fiscal year, the CPSC announced 307 recalls. At the current rate, we project that by year end the number of CPSC recalls could exceed 800.

The CPSC has held up the high number of recalls as a sign that they are doing their job.  To some extent that’s true; part of their job is to get unsafe products out of the marketplace.  Most retailers are quick to comply with a recall by removing unsafe products from their shelves and/or by blocking the sale of recalled products at their cash registers.

But the CPSC’s job is also to protect consumers from the unsafe products that have already made their way into our homes.  In that regard, CPSC recalls have been highly ineffective.  Mattel, which recalled more than 20 million toys last year, acknowledged that since the mid-1990’s the return rate for toys recalled by the company has been less than 10 percent, on average.  That means that more than 90 percent of the unsafe toys remain in our homes or have since been discarded.  In many cases, news of recalls never reaches consumers, and even when it does consumers may stop paying attention when recalls are announced at a rate of more than one a day.

We need stronger measures to protect consumers from unsafe products.  Manufacturers, distributors and retailers should be doing more to prevent unsafe products from reaching the market in the first place rather than relying on recalls to pull them back once they are already there.  Stronger laws can help.  Legislation recently passed in the House and Senate promises to help revitalize the CPSC, giving it more funding, more staff and more authority to protect the public from unsafe goods.  The legislation also places more responsibility on manufacturers to do the right thing.  Differences between the House and Senate bills need to be reconciled through conference as quickly as possible.  And Congress needs to combine the strongest consumer protection measures contained in each bill.

Much is at stake:  The CPSC has initiated 121 recalls in the first four months of 2008 involving nearly 10 million unsafe products. They include more than 5.9 million toys and other children’s products with harmful, tiny magnets; toxic lead paint; and choking and strangulation hazards. Consumers Union  has compiled a full report on recent recalls called: Still Not Safe: New Recalls Underline Need for Strong Hazardous Product Legislation.

Our children can’t protect themselves.  Congressional leaders need to move forward quickly and prepare the toughest bill possible for the President to sign that will take our children out of harm’s way of dangerous products.—Don Mays

Professor Jeffrey Weidenhamer: Lessons learned about lead

When the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently recalled a lead-laden key chain sold at Wal-Mart for three years, Ashland University Professor Jeffrey Weidenhamer was pleased but puzzled. Pleased that the CPSC had acted to remove the key chain from the market but puzzled that it had taken them so long to do so. After all, Weidenhamer had found high lead levels in a similar key chain when he tested it in 2006 and reported his results to the CPSC that December. What prompted the April recall was not Weidenhamer's testing but reports that a nine-month-old child who had mouthed one had elevated levels of lead in her blood.

"You shouldn't have to wait a year or 16 months to recall a product,"  Weidenhamer told a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Until recently, Weidenhamer’s research specialty had been chemical compounds produced by plants. Now he is more widely known for the research that he and his students at the Ohio college have done on lead in children’s toys. His findings may have resulted in at least 11 recalls by the Consumer Product Safety Commission involving more than 1.4 million individual items. That’s an impressive track record—although Weidenhamer is hesitant about touting it. As he wrote in Ashland's alumni magazine, “It is unfortunate that someone can become well known for drawing attention to lead contamination issues. It certainly would be far better for the kids if there were no story at all about lead contamination in these products.”

Weidenhamer’s fame all started with a chemistry class, Lead and Civilization, that he taught for non-majors and that focused on the chemistry and toxicity of lead. Then in the spring semester of 2006, he learned that a four-year-old Minnesota boy had died of lead poisoning after swallowing a lead-laden charm given away with a pair of shoes by Reebok International. (Earlier this year, Reebok agreed to pay a record $1 million penalty for distributing the charm bracelet).

Knowing that the analysis of metal samples for lead was not too involved, Weidenhamer thought his class would be able to conduct tests in the lab to see if similar items were on store shelves in his Ohio city. “I was not prepared for what my students found,” he said. “In the first set of 20 inexpensive jewelry items, 14 were heavily leaded, in two cases as high as 100 percent lead by weight.” CPSC guidelines for lead in children’s jewelry items sets a maximum level of 0.06 percent lead by weight.

Weidenhamer and his students have done repeated testing since the spring of 2006, including some tests of Halloween toys completed at the request of Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.  Weidenhamer says he tested more than 50 different items and found lead contamination in six of them, including plastic teeth. That, he says “seemed like the worst since they were clearly designed to go into a child’s mouth.” (The teeth were recalled by the CPSC.)

This spring, Weidenhamer found lead in several Easter products, two of which were recalled by the CPSC the Friday before Easter.  “It is a surprise that after all the publicity about toy recalls of last year ... you can still find items on the shelves with lead in them.” He said he will continue to test products. “Hopefully by Halloween this year, we won’t be finding lead in paint in these products,” he said. “It shouldn’t be remotely possible for me or anyone to go out to American stores and pull products from shelves, test them and find levels of lead in them.”

Let's hope he's right but as long as it is possible, we are thankful for Weidenhamer’s efforts. And for that, he becomes one of our safety crusaders.

CPSC recalls related to complaints filed by Weidenhamer

• 86,400 children's "Ultra Gear" bracelets (DM Merchandising) Feb. 7, 2007
• 115,000 "Claudia Jublot" children's rings (Big Lots) Feb. 23, 2007
• 396,000 metal key chains (Dollar General) April 3, 2007
• 63,000 Frankenstein tumblers (Dollar General) Oct. 4, 2007
• 55,000 Halloween skull pails (Albert’s) Oct. 17, 2007
• 142,000 purple Halloween pails with witch decorations (Family Dollar Store) Oct. 25, 2007
• 43,000 “Ugly teeth” party favors (Amscan Inc.) Oct. 31, 2007
• 10,000 Halloween-themed baskets (Hobby Lobby) Nov. 16, 2007
• 205,000 pieces assorted Rachel Rose jewelry (Family Dollar Store) Nov. 21, 2007
• 13,000 camouflage eggs and spinning egg top toys (Hobby Lobby) Mar. 21, 2008
• 310,000 seasonal writing pads (Michaels Stores)

Following manufacturer, CPSC recalls grill that melted in CU tests

Four days after Onward Manufacturing of Canada announced a recall of three models of gas grills after the firebox of two samples melted in tests conducted by Consumer Reports, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission followed suit today with its own recall. In the recall notice, the CPSC said the recall involved 4,800 Signet, Sovereign and Sovereign XL series gas grills.

Consumer Reports encountered the problem in a routine test to determine how well a grill handles flare ups from fatty foods. In the tests, a Broil King Signet 90's firebox melted, dripping molten metal onto the area beneath the grill. We subsequently tested two other samples of this grill: The firebox of one melted and that of the other grill had begun to crack and deform by the end of the test. Because we believe that the Broil King Signet 90 is dangerous and poses a serious safety risk, we judged it Not Acceptable.

Our earlier report on the recall details our testing, includes a video, and outlines the steps that Onward is taking to correct the problem.

First the toys, now the toy bin

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall Thursday of 84,000 children’s storage bins. The pastel pink or lime green paint on the bins has excessive levels of lead, which violates the federal lead-paint standard. The bins were sold at Lowe’s from March 2007 through February 2008.

The storage bins are wooden with scalloped edges and were sold in pastel colors. Only the pink (item number 226781) and green (item number 226782) bins have been recalled. If you own one, the CPSC advises that you take it away from children immediately. You can return it to Lowe’s for a full refund. For more information, contact the importer, L G Sourcing, at (866) 493-6563 or go to www.Lowes.com.

No injuries have been reported from this product, but the potential dangers of lead exposure include developmental and learning disorders.

While you are examining your toy box, also take a look at the toys inside and check to see if any have been recalled lately. Recalls covered on this blog include not only toys that contain lead, but those that pose a choking hazard and others that contain tiny magnets that can cause intestinal damage if swallowed.

Manufacturer recalls grill found faulty in CU tests

Onward Manufacturing of Canada Wednesday recalled three models of gas grills after the firebox of two samples of the Broil King Signet 90 melted in tests conducted by Consumer Reports.  The company's recall, which is expected to be followed shortly by an announcement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, involves the Signet, Sovereign and Sovereign XL grills with model numbers starting with 986, 987 and 988. The serial numbers start with X, Y and Z.

In our routine test to determine how well a grill handles flare ups from fatty foods, a Broil King Signet 90's firebox melted, dripping molten metal onto the area beneath the grill, just missing the hand of one tester who was turning off the gas to the grill. (The space beneath the grill is where the propane tank is stored.) We subsequently tested two other samples of this grill: The firebox of one melted and that of the other grill had begun to crack and deform by the end of the test. Because we believe that the Broil King Signet 90 is dangerous and poses a serious safety risk, we have judged it Not Acceptable.

We reported our findings to the company that makes the grill, Onward Manufacturing, the CPSC and Health Canada, a government safety agency in that country.

Onward is offering owners of the affected grills a baffle. On its Web site it says: "A baffle has been designed which reduces flare-ups caused by grease and protects the cookbox from excessive heat should a grease fire occur." Owners can get the baffle by registering at the company's Web site  or by calling (866) 434-7455. A video posted with the recall notice shows owners how to install the baffle.

The model and serial numbers are located on the gas caution sticker, which is either on the bottom shelf near the wheels or on the rear cart support bar on the back of the grill.

We applaud Onward Manufacturing and the CPSC for the speed with which they responded.  Now that a retrofit kit is available, we hope to test it and report soon on how effective it is in addressing this serious safety problem.

Nintendo recalls 71,000 character pins that violate lead standard

Nintendo has recalled 12 lapel pins of characters from its popular video games because the metal pins contain high levels of lead. The 71,000 pins were sold at two Nintendo stores—in New York, NY and Redmond, WA—or given away to employees at electronics and game stores nationwide.

The lapel pins vary in size from 1- to 2-inches in height and portray the characters Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mario, Mario Kart, Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Starfox, Waluigi and Wario. They were sold individually between April 2004 and November 2007 for between $1.50 and $4. Mario, Princess Peach and Samus were also sold as a set. In that same period, the recalled lapel pins were distributed as promotions to employees at electronics and game stores around the country.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the recall, advised consumers to immediately stop wearing the lapel pins and to contact Nintendo to receive a free replacement pin by calling (800) 431-0971 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visiting the firm’s Web site www.nintendo.com. Images of all 12 pins can be found on both the CPSC and Nintendo Web sites.

Recall of LawnBott mower prompted by CU tests

The May 2008 issue of Consumer Reports contains a report of our tests on lawn mowers, including one that we judged “Not Acceptable.”  The LawnBott LB3200 Evolution, a robotic mower that scoots around the yard without an operator, poses a serious safety risk, in our judgment.  When the 25-pound LawnBott was lifted off the ground, its blades kept spinning for nearly four seconds—long enough to cause serious harm to an adult or curious child.  If lifted less than about 45 degrees, the spinning blades wouldn’t shut off at all.  After our tests, we reported our finding to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) as well as to the U.S. distributor for this Italian-made machine, hoping that they would address this safety issue before people got seriously hurt. 

Today, our hopes were realized.  The CPSC has just announced a recall of four LawnBott robotic mowers with model numbers LB2000, LB2100, LB3000, and LB3200, the model we tested.  All models were manufactured by Zucchetti Centro Sistemi S.p.A., of Italy.

The mowers have a docking station for recharging and a shiny plastic cover sold in red, green or blue. ”Evolution” or “Deluxe” is printed on the side of the mower. They were sold nationwide by Kyodo America dealers from January 2006 through December 2007 for between $1,750 and $2,750.

According to the recall notice, the U.S. importer, Kyodo America Industries, of Lawrenceville, GA, has received one report of a consumer lifting the mower from the ground and suffering minor lacerations from the moving blade.

Consumers should stop using the recalled LawnBott mowers immediately and contact Kyodo America to register their lawn mowers for repairs that will not be ready until the end of June.  Although most recalls have a remedy immediately available, in this case the CPSC said it was important to warn consumers about the hazard now while the fix is still in the works.  For more information, contact Kyodo America at (877) 465-9636 or visit the firm’s web site at www.lawnbott.com. —Don Mays

Companies agree to pay $320,000 in fines for violating drawstring guidelines

Eight firms have agreed to pay a total of $320,000 in fines for failing to report the sale of clothing with drawstrings to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as required by federal law. The clothing, which was recalled over the past two years, posed strangulation and entanglement hazards that can result in death.

In 1996, the Consumer Product Safety Commission staff issued guidelines recommending the removal of hood and neck drawstrings from all children’s upper outerwear sized 2T to 12, and limiting the ends of waist/bottom drawstrings to 3 inches from the garment.  The guidelines were issued because children were being strangled or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstrings when the drawstrings caught on such items as playground equipment, bus doors or cribs.

From January 1985 through January 1999, the CPSC received reports of 22 deaths and 48 other incidents involving entanglement of children’s clothing drawstrings. In 2006, the CPSC informed manufacturers, importers and retailers of children’s upper outerwear that non-compliant clothing would be considered to be defective under the law, to present a substantial risk of injury to children, and would be subject to CPSC mandatory reporting requirements.

The current penalties range from $25,000 to $50,000, hardly a deterrent for big retailers. However, Julie Vallese, spokesperson for the CPSC, said the “fines are consistent with the violations.  It sends a message that the CPSC doesn’t allow companies to get away with violations.”

In 2006, Black Dog Tavern was fined $50,000 for repeated violations of the drawstring guidelines.  That issue was brought to the attention of the CPSC by Janell Mayo Duncan, Senior Counsel in our Washington D.C. advocacy office.   

The eight companies that were fined this week and the related recalls include the following (click on the recall notices for photos of the garments).

Life is Good Inc.   ($50,000)
April 17, 2007 (1,200 sweatshirts)
April 30, 2007 (400 sweatshirts)

True Religion Apparel Inc. ($50,000)
Sept 14, 2006 (150 sweatshirts)

Neiman Marcus Group Inc.   ($50,000)
September 14, 2006 (150 sweatshirts)

The Cayre Group Ltd.     ($40,000)
Sept. 20, 2006 (4,500 sweatshirts)

Kohl's Department Stores Inc. ($35,000)
September 20, 2006 (4,500 sweatshirts)

DollarDays International, LLC  ($25,000)
November 30, 2006 (180 parkas)

Seena International Inc. ($35,000)
January 10, 2007 (45,000 sweatshirts)

Gildan Activewear SRL   ($35,000)
September 20, 2006 (114,000 sweatshirts)

Shelby Esses: A mother's intuition exposes a toy hazard

When 20-month old Jacob Esses ended up in an inexplicable coma last October, one person was sure she knew the answers that the doctors couldn’t find—his mom. Shelby Esses was certain her son’s frightening state was due to the Aqua Dots beads he had swallowed earlier that day. Esses was so confident that as she waited for news about her son’s condition, she asked her mother and mother-in-law to scour store shelves for Aqua Dots looking for the ingredients on the package. 

Fortunately, six hours after falling into a coma, Jacob woke up.  Determined to find out what had caused her son to become so severely ill, Esses didn't give up her search until she found the answer. And after she did, she took a number of steps that illustrate what one person can do to make a difference.

When her son became sick, Esses did all of the right things: She contacted the company that manufactured Aqua Dots to inform them of her son’s condition. She asked for the toy’s ingredient list and even submitted this list to the toxicology lab at her son’s hospital. The lab results showed that the toy was indeed toxic—it contained ingredients that when ingested metabolized into GHB, also known as the date-rape drug. Her information helped lead to a recall of Aqua Dots on November 7, 2007. The recall of 4.2 million sets was one of the fastest toy recalls in U.S. history.

But Esses didn’t stop at the recall. In the following months, she and several other parents of children who also suffered injuries from toys, played a critical role in lobbying Congress to enact tougher safety rules. She was an articulate spokeswoman who helped to put a human face on the issue.  As she told her story in Congress: “I was angry.  I am still angry. I think that there needs to be a few changes made for toys and other children's products that are sold in the United States.”

Among other things, Esses believes that products should be tested by independent labs to ensure that they do not contain lead or other harmful ingredients and that companies should post phone numbers on their Web sites for parents to call with questions about products.

The good news for all parents, families and caregivers is that both the Senate and the House of Representatives have just passed new legislation governing the safety of toys. The language of the two measures needs to be reconciled so we end up with one powerful bill. We are hopeful that Congress will get to work and do just that in the days ahead. When that happens, we will have Esses, among others, to thank.

For her efforts, we are naming Esses one of our safety crusaders. If you know someone who should be a safety crusader please let us know.

Child's elevated lead level prompts recall of key chain sold at Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart recalled 12,000 charm key chains today after reports that a nine-month-old child who had mouthed one had elevated levels of lead in her blood. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan alerted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to the problem after the key chain was discovered during an inspection of the afflicted child's home. The CPSC cautions parents to take the key chains away from children.

“There were 34 recalls of costume and children’s jewelry in 2007 for lead. This child’s story is a very real wake up call about the danger that costume jewelry can pose for children,” Attorney General Madigan said. “The consequences of children mouthing this jewelry or potentially swallowing small pieces of the jewelry can be devastating.”

This is not the first time Madigan has stepped in to get the lead out. In December, her office caused the recall in Illinois of a red Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff that was discovered to contain lead by testing conducted by Consumer Reports. Two weeks later her office caused the recall in Illinois of a second Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff that also contained lead. Madigan's office enforces the Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, which prohibits the sale of toys, clothing, jewelry or any other product intended for use by children that contain lead in excess of 600 parts per million. The Act is among the strongest lead laws in the country.

Keys and babies are not a safe combination. In our December story, "New worries over lead," we reported that brass keys can be another source of potential lead exposure, as Katrina Barron of South Bend, Ind., found. When her daughter Aurora's blood test revealed an elevated blood lead level of 11 micrograms per deciliter in July 2007, a local health department investigation identified Katrina's house and office keys as one potential source of exposure.

The Wal-Mart recall involves 12,000 "Hip charm" key chains that feature such charms as a button, clover, leaf, heart and sand dollar hanging from a silver-colored chain (see photo). The UPC number 31568 11017 is printed on the packaging. The key chains were sold at Wal-Mart for the past three years, beginning in April 2005, for six dollars. Wal-Mart is offering a refund to consumers who return the item to one of its stores. For more information, contact Wal-Mart at (800) 925-6278 or visit the company's Web site www.walmartstores.com.

More on lead in children's jewlery
Since 2003, nearly 170 million pieces of children's jewelry have been recalled by the CPSC because the items contain high levels of lead. To see if your child owns any of this jewelry, view our photo gallery of recalled items or visit the CPSC's Web site and check recalls.

Puffed cereal recalled after 23 people sickened in 14 states

At least 23 people in 14 states have been sickened with salmonellosis caused by the same strain of Salmonella found in unsweetened puffed rice and puffed wheat cereal recalled on April 5 by Malt-O-Meal, the Food and Drug Administration has announced. The Salmonella contamination was found during routine testing at a Minnesota plant that produces and packages dry cereals. Malt-O-Meal, based in Minnesota, is the nation's fourth largest ready-to-eat cereal manufacturer.

The recalled cereal was distributed nationally under the Malt-O-Meal brand name, as well as under private label brands including:

• Acme, America's Choice, Food Club, Giant
• Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark
• Shaw's, ShopRite, Tops, Weis Quality

The cereals have "Best If Used By" dates from April 8, 2008 (coded as "APR0808") through March 18, 2009 (coded as "MAR1809"). A full list of affected brands can be found on the Malt-O-Meal Web site.

Salmonellosis is an infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella. Most of those infected develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. However, in some the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

Malt-O-Meal on its Web site advises consumers who have purchased any cereal covered by the recall to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-877-665-9331. Information regarding the recall, including images of the Malt-O-Meal and store brand product packaging, can be found on the company's Web site at www.malt-o-meal.com/recallinfo.

The FDA said it is working with Malt-O-Meal to determine the cause of the contamination and also with the states and with the CDC to identify and prevent additional illnesses. Stores have been advised to remove the recalled cereal from their shelves but in case they haven't, consumers should be sure to check the "Best if Used By" codes (see image above) to ensure they are not buying a recalled product.

Toy industry moves toward safety certification program

Recently I attended a meeting jointly held by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a voluntary standards certification organization, and the Toy Industry Association (TIA), a trade group that represents toy makers. As a result of the record number of unsafe toys recalled last year, the organizations have formed the Toy Safety Coordination Initiative, a developing program that is designed to improve the safety conformance of toys sold in American and to rebuild consumer confidence in the safety of toys in the American marketplace. The program was developed with input from manufacturers, retailers, testing labs, government agencies and consumers.

The program has three components:

1. A requirement for a risk assessment or design hazard analysis to be conducted on all new toy designs;
2. A factory audit and accreditation program that should help ensure that toys be made following Good Manufacturing Practice;
3. Compliance tests of toy samples from the production line to help ensure that toys meet industry and government safety standards.

The end result will be a safety certification mark for toys that pass all three requirements, much like the UL, ETL or CSA listed marks found on virtually all plug-in electrical products.

Although this toy safety initiative is a major step forward in helping prevent unsafe toys from finding their way to the market, at CU we think the proposed program does not go far enough. We are particularly concerned that the program does not require frequent enough sampling of production lots to ensure that toys have been manufactured to high levels of safety. Moreover, it does not require marketplace surveillance to uncover any holes in the safety net. But the toy industry members argue that they are depending on rigorous improvements in factory control processes to result in toys that comply with safety standards.

The safety certification mark, which may appear on packaging and the toys themselves, has not yet been designed. Consumer recognition of a new safety mark will require plenty of marketing and consumer education campaigns. We think the toy industry should seize this unique opportunity to create a mark that not only signals compliance with safety standards but also can be used to communicate the safe age range of a toy.

Similar marks already exist in Europe. Toys sold in the EU are required to carry a CE mark (see image)
that indicates the manufacturer’s self-declaration that the toy meets standards. European toys that have small parts that could pose choking hazards are also labeled with another mark that communicates those hazards. Using an international symbol that shows unsafe use for children in certain age ranges such as 0-3, 0-8 and so forth, can help prevent parents and caregivers from putting children in harms way by giving them age-inappropriate toys.

(The ANSI/TIA team specifically rejected including self-declarations by manufacturers as part of its program. Instead, independent testing and certification would be used.)

We are hoping to see further improvements to the proposed ANSI/TIA Toy Safety Cooperation Initiative. We would also like to see the groups move quickly to put a good process in place that will allow all consumers to breathe more easily when the next holiday season arrives. —Don Mays

Recall alert: CPSC pulls lead-tainted teeth and pens

Plastic "hillbilly" teeth and pens with a seasonal theme were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission Thursday as part of the agency's ongoing effort to rid the marketplace of products that violate the lead paint standard. Most alarming, because ingesting lead has been linked to developmental and learning disorders, was the recall of 26,000 sets of play teeth in which the gray surface paint was lead-tainted.  The recall was similar to one made last fall of Halloween "ugly" teeth.  More than 310,000 pens sold at Michaels Stores were also recalled. Here are the details:

Funtastic Hillbilly Teeth
How many:  26,000
Description: This recall involves a two-pack of fake Hillbilly Teeth with item # 2657. The item number is printed on the packaging. The gums are brown and the teeth are yellow.
Sold at: Grocery, drug, convenience and mass retailers nationwide from March 2005 through March 2008 for about $2.
What to do: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Funtastic for information on receiving a refund by calling (800) 434-5207 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visiting the company’s Web site at www.funtastictoy.com.

Michaels seasonal writing pens
How many: 310,000
Description: The pens were sold individually as one of a series of four including Flower Writer, Christmas Writer, Easter Writer and Spooky Writer. Each pen has themed decorations including flowers, Christmas, Easter and Halloween ornamentation.
Sold exclusively at: Michaels retail stores nationwide from August 2007 through March 2008 for about $1.
What to do: Consumers should stop using the recalled pens immediately and return them to any Michaels store to receive a refund. For additional information, contact Michaels’ customer service at (800) 642-4235 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.michaels.com.

Baby sling carriers raise safety concerns

Baby slings may be fashionable among Hollywood stars and other new parents but at a recent meeting I learned about some safety concerns that made me shudder. Over the past 10 years, there have been at least 22 reports of serious injury associated with the use of sling-type carriers. The injuries include skull fractures, head injuries, contusions and abrasions. Most occurred when the child fell out of the sling.

In addition to the injury reports, which were gathered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a number of recalls of sling carriers in recent years (including the Infantino pictured) has prompted ASTM-International, a voluntary standards-setting organization, to hold its first organizational meeting to start a standards-development process for sling carriers to address safety problems. Concerns raised by manufacturers, who requested the review, included not only the fractures and bruises but the risk of smothering.  The CPSC information documented a risk of death caused from “positional asphyxia” caused by placing the infant in the sling in a head-forward position that can cause the airway to close.

Some of the incidents with sling carriers were likely due to improper assembly, improper wearing, or failure of rings or other hardware. Most of the sling carriers demonstrated at the ASTM meeting seemed complicated to put on and prone to user error. Clear instructions and perhaps video demonstrations might help prevent mistakes. But, as we all know, consumers may not read the instructions, and misinterpretation or misunderstanding can lead to errors that can endanger precious cargo.

It’s uncertain how an ASTM standard can help make these products safer or error proof. We caution parents who do favor the sling carriers to frequently check the hardware and adjustments—and to do so without the baby on board. For now, we think there are better ways of transporting infants including strollers, hand-held infant carrier/car seats and even other types of soft infant carriers. For additional information on our Ratings for these and other products visit the Babies & Kids section of the Web site or read the Babies & Kids blog. -- Don Mays

Sling carriers recalled by the CPSC

• Ellaroo Ring Sling Baby Carriers (2008)
• Infantino SlingRider Infant Carriers (2007, pictured above)
• ZoloWear Infant Carriers/Slings (2005)

CPSC issues another large recall of toys with small magnets

More than 870,000 dartboards were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission today because the small magnets at the end of the darts can become detached and pose a hazard to children who may swallow them. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal. A similar dart board was recalled in February and last month the CPSC recalled 2.4 million magnetic building toys.

These recalls underscore the dangers that the CPSC highlighted last year when it warned parents about the dangers small magnets pose to children. At the time, the CPSC said it was aware of at least 33 cases of children being injured from ingesting magnets including a 20-month-old who died, and at least 19 other children ranging in age from 10 months to 11 years old who required surgery to remove ingested magnets.

If two or more magnets or magnetic components or a magnet and another metal object (such as a small metal ball) are swallowed separately, they can attract to one another through intestinal walls. This traps the magnets in place and can cause holes (perforations), twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning (sepsis), and death. When multiple magnets are ingested, surgery is required to remove the magnets and sometimes sections of the intestines need to be removed as well.

Like the dart boards recalled in February, the Fun ‘N Games magnetic dart boards were sold at Family Dollar stores nationwide from September 2002 through March 2008 for about $1. Consumers should immediately take the recalled magnetic darts away from children and return them by first class mail to: Henry Gordy International Inc., 809A Market Street, Hermann, MO 65041 for a full refund including tax and shipping costs. For additional information, contact Henry Gordy International Inc., at (888) 790-2700 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

Don't get stung by these recalled insects

More than 300,000 plush Cuddly Cousin insect toys were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission today because the toys have small parts that can become detached and pose a choking hazard. The six different bugs—a lady bug, bumble bee, caterpillar, snail and two butterflies—were sold at dollar stores nationwide from March to December of last year.

The bugs came in a variety of colors with the product number 903995 and UPC of 6 39277 03995 8 with a date code of 71. They were sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks, Only One $1 and Deal$ stores. The CPSC recommends that consumers immediately take the plush toys from their children and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund. For additional information, contact Dollar Tree Stores Inc. at (800) 876-8077 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.dollartree.com.

Evenflo recalls 1,038 more Discovery car seats

Evenflo Thursday recalled 1,038 of its Discovery infant car seats because some of the seats may have been shipped without complete assembly of the red release handle located on the back of the seat. Under certain circumstances, the seat may become separated from the base, possibly resulting in serious injury to the child.

On its Web site, Evenflo explains that that recall involves the "302Z" model seats manufactured on Feb. 4 of this year and sold at Wal-Mart and Target stores from March 11 to 21. The full model numbers are 3021769Z and 3021854Z and can be found on a sticker on the bottom of the seat (see photos).

Evenflo is notifying owners of the car seat who sent in the registration card. Further information can be obtained by visiting Evenflo's Web site safety.evenflo.com. Evenflo is advising caregivers:

• To contact Evenflo directly at 1-800-233-5921 for a free replacement Discovery seat and base.
• To continue to use the Discovery seat without the base while awaiting a replacement car seat.
• To not return the seat to their local retailer. The responsibility for this action rests solely with Evenflo.

In addition in February, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the recall of one million Evenflo Discovery child safety seats because the seats could fail to adequately protect children in a side impact collision. The seats recalled were Models 390, 391, 534, and 552 manufactured between April 2005 and January 29, 2008.

And by the way, we heard about this recall after signing up for alerts about car seat and tire recalls from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

FDA recalls cantaloupes grown in Honduras

Over the past two weeks the Food and Drug Administration has made 11 separate recalls of cantaloupes produced by a Honduran grower and packer, which have been linked to cases of Salmonella. According to the agency, there have been reports of 50 illnesses in 16 states (and a further nine cases in Canada), which are linked to consumption of the cantaloupes. The melons are from Agropecuaria Montelibano, a grower that produces 2.5 million boxes of cantaloupes each year for the United States.

The recalls involve whole as well as cut fruit from a variety of companies including Fresh Express, Chiquita, Tropifresh, Bounty Fresh and Simply Fresh, among others.  If you have recently bought cantaloupe, the FDA advises you to check with the place of purchase to determine if the fruit came from this Honduran grower. If so, throw it out immediately.

Find seven tips for safer cantaloupe consumption on Consumer Reports' health blog.

NHTSA offers tire and safety seat recall alerts

Hats off to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency has just made it easier for people to get important safety information about child seats and tires. Consumers can now sign up with NHTSA to receive automatic e-mail alerts when there’s a government recall of tires or safety seats.

Before introduction of the alert system, consumers had to rely on press reports or a notice from a manufacturer to learn about recalls and they only got the latter if they filled in and then mailed the registration card when buying a car seat or tire. Sadly, recall completion numbers indicate that this is usually not the case. Fewer than one-third of affected consumers respond to tire recalls, while less than half of affected consumers respond to child seat recalls. By contrast, 70 percent of vehicle recalls are completed, says NHTSA spokeswoman Elly Martin, because owners names are on record.

To sign up for the electronic recall notice, simply visit www.safercar.gov. You will be sent all tire and car seat recalls, but there are not so many that they will clutter your in-box—about 20 tire recalls and eight child restraint system recalls a year.

Safercar.gov has also added a feature to make it easier for consumers to register car seats directly with manufacturers. It’s a service we encourage all care-givers to use.

And in further good news, NHTSA’s Martin says the agency plans to extend the automatic e-mail notification service to passenger-car recalls in the future. Hear. Hear.

Holiday recall: Check your Easter baskets

In the better late than never department, the Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced a recall of two different Easter items because they violate the lead paint standard.

The toys—made in China and sold by Hobby Lobby Stores—are Camouflage Easter Eggs and Easter Spinning Egg Tops. The CPSC says about 13,000 toys are affected. Lead exposure can result from mouthing the eggs or handling the eggs and putting contaminated fingers in the mouth. And as we've said before, lead poisoning has been linked to developmental and learning disorders. More than 300,000 children in the U.S. have lead levels high enough to cause irreversible damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Children six and under are most affected. Because lead accumulates in the body; the only way to reduce the risk is to minimize exposure.

The eggs were sold at Hobby Lobby Stores nationwide from January through this month.  The camouflage egg sold for about $2.50 and the spinning top sold for $2. The CPSC advises parents to immediately take the recalled toys away from children and contact Hobby Lobby  (800-326-7931) to receive a $3 exchange card that can be used toward other Hobby Lobby products.

Note to Easter Bunny helpers: This recall is a good reminder to review any toys destined for Easter baskets to make sure they do not include the recalled goods, do not have sharp edges and are not inappropriate for the age of the child, such as small items that could be choking hazards for children under three. Among those are the hollow chocolate Kinder Surprise eggs we wrote about recently that contain small toys.

News accounts credit the latest recall to a chemistry profressor at Ashland University in Ohio. Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer, who has previously raised warning flags about toxic lead levels in toys and children's jewelry, tested numerous Easter items and found excessive lead levels (above 0.06 parts per million) in several toys. Sadly, this is just one more sign that lead in children's playthings continues to be a serious problem.

Reebok to pay $1 million fine in lead charm settlement

Two years after a Minneapolis boy died of lead poisoning after swallowing the charm from a bracelet he got with a pair of Reeboks, the athletic shoemaker has agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty levied by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The fine, announced today, is the largest ever for a violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) and follows the CPSC's recall of 300,000 Reebok bracelets in March 2006. It also follows months of increased scrutiny for the CPSC after a record number of recalls in 2007, including recalls of toys and children’s jewelry.

The penalty settles allegations that Reebok International, based in Canton, Mass., imported and distributed charm bracelets that contained toxic levels of lead. The bracelets were given away as a free gift with various styles of children's footwear from May 2004 to March 2006. Parts of the bracelet, imported from China, turned out to be 99 percent lead.

Jarnell Brown, 4, of Minneapolis died on February 22, 2006 after swallowing the heart-shaped charm. According to a report on the Star-Tribune.com newspaper Web site, Jarnell suffered vomiting, seizures and respiratory arrest before dying at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. "I just don't believe my son is gone because of some shoes," his mother, Juanna Graham, told the newspaper. The bracelet was recalled a month after his death.

“This civil penalty sends a clear message that the CPSC will not allow companies to put children’s safety at risk,” said CPSC Acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord in a press release.  “Preventing dangerous metal jewelry from reaching the hands of children is a priority for our agency."

Congress is in the process of finalizing legislation that would, among other changes, significantly lower lead levels in toys and other children’s products, require pre-market product testing, and strengthen the CPSC’s ability to stop dangerous products before they reach store shelves.

In the settlement, signed last week, Reebok denied violating federal law.

Many recalls of lead-tainted toys and jewelry have followed the Reebok recall. There were so many in 2007 alone that it was dubbed the "Year of the Recall." And as we reported in January,  the CPSC this year has been investigating whether any companies should be fined for those safety breaches. Scott Wolfson, a CPSC spokesman, said that consumers should expect to see more penalties this year.

In addition to its size, the fine was unusual because the CPSC infrequently issues fines for an actual violation. Fines are more commonly the result of a company's failure to report hazardous products and not the violation itself.  And although the CPSC currently lacks the quorum that’s normally required to levy civil penalties, a seldom-used provision in their laws allowed the Commission to delegate their authority to the Office of Compliance, which pulled the trigger on Reebok.  We now wonder if there are more civil penalties to come against companies such as Mattel/Fisher Price and RC2, which brought millions of lead-laden toys to market last year.

2.4 million toys containing magnets recalled

More than 2.4 million magnetic toys were recalled today and Thursday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission because the magnets can become detached, aspirated or swallowed and cause possible intestinal damage. The CPSC has received multiple reports of the magnets coming loose including one report of a 3-year-old boy receiving medical treatment to remove a magnet from his nasal cavity and one report of an 18-month-old boy with a magnet in his mouth, which was not swallowed.

Today's two large recalls were of MEGA Brands action figures and building sets (right). And on Thursday Battat expanded its January 23rd recall of construction sets by 7,000 from 125,000 units to 132,000. These recalls are sadly reminiscent of the millions of magnetic toys that were recalled last year. Given the ongoing problems with these toys, and the potential for serious injury or death, we continue to recommend that parents avoid all magnetic toys as well as other items containing small magnets if there are young children in the home. Parents should take any magnet toys away from small children and also scout around for any magnets that may have fallen out.

Last year, the CPSC issued a safety alert about the serious dangers magnets pose to children. As the agency pointed out, "small magnets can kill children if two or more are swallowed.  If two or more magnets or magnetic components or a magnet and another metal object (such as a small metal ball) are swallowed separately, they can attract one another through intestinal walls.  This traps the magnets in place and can cause holes (perforations), twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning (sepsis), and death. When multiple magnets are ingested surgery is required to remove the magnets and sometimes sections of the intestines need to be removed."

One family we know learned all too well about the dangers of the magnetic toy Magnetix, which was recalled last year, when their son was hospitalized after swallowing several magnets. Tegan Leisy of Colorado, then 3, had to undergo emergency surgery to remove six to eight magnets that had become attracted through his intestinal walls causing 11 perforations. His father, Tate Leisy, has chosen to speak out on the subject. "I would hate to see this happen to another parent," he said, adding, " ... it will probably happen again and continue to happen if [toy companies] keep selling this toy or similar versions."

Although there are no federal regulations on magnets, the current voluntary toy safety standard, ASTM F963, requires tests to make sure magnets don’t fall out of toys. Congress is currently working on final legislation to send to the President for signature that would make this voluntary ASTM standard mandatory. With this legislative reform, hazardous magnetic toys could be eliminated from the marketplace. In addition, the current voluntary standard is in the process of being strengthened so that, if approved, it will result in the elimination of toys with components containing magnets that are small enough to fit into a small-parts test cylinder.  The cylinders are available where childproofing products are sold.   

Here are the details of the recent recalls:

MEGA Brands MagnaMan magnetic action figures
How many: 1.3 million
Incidents: MEGA Brands and CPSC have received 25 reports of magnets coming loose from the figures.
Description: The recalled MagnaMan magnetic toys are figures that have body parts that attach with magnets. They come in either a “Futuristic Warrior” or “Ancient Warrior” theme. Each figure comes with three accessories.
Sold at: Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, K-Mart and other toy stores nationwide from January 2005 through December 2007 for about $10.
Remedy: Consumers should return the toys to MEGA Brands for a free replacement toy. For additional information, contact MEGA Brands at (800) 779-7122 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.megabrands.com.

MEGA Brands Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school magnetic toys
How many: 1.1 million
Incidents: MEGA Brands and CPSC have received 19 reports of magnets coming loose, including one report of a 3-year-old boy receiving medical treatment to remove a magnet from his nasal cavity and one report of an 18-month-old boy with a magnet in his mouth, which was not swallowed.
Description: The Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school magnetic toys include small flexible parts embedded with magnets that allow the parts to connect to large, colored metal balls. (Top right)
Sold at: Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, K-Mart and other toy stores nationwide from January 2005 through December 2007 for between $10 and $40.
Remedy: Same as above.

Battat Magnabild magnetic building toys or sets
How many: 7,000 (125,000 other Battat Magnabild building systems were recalled on January 23)
Incidents: CPSC and Battat have received 16 reports of magnets coming out of the building pieces.
Description: This recall involves the 108-piece (item number BB1439H) and the 68-piece (item number BAT-34) Magnabild Magnetic building system sets. The 108-piece set comes in a rotating display case containing 60 1-inch rods with magnets and 48 metal balls. The 68-piece set comes in a window box and contains 44 1-inch rods with magnets and 24 metal balls. The rods come in different colors. All of the plastic building pieces have the word “Magnabild” in raised lettering on them. “BB1439H” is found on a hang tag attached to the display case. “BAT-34” is found on the box.
Sold at: Various retailers nationwide and online sellers from July 2005 through February 2008 for between $20 and $35.
Remedy: Consumers should contact Battat to receive a pre-paid mailer to return the toy and to receive a free replacement product. Contact Battat Inc. at (800) 247-6144 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET or visit the firm’s Web site at www.battatco.com.

Don't get burned by these recalled countertop appliances

Three countertop appliances have been recalled over the past five days by the Consumer Product Safety Commission because the small appliances pose a fire hazard. The largest recall included 482,000 Hamilton Beach and Proctor-Silex toasters because they can remain "on" after popping up and cause nearby items to ignite. JCPenney recalled 27,000 deep fat fryers with faulty heating elements and QVC and Tristar pulled back 13,500 electric grills that can ignite if used with cooking oil or spray. At least three burns have been reported in connection with the fryer and grill. Owners of any of the recalled items are advised to stop using them and follow the remedy outlined in the CPSC's recall notices at the links below.

Hamilton Beach and Proctor-Silex toasters
How many: 482,000
Description: The recalled toasters are black, red, white, chrome or brushed chrome with 2-slice or 4-slice openings. Hamilton Beach or Proctor-Silex is printed on the side of the toasters. Only specific series codes of each model are included in this recall. The model number and series code are printed on the bottom of the toasters. (The non-sequential model numbers include: 22145B, 22145BC, 22450, 22559, 22625, 22627C, 22635, 22657, 22658, 22779, 22900, 22903, 22903H, 24450, 24559, 24657, 24779.)
Why: The toasters can remain “on” (energized) after popping up, and can ignite flammable items covering or in contact with the toaster.
Incidents: Hamilton Beach has received at least 63 reports of toasters that remained “on” despite being in the “up” position. There have been no reports of injuries or fires.
Sold: At department stores, mass merchandisers, grocery stores, home center stores, and other retail stores nationwide, and various online retailers from August 2007 through February 2008 for between $13 and $40.
What to do: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled toasters and contact Hamilton Beach for instructions on how receive a free replacement toaster at (800) 574-6800 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.hamiltonbeach.com for Hamilton Beach toasters, and www.proctorsilex.com for Proctor-Silex toasters.

Cooks deep fryers (JCPenney)
How many: 27,000
Description: The Cooks deep fryer has a brushed stainless steel exterior, a wire mesh basket with a handle, a lid with a window and black handles. The deep fryer has a 1/3-gallon capacity. “Cooks” is stamped on the side and model number 22016 is printed on the bottom.
Why: The deep fryer has a faulty heating element that can cause it to overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Injuries: JCPenney is aware of five incidents involving the deep fryers, including one report of a minor burn and three reports of damaged countertops.
Sold: At JCPenney’s stores nationwide, in the catalog and at www.jcp.com from August 2007 through January 2008 for about $50.
What to do: Consumers should immediately stop using the deep fryer and return it to the nearest JCPenney store for a full refund. For additional information, contact JCPenney toll-free at (888) 333-6063 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.jcp.com.

QVC and Tristar electric contact grills
How many: 13,500
Description: This recall involves a dual surface electric contact grill sold under the “Hulk Hogan’s Ultimate Grill” brand. The grills are silver/gray in color, have removable cooking plates, a cassette to catch drippings, and fold for storage or transport. Model number PZ-3012 is printed on a silver label attached to the back of the grills.
Why: Cooking oils or sprays applied to the grill’s cooking plates before preheating can cause the oil to ignite and/or flare up. Cooking sprays can ignite and/or flare up if used on the grill at any time.
Injuries: QVC and Tristar have received five reports of the grill igniting or flaring up, including two reports of minor burns.
Sold: At QVC through its television station, Web page, toll-free number, and its employee, retail and Studio stores; and through Tristar’s Web site www.hulkhogangrill.com, and a direct response television commercial from May 2007 through August 2007 for about $100.
What to do: Consumers should immediately stop using cooking oils on the grill prior to preheating. Cooking sprays should not be used on the grill at anytime. Consumers will receive a revised instruction manual with a cooking spray/oil use warning. QVC has sent warning notices to consumers to whom it sold the product directly. Tristar will do the same. For additional information, contact QVC at (800) 367-9444 between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m. ET daily, or visit the company’s Web site at www.qvc.com. Consumers who purchased the grill from Tristar can call (800)718-5135 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.tristarproductsinc.com.

Largest meat recall results in related food recalls

Tracking down products that contain some of the recently recalled 143 million pounds of beef has not been an easy matter. The meat was used in a wide variety of packaged foods and we’re gradually learning which ones. As food companies comb through records of suppliers, some are finding that the Westland/Hallmark beef that was recalled on February 17 was used in one or more of their products, and they’re doing the right thing: pulling the food from store shelves.

General Mills has traced the beef in 35,000 cases of Progresso Italian Wedding Soup to Westland; Nestle has found it was used in Hot Pockets Philly Steak & Cheese and Croissant Crust Philly Steak & Cheese; and ConAgra is pulling certain lots of Slim Jims, Pemmican Tender Beef Jerky, Hunt’s Meat-Flavored spaghetti sauce, Hunt's ManWich Original Sloppy Joe sauce and Banquet Macaroni and Beef. Heinz has issued a recall of 40,000 cases of Boston Market Lasagna with Meat Sauce.

It’s important to note that, in each case, the Westland beef made up only a small portion of the ingredients and was often used in producing the food for just a few days. ConAgra, for example, e-mailed us that, “a tiny amount of Pemmican is impacted: only 0.00017 percent of total cases sold of all Pemmican for 2007 contains beef sourced from Westland/Hallmark.” And Nestle wrote in an e-mail that the recalled beef represents just “two days of production on one line in one facility.”

The recalls are labeled by the federal government as Class II—meaning there’s a remote probability of adverse health consequences from eating the food. The producers are asking retailers to pull the products from their shelves. Consumers who have purchased the processed food may opt to discard it. Each company said that consumers with concerns about products containing the meat can call their respective toll-free numbers for more information. General Mills’ (Progresso) number is (800) 200-9377; Nestle’s (Hot Pockets) is (800) 350-5016; ConAgra's (Hunt's, Banquet, Pemmican, Slim Jim) number is (800) 858-6372. And Heinz's Boston Market queries should go to (800) 488-0050.

We expect that as time goes on other manufacturers will similarly trace ingredients in their products to the recalled beef, and more items will be removed from stores. Unfortunately, because the original recall was so large and the meat distributed so widely, this process may take a while.

Senate passes CPSC Reform Act

The Senate took strong steps on Thursday to bolster the safety of millions of products sold in the U.S., particularly goods used by children. By a huge margin—79 to 13—the Senate approved a measure not only to strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission with more funds and enforcement clout but also to tighten the safety rules governing toys. Specifically, the approved bill lowers lead levels in all children's toys and also requires third-party pre-market testing for children's products. For all products, the measure creates a public database of complaints so that information on unsafe products can be shared more quickly.

The CPSC Reform Act of 2008, as the measure is called, was developed in response to a burgeoning number of recalls and safety issues that have overwhelmed the understaffed and underfunded safety agency over the past year. It was sponsored by a bi-partisan group of senators including Mark Pryor (D-AR), Ted Stevens (R-AK),  Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

“The CPSC is crippled under budget restraints, mounting imports and thousands of new products entering the marketplace. As a result, we’ve seen endless recalls and unnecessary deaths and injuries,” said Senator Pryor in a press release. “My legislation allows parents and the CPSC to fight back against the tide of dangerous toys and products. It provides new safety safeguards that emphasize resources, accountability, disclosure and testing—from the factory floor to the store shelves.”

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, was among the many advocacy groups that supported the bill, which builds on the reforms contained in a House bill passed in December. “After 2007 became the Year of the Recall, consumers’ confidence in our product safety system was dashed,” said Ami Gadhia, Policy Counsel for Consumers Union. “In today’s climate of partisan politics, it is great to see the Senate come together to protect children and consumers in this global marketplace."

The groups supporting the Senate action acknowledge the importance of marrying the strong reforms of that bill with key provisions in the House product safety bill.  In particular, the groups point to the Senate’s provisions addressing the public database, state attorneys general enforcement and whistleblower protections.  The groups will urge conferees to keep these provisions, while also adopting a critical House measure that ensures product testing of more children’s products by defining such products as those designed for children under 12 years of age.  The Senate bill covers products designed for children under seven years of age. 

Combi USA recalls 67,000 infant car seats

Combi USA today announced that it is recalling 67,000 child safety seats because the seat can potentially become separated from its base and fail to adequately protect children in a frontal collision. The seats and travel systems being recalled are the Centre, Centre ARB, and Shuttle rear-facing infant seat models 8065, 8074, 8086, 8087, 8520 and the travel systems that contain these seat models 4400, 4515 and 4520.  The recall includes the entire production of these models from October 2005 through December 2007.

According to the manufacturer, the flaw was revealed in tests that it conducted recently with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Transport Canada. Combi USA has received no reports of injuries to date regarding the recalled infant safety restraints.

Combi is offering owners of the seat a retrofit kit that can be ordered through its Web site (www.combi-intl.com) or by calling (800) 543-7734. The kit should arrive within 6-8 weeks. In the meantime, Combi recommends that owners use the seat without the base. Owners can refer to the instruction manual for how to install the seat without the base. The seats were designed for use with or without the base.

Consumers with questions about this or any other safety recall campaign may call NHTSA's toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline 888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov. For more information, see Consumer Reports car seat Ratings.

24,000 Munire cribs recalled because of fall hazard

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall of the Majestic Curved Top and Flat Top Cribs, Essex Cribs, Brighton/Sussex Cribs and Captiva Cribs, manufactured by Munire Furniture Inc.

The cribs fail to meet the federal safety standards for cribs. The four support brackets on the mattress support spring are too long. The brackets prevent the spring from lowering to the full 26-inch minimum height in its lowest position, allowing children inside to crawl over the railing, posing a fall hazard.

The recalled cribs include: Majestic Curved Top cribs with model number 9500; Majestic Flat Top cribs with model number 9000; Essex cribs with model number 7100; Brighton/Sussex cribs with model number 9100 and Captiva cribs with model number 5100. Only cribs with manufacture dates between November 1, 2005 and November 1, 2007 are included in the recall. The crib model number is printed on the white label on the bottom inside of the right side rail. The crib manufacture date is printed on either the white label near the model number or on the white label located on the bottom of the headboard. Cribs with a green sticker on the mattress frame are not included in the recall.

The cribs were sold at specialty juvenile product stores nationwide from November 2005 through November 2007 for between $400 and $600. They were manufactured in Indonesia.

Consumers should stop using the recalled cribs and contact Munire Furniture to receive replacement spring brackets. For additional information, contact Munire Furniture Inc. at (866) 586-9639 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET or visit their Web site at www.munirefurniture.com.

Concerned parents should also read the recent CPSC report highlighting crib and play yard dangers.

CPSC takes aim at another magnetic toy

Despite the game's reassuring name, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently recalled 250,000 Fun ‘n Safe Magnetic Dart Boards sold at Family Dollar stores. As the agency noted, the darts are anything but safe. The small magnet at the end of each dart can detach and, if found by young children, be swallowed or aspirated. If two or more magnets or magnetic components are swallowed separately, they can attract one another through intestinal walls.  This traps the magnets in place and can cause holes (perforations), twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning (sepsis), and even death.

No such incidents or injuries have been reported with the recalled toy, which is fortunate given that the sets have been for sale since January 2001.

But as we’ve reported here before, scores of children have had to undergo delicate surgery to have magnets from toys removed from their digestive systems. And one child died after swallowing multiple magnets. The CPSC announced its first  recall of magnet toys in March 2006, which makes us wonder why it took so long for this product to be recalled.

Consumers who have the dart game should take the darts away from children immediately and return the set to a Family Dollar store for a refund. If any magnets have fallen out of the darts, make sure they are accounted for and dispose of them. For more information visit www.familydollar.com or call (800) 547-0359 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Lightweight batteries in remote-controlled aircraft may pose a fire hazard

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning about an emerging fire hazard from the battery technology used with remote-controlled helicopters and airplanes.

In the past four months, the agency has received 26 reports of remote-controlled helicopters igniting while being charged and one report of a helicopter igniting while in flight. Minor burns and property damage were reported.

The CPSC, in an alert issued last week, said that it was concerned about the toys' rechargeable lithium batteries (lithium-ion or lithium polymer). The batteries are favored for toys because they are lighter but they pack a lot of power in a small package “so consumers should use caution when charging and handling them,” the agency said. “Overcharging them can result in overheating, fire and/or explosion.”

CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese added that the agency is investigating to see whether this problem is specific to remote-controlled helicopters and airplanes or is a bigger issue affecting other products as well.

Meanwhile, the agency issued a recall for one specific remote-controlled toy, the Fun2Fly Microcopter helicopter made in China, imported by Soft Air USA Inc. and sold in sporting good stores and other retailers from May 2006 through December 2007. The agency said that the rechargeable battery inside the helicopter may catch fire during charging, igniting the helicopter and nearby combustible materials. Soft Air USA has received six reports of helicopters igniting, including one minor injury. Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the recalled toy and return it to the retailer where it was purchased for a full refund.

The CPSC recommends that all users of remote-controlled toys containing rechargeable lithium batteries take the following safety precautions:

• Do not leave a toy unattended while charging it.
• Have adults do the battery charging.
• Charge the toy on a non-flammable surface and keep it away from flammable items.
• Turn off the charger when the toy’s battery