Workers' Compensation: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Showing posts with label U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Show all posts

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Every Year There Are Thousands of Holiday-Decorating Injuries

Holiday safety is an important concern. Today's post is shared from The Atlantic.

It was the day after Christmas, 1994, and the Garber family had gathered around its table for a post-holiday dinner. The atmosphere: still festive. The turkey: still juicy. The tree: still in full regalia. All was still merry and bright, in other words, as we sat down to our day-after leftovers.
Until, that is, someone smelled the smoke. At first, we thought, the oven had been left on. Or maybe a neighbor had lit a fire? But then the scent started to take on a sour tinge. Like burning plastic? Or maybe—eek—lighter fluid? And then someone saw the smoke. It was wafting in toward the table. We weren't smelling something from outside. It all was coming from inside the house.
The Christmas of 1994, in other words, was the Christmas the Garber family became a statistic: Our tree had caught fire. We are still not sure how. But it was probably, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission would say, because we had let our tree go under-watered. Or over-lighted. Or, even more possibly, overdone with reflective ornaments. Perhaps, on the other hand, we had simply situated it too close to a heat source.
Regardless: Do not be like the Garbers! Heed the warnings of the CPSC, for your own safety, or at least that of your home! Each year, the Commission publishes, Cassandra-like, a nearly identical list of recommendations meant to help Americans...

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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Winter Warning: Portable Generators Hold Top Spot in CPSC Report on Carbon Monoxide Deaths & Incidents

Garment workers protest in Savar, Dhaka, on 24 November 2013

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible killer, and portable gas generators emit a lot of CO. Portable generators were involved in the majority of carbon monoxide deaths involving engine-driven tools from 1999 through 2012. At a carbon monoxide safety event in Chicago today, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Acting Chairman Robert Adler announced that a new agency report finds that portable generators were linked to more than 85 percent of non-fire CO deaths associated with engine-driven tools, or 800 out of 931 deaths, during that 14-year period. Most of the deaths have occurred since 2005, when Hurricane Katrina and a series of winter ice storms hit the U.S.
CPSC’s report also found that African Americans died at nearly twice their proportion of the population. CPSC staff found that 23 percent of generator-related fatalities involved African Americans. African Americans make up about 12 percent of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Men of any race were most likely to die from CO poisoning from generators, accounting for 73 percent of the deaths.
Most of the generator fatalities, or 74 percent, occurred at fixed-structure homes. Many of these incidents involved generators that were operated in the home’s living space.
Portable generators have fuel-burning engines. Engine exhaust contains high levels of poisonous carbon monoxide, which can be fatal within minutes if used...

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Friday, December 13, 2013

Trek Recalls Madone Bicycles Due to Crash Hazard; Front Brake Can Fail

Today's post was shared by U.S. CPSC and comes from www.cpsc.gov

Trek Madone 5.2

Units

6,800

Description

This recall involves model year 2013 Trek Madone bicycles with model numbers 5.2, 5.9, 6.2, 6.5, 7.7 or 7.9, and serial numbers starting with WTU and ending with G or H. A list of all serial numbers included in the recall is at www.trekbikes.com. Some of the recalled models are custom-ordered Project One Madones. The model number is printed on the bicycle frame. The serial number is printed on a sticker underneath the frame of the bicycle. The bicycles were sold in a variety of colors.

Incidents/Injuries

Trek has received five reports of loose front brake attachment bolts. No injuries have been reported.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycles and take the bicycles to a Trek dealer for a free replacement front brake system.

Sold at

Bicycle stores nationwide from July 2012 through December 2013 for between $3,400 and $6,300, and for custom models between $4,000 and $15,000.

Importer

Trek Bicycles Corp., of Waterloo, Wis.

Distributor

Trek Bicycles Corp., of Waterloo, Wis.

Manufactured in

Taiwan, United States and Germany

Trek Madone 5.9

Trek Madone 6.2

Trek Madone 6.5

Trek Madone 7.7

Trek Madone 7.9

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Saturday, November 16, 2013

“Stand By Your Pan”: Cook Safely This Thanksgiving to Prevent Kitchen Fires

Today's post was shared by U.S. CPSC and comes from www.cpsc.gov

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is alerting consumers that the threat of fires in the kitchen triples on Thanksgiving Day. From 2009 through 2011, there was an average of about 1,300 cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day. This is more than three times the average daily rate from 2009 through 2011 of about 400 cooking fires a day.

“As fire safety experts have said for years, ‘Stand by your pan!’” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “If you are frying, grilling or broiling food, stay in the kitchen. Not following this advice can be a recipe for disaster on Thanksgiving and throughout the year.”

When it comes to fires in the home, cooking fires are number one. They accounted for nearly 150,000 fires (more than 40 percent of all annual unintentional residential fires) each year from 2009 through 2011. Unattended cooking is the top cause of cooking fires. Cooking fires also caused the most home fire-related injuries, with an estimated annual average of nearly 27 percent, or 3,450 injuries each year.

Overall, CPSC estimates an average of 362,300 unintentional residential fires, 2,260 deaths, 12,820 injuries and nearly $7 billion in property damage attended by the fire service occurring each year between 2009 and...

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Saturday, November 9, 2013

Chrysler Recalls 1.2 Million Ram Trucks

Chrysler is recalling about 1.2 million Ram trucks to correct problems that could result in a loss of steering, as well as almost 94,000 of its 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokees because of electronic problems that could disable two safety systems, the automaker said on Friday.

In a statement, the company said it was aware of seven accidents involving the Rams, resulting in two injuries. A Chrysler spokesman, Eric Mayne, said in an email that he was not aware of the extent of the injuries.

The automaker estimated that 453,000 of the trucks would need repairs because the steering systems’ tie rods were not aligned properly, though it said it needed to recall all 1.2 million trucks to find the flawed vehicles.

Earlier Friday, Chrysler told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a report on the safety agency’s website of the problems in the Jeep Grand Cherokees.

In addition, Toyota said it was recalling about 3,800 Tacoma pickups from the 2013-14 model years because their 4-cylinder engines could be damaged and possibly stop running.

In the Chrysler report, which was dated Oct. 1, the automaker said a software problem with the anti-lock braking module could disable the anti-lock braking and electronic stability-control systems. In addition, the issue could cause the “illumination of multiple warning lights” and a loss of lighting for the instrument cluster.

Chrysler said that it had begun an investigation in April after receiving complaints...

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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Six Retailers Announce Recall of Buckyballs and Buckycubes High-Powered Magnet Sets Due to Ingestion Hazard

Today's post was shared by U.S. CPSC and comes from www.cpsc.gov

Buckycubes sets

Recall Details

Description

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with six retailers, is announcing the voluntary recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes high-powered magnet sets sold by these companies. CPSC continues to warn that these products contain defects in the design, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to children and teenagers.

Imported by Maxfield & Oberton LLC, of New York, N.Y., Buckyballs and Buckycubes consist of sets of numerous, small, high-powered magnets. These sets vary in the number of magnets included and come in a variety of colors. Individual magnets in the set are about 5 millimeters in diameter. Individual magnets in Buckyballs are spherical and individual magnets in Buckycubes are cube-shaped.

About three million sets of Buckyballs and Buckycubes have been sold in U.S. retail stores nationwide and online since 2010 for between $5 and $100.

Consumers should take the high-powered magnet sets and all associated individual magnets away from children and teenagers and contact the retailer from which they purchased the product to obtain instructions for their remedy:

Barnes & Noble, toll-free at (855) 592-2993 or online at www.barnesandnoble.com and click on “Product Recalls”

Bed Bath & Beyond, toll-free at (800) 462-3966 or online at ...

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Friday, October 4, 2013

Schneider Electric Recalls APC Surge Protectors Due to Fire Hazard

Today's post was shared by U.S. CPSC and comes from www.cpsc.gov

Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

APC 7 Series SurgeArrest surge protector

APC 8 Series SurgeArrest surge protector

Model and serial numbers are located on the bottom of the surge protector

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go...

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Thursday, September 26, 2013

Votive Candle Holders Sold at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Recalled Due to Fire Hazard; Made by Mercuries Asia

Mercury has been long known to be a dangerous substance for workers. In fact, the Mad Hatter who is described in the Alice in Wonderland, suffered from mercury poison. Today's post was shared by U.S. CPSC and comes from www.cpsc.gov

Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Mercuries Asia “Ant” Votive Holders Packaging