• 55 percent of the tip-over fatalities reported to CPSC from 2013 through July 2023 involve children between 1 and 3 years old.  
• 47 percent of the fatalities from 2013 through July 2023 involve a TV.  
• According to the CPSC, among the children fatalities in which race/ethnicity is known, Black non-Hispanic children account for 32 percent of the deaths despite comprising only 14 percent of the U.S. population of children.  
• There has been an increase in tip-over injuries impacting adults 60 years and older, growing from 1,800 emergency department-treated injuries in 2013 to 4,300 emergency department-treated injuries in 2022. 

Pursuant to the bipartisan Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act, the CPSC adopted a mandatory standard for clothing storage units, such as dressers. The new rules went into effect on September 1, 2023. Unfortunately, the mandatory requirements only impact clothing storage furniture made after September 1, 2023. Non-compliant clothing storage units made before September 2023 can still be sold in stores and online. Further, the rule only addresses clothing storage units, such as dressers, but does not impact other unstable furniture or TVs. 

On January 11, 2024, CPSC announced a recall of plastic furniture tip resistant kits because the zip-tie in the plastic device can become weak and break over time, posing a fatal risk to children and consumers.  

Furniture and TVs continue to pose a serious hidden hazards in homes across the country. Manufactures must do more to prevent future tragedies, and the CPSC must robustly enforce its safety rules. 

This Super Bowl Sunday, ensure your home is safe and follow the tips below: 

• Check your furniture, TVs, and appliances! Consumers, especially caregivers, are strongly encouraged to anchor their furniture and TVs to the wall. 
• Properly install and wall mount TVs high enough to prevent young children from grabbing it. If wall mounting a TV is not possible, use anti-tipping devices, check the stability of your TV stand/furniture, and anchor all furniture. 
• Do not place TVs on dressers or other furniture that children can climb. 
• Do not place items on top of furniture that children may want to climb to reach, such as toys or TV remote control. 
• Visit the websites for Parents Against Tip-Overs and CPSC’s Anchor It! campaign for more information about unstable furniture, televisions, and appliances. 
• For consumers purchasing new clothing storage furniture, remember that non-compliant furniture manufactured before September 1, 2023, will remain available for purchase. Consumers should ask sellers whether a piece of furniture meets the 2023 version of the ASTM F2057 standard (codified at 16 CFR part 1261). 
• Remind friends and family to anchor their furniture and TVs to prevent tragedy. 
• Share any incidents of furniture tip-overs or tip-over devices failing with CPSC at gov. 

The post TV Tip-Overs Pose Fatal Risk to Children appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

About nine children 8 years old and younger die every year from window coverings with long, hazardous cords.  From January 2009 through December 2021, the CPSC reported that there were more than 200 incidents involving children, many on custom products with failed safety devices.  For over two decades, parent and consumer organizations persistently worked to eradicate strangulation hazards posed by window coverings because the solution is clear.  Responsible designs would eliminate the strangulation hazard.

In 2018, the window covering industry attempted, for the seventh time, to adopt a voluntary standard for cords on stock window coverings.  The standard did not address all hazardous cords and failed safety devices on custom window coverings.  Despite the serious and ongoing risk to children, manufacturers made an eighth attempt at a voluntary safety standard but refused to make evidence-based changes to custom window coverings that were recommended by safety experts and the CPSC.  Then CPSC stepped in.  In November 2022, the CPSC unanimously finalized a lifesaving window covering rule that eliminated the dangers associated with cords on custom window covering products.

“The heart of the matter for consumers to realize is for decades safety devices and child safety tips failed families who took precautions to keep their children safe,” said Linda Kaiser, founder of Parents for Window Blind Safety.   “The deadly designs of custom products are identical to the corded stock products industry eliminated in 2018.  The percentage of the custom online market is growing larger every year making it more affordable. Every blind that is produced today will remain in American homes for many years to come, perpetuating the hazard.”

Almost immediately after the CPSC finalized its lifesaving custom window covering rule, the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) filed a lawsuit challenging the CPSC’s vital rule and arguing that it did not substantively advance child safety. In September 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated the CPSC’s lifesaving rule and remanded the issue back to the CPSC.

“The voluntary standard process for window coverings has failed children and their families for over two decades,” said Courtney Griffin, Director of Consumer Product Safety at CFA.    “WCMA’s obstructive tactics reflect a broader goal of regulated industries to undermine the authority of federal agencies whose mission it is to protect consumers.  We will continue to fight for safer products in our homes.”

Consumers, especially caregivers of young children, deserve a just marketplace.  The lives of children are more important than a company’s bottom line.  Parent advocates and consumer groups will continue to push for safer, fairer regulations that protect the most vulnerable in our homes.  Parent and consumer advocates call on the CPSC to navigate a path forward in the coming year that will ensure no other family suffers unimaginable tragedy because of failed safety devices on window covering cords.

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Parents for Window Blind Safety is a non-profit 501c3 that educates the public about the strangulation risk factors on window covering products, advocates for safer standards in the industry, and created the first window covering certification program in 2005, which certifies, tests, and promotes window coverings for safety.

Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of nearly 250 non-profit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

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A recent court decision is a safety setback for children and families.  Despite decades old knowledge about the serious risk window coverings pose to the lives of children, the industry continues to deploy obstructive tactics.  As a result, unsafe custom window coverings continue to present a serious risk to children.

“The heart of the matter for consumers to realize is for decades safety devices and child safety tips failed families who took precautions to keep their children safe,” said Linda Kaiser, founder of Parents for Window Blind Safety.   “The deadly designs of custom products are identical to the corded stock products industry eliminated in 2018.  The percentage of the custom online market is growing larger every year making it more affordable. Every blind that is produced today will remain in American homes for many years to come, perpetuating the hazard.”

About nine children 8 years old and younger die every year from window coverings with long, hazardous cords.  From January 2009 through December 2021, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that there were more than 200 incidents involving children, many on custom products with failed safety devices.  For over two decades, parent and consumer organizations persistently worked to eradicate window coverings’ strangulation hazards because the solution is clear: responsible designs.

In 2018, the window covering industry attempted, for the seventh time, to adopt a voluntary standard for cords on stock window coverings.  The standard did not address all hazardous cords and failed safety devices on custom window coverings.  Manufacturers made an eighth attempt at a voluntary safety standard.  However, despite the serious and ongoing risk to children, manufacturers refused to make evidence-based changes to custom window coverings recommended by safety experts and the the CPSC.  Then the CPSC stepped in.  In November 2022, CPSC unanimously finalized a lifesaving window covering rule that eliminated the dangers associated with cords on custom window covering products.

Almost immediately, the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) filed a lawsuit challenging the CPSC’s vital rule and arguing it did not substantively advance child safety.  At the same time, children continue to die from window coverings, including a 2-year-old in July 2023.  WCMA also argued the rule is invalid because the President can remove CPSC commissioners  only for cause.  Consumer Federation of America, Parents for Window Blind Safety, and other consumer groups filed an amicus brief in support of the CPSC and argued the rule reduced the unreasonable risk of injury and death to children.

In September 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated the CPSC’s lifesaving rule and remanded the issue back to the CPSC.  The Court had three main takeaways: (1) CPSC erred in how it complied with notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements; (2) CPSC’s cost benefit analysis is flawed because it didn’t rely on the price of custom products; and (3) CPSC chose an arbitrary effective date.  The Court did not consider WCMA’s constitutional challenge regarding CPSC commissioner removal.

What is lost in the Court’s decision, however, is that the CPSC, consumer groups, and parent advocate groups have worked for decades to address the serious risks posed by window coverings.  Yet time and time again, industry failed to adequately protect children and instead put profits first.   Children are still at risk.

“The voluntary standard for window coverings failed children and their families for over two decades,” said Courtney Griffin, Director of Consumer Product Safety at CFA.    “These obstructive tactics reflect a broader goal of regulated industries to undermine the authority of federal agencies whose mission it is to protect consumers.  We will continue to fight for safer products in our homes.”

Consumers, especially caregivers of young children, deserve a just marketplace.  The lives of children are more important than a company’s bottom line.  Parent advocates and consumer groups continue to push for safer, fairer regulations that protect the most vulnerable in our homes.  We call on the CPSC to navigate a path forward that will ensure no other family suffers unimaginable tragedy because of failed safety devices on window covering cords.

To advocate for consumer product safety, individuals and organizations can:

• Visit Parents for Window Blind Safety for more information about this important safety issue.
• Urge elected officials to support the CPSC in its critical mission to make the marketplace more consumer driven. Encourage elected officials to protect the CPSC from efforts to undermine its authority to keep consumers safe.  Let their elected officials know that consumers deserve timely information about the potential hazards in their homes.
• Learn about the various facets of CPSC’s work or contact the CPSC’s Consumer Ombudsman, who is dedicated to helping the public understand how the CPSC works.
• Exercise your rights and participate in agency rulemaking on regulations.
• Search reports and recalls/repairs of unsafe or potentially unsafe consumer products.
• Review CPSC’s safety education materials.
• Review CPSC’s injury statistics and technical reports.
• Learn about the voluntary standards process and get involved. Read this interview with Rachel Weintraub in which she reflects on her extensive experience in consumer advocacy and how that intersects with voluntary standards.  For more information on how to get involved, visit this site for how consumers can participate.

The post Custom Window Coverings Continue to Put Children at Risk appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

CFA President White has announced the formation of a Transition Committee made up of representatives of CFA’s Board, Executive Committee and staff.  “We are pleased that Jack will remain as CEO during the search for a replacement,” said White.

“During his long tenure at CFA Jack has not only been CFA’s main conduit between the organization and the media, but over the years he has led CFA’s efforts in child and product safety, indoor air quality, consumer education, auto sales practices and, most significantly, auto safety.  As a well-known consumer advocate, Gillis is author, co-author and editor of 75 consumer books including The Car Book, published for 40 consecutive years.  He served for ten years as a contributing consumer correspondent for NBC’s Today Show representing CFA, was Good Housekeeping’s personal finance columnist, and was a child product safety columnist at Child Magazine,” said White.

“Gillis’ advocacy has been responsible for major changes in the automobile industry, including significantly improved vehicle safety, better warranties, and increased fuel efficiency.  Early in his career, The New York Times featured Gillis as a leader in a new breed of consumer advocates.  He was an adjunct professor at The George Washington University, where he taught in the Graduate School of Government and Business Administration, and he currently serves on the boards of the Center for Auto Safety (chair), Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Center for the Study of Services (Consumers’ Checkbook) and CAPA.  Previously, he was Executive Director of the Certified Automotive Parts Association, a non-profit standard setting organization.  He received his MBA from The George Washington University where he served as a Teaching Fellow and his BA from the University of Notre Dame,” added White.

“Serving the Consumer Federation of America for all of these years has truly been an honor.  It has enabled me to work closely with some of America’s greatest consumer and safety advocates, men and women who have truly changed America for the better.  Any success that I’ve had at CFA rests squarely on the shoulders of these remarkable activists.  As it enters its 54^th year, CFA has a very exciting future ahead and I will always cherish being a small part of its distinguished history,” said Jack Gillis.

Contact: Marceline White, marceline@marylandconsumers.org

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 “Families are facing a variety of stresses during this pandemic but getting injured at home should not be one of them,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “As Americans continue to spend time at home, we cannot ignore the safety risks that certain consumer products pose. Our bipartisan bill will require that these issues be studied, so lawmakers can take appropriate measures to protect consumers and children from any injuries.”

 “California is home to an array of tourist destinations, many right here in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic has devastated the livelihoods of Angelenos who rely on travel and hospitality to make ends meet. If we want to build off of President Biden’s work, we need to understand the pandemic’s full impact on tourist-dependent jobs. This study will help us come up with solutions to rebuild our tourism sector and boost our economy in California and across the country,” continued Congressman Cárdenas.

 “The bedrock tourism, travel and hospitality industries here in Tampa Bay and our neighbors who rely on those jobs need help from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By directing the Department of Commerce to study the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, we can create a plan to help these industries and workers bounce back and avoid the worst impacts in future emergencies. This comprehensive study will help us get the data we need for near-term action to serve those in the hard-hit tourism, travel and hospitality industries. And, in the long run, this study will help us understand the impact the pandemic has wreaked on travel, tourism and hospitality for future planning,” said Congresswoman Castor.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has truly changed our daily lives, and that includes routines at home and while traveling,” said Congressman Davis. “COVID-19 mitigation efforts in recent months have meant that families and individuals spent more time at home during the pandemic, which has hurt the tourism industry and has also led to an increase in at-home injuries caused by consumer products. Our bipartisan legislation will help policymakers get a full understanding of how the pandemic has affected consumer patterns and safety across our country.”

“Early last year, the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered travel and tourism worldwide, gutting the billions of dollars in economic activity they generate year after year – and Michigan was no exception,” said Congressman Upton. “Many vibrant communities across Southwest Michigan and along Lake Michigan rely on our thriving tourism industry – which powers our local economies – to support their families and businesses, and I will always have their backs. The Pandemic Effects on Home Safety and Tourism Act is an important step in the right direction to study the real impacts of this vicious virus on tourism nationwide and ensure that we have a plan to mitigate these harmful effects in the future.”

 According to recent reports, pediatricians and ER doctors have seen an increase in patients seeking treatment for home injuries following the coronavirus outbreak. The Pandemic Effects on Home Safety and Tourism Act directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to study the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on injuries and deaths caused by consumer products to members of vulnerable groups, including children, minorities, seniors and people with disabilities. The bill will require the CPSC to submit quarterly reports to Congress examining the incidence of injuries and deaths from consumer products suffered by members of vulnerable groups and also directs the CPSC to coordinate with the media to distribute resource information to help increase home safety during the pandemic, such as the CPSC’s Home Safe Checklists.

 The bill is endorsed by Consumer Reports, the National Consumers League, the Consumer Federation of America, Kids in Danger and the U.S. Travel Association. 

 “The pandemic has had uneven impacts on child safety and product-related injuries, reducing some such as sports injuries, but increasing others in the home such as ingestions of button cell batteries and other dangerous items,” said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting children by fighting for product safety.  “We applaud the sponsors of this important legislation to ensure that we have timely data on injury patterns during the pandemic so we can work together to keep children safe.”

 “It’s critical to understand how the pandemic has changed the way people – and especially children – are getting injured by household products,” said Oriene Shin, policy counsel for Consumer Reports. “This bipartisan bill recognizes that helping people keep their families safe depends on having clear data. Consumer Reports thinks the bill’s sponsors for their leadership.”

 “The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed where and how consumers have been spending their time. We need more information about how these changes have impacted product safety incidents, injuries, and deaths,” said Rachel Weintraub legislative director and general counsel at Consumer Federation of America. “This legislation will take important steps to better document the consequences of the pandemic on product safety incidents by requiring frequent reports by the CPSC for the duration of the emergency. We applaud the introduction of this legislation.”

 “This important legislation calls for identification of trends in injuries and deaths from consumer products and will provide much-needed data on injury patterns during the pandemic. We thank the sponsors for pressing forward with this bill to gather data that are critical to our efforts to keep children and other consumers safe,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League.

 “Travel-supported jobs accounted for 65% of all U.S. jobs lost last year, and those jobs won’t fully return until we can bring back international and business-related travel along with the domestic leisure market,” said U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes. “We thank Reps. Cárdenas, Castor, Davis and Upton for advancing this bill that will better inform the policy groundwork that must be laid for the travel industry’s recovery.”

 The Pandemic Effects on Home Safety and Tourism Act passed under suspension during the 116th Congress.

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, CFA. 202-904-4953

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“The CPSC needs this infusion of funding to protect consumers. COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way consumers spend their time and the CPSC is the Agency at the forefront of protecting consumers from hazards posed by products in and around their homes,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel with Consumer Federation of America. “This additional funding is absolutely critical for the CPSC to fulfill its mission. We strongly support this language and urge its inclusion in the final Budget Reconciliation legislation.”

“Kids In Danger (KID) applauds this effort to provide additional funding to the CPSC to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on children’s product safety.  From import surveillance to data collection, to conducing effective recalls and educating consumers, CPSC has a huge task with a small budget even outside of a pandemic,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of KID, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting children by fighting for product safety.  KID urges Congress to act on this vital funding.”

“The CPSC continues to punch above its weight as it works to protect consumers from product safety hazards,” said Remington A. Gregg, Counsel for Civil Justice and Consumer Rights at Public Citizen. “This additional money, however, is sorely needed and we hope is the start of increased funding for this small, but powerful agency.”

Together, our organizations have advocated for years to significantly increase the CPSC’s annual budget. The funding in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s COVID-19 Relief Budget Reconciliation legislation is essential to provide the CPSC funds it needs now to respond adequately to COVID-19. We will continue to engage in efforts to increase and build the CPSC’s budget significantly to protect consumers from hazards going forward.

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, 202-904-4953

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The bills passed by voice vote with bipartisan support. The legislation that passed includes:

• The STURDY Act (H.R. 2211), sponsored by Rep. Schakowsky, would direct the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to create a mandatory clothing storage unit standard to help prevent furniture tip-overs, which have caused child injuries and deaths. This critically important bill would establish a strong mandatory standard for furniture stability.
• The Nicholas and Zachary Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2019 (H.R. 1618) would establish a grant program, administered by the CPSC, that would encourage states to require the installation of residential carbon monoxide detectors, including for vulnerable populations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2010 and 2015, 2,244 individuals died from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, with 393 deaths alone in 2015. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Ann Kuster (NH).
• The Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2019 (H.R. 806), sponsored by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), would help prevent flame-jetting incidents through establishing a binding and enforceable standard that would require flame mitigation devices, or flame arrestors, on portable fuel containers. According to National Fire Protection Association estimates, fire departments responded to an average of 160,910 fires per year between 2007 and 2011 that started with ignition of a flammable or combustible liquid, resulting in an estimated 454 civilian deaths.

These bills offer a vital opportunity to protect families from preventable injuries and deaths. Consumer, safety and health care organizations all agree that a baby sleeps safest alone, on their back in a bare crib that meets current safety standards.  In addition, efforts have been ongoing to work to strengthen the voluntary industry standard addressing furniture tip-overs, with little progress, rendering passage of the STURDY Act timely and necessary.

“We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for voting to put children and consumer safety first today. Children will be safer because the STURDY Act will require strong standards to prevent furniture tip-overs and the tragedies tip-overs case,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel of Consumer Federation of America. “Passage of the Nicholas and Zachary Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act and the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act are significant and will provide carbon monoxide alarms to consumers who need them and will strengthen the standard for portable fuel devices by requiring devices that will address ignition of flammable liquid.”

“Furniture tip-overs kill one child every 11 days and send two to the emergency room every hour.  With the passage of this bill, we are one step closer to protecting children from these risky products,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger (KID).”

“How refreshing to see the House of Representatives work in bipartisan fashion to protect consumers and their families,” said Remington A. Gregg, Counsel for Civil Justice and Consumer Rights at Public Citizen. “But a bill can only become law when both chambers pass it, and we call on the U.S. Senate to follow the House’s example and pass these critical pieces of consumer safety legislation.”

“No child should be put at risk from unstable furniture, and there’s no easy way to simply look at a dresser and tell whether it’s likely to tip over, so it’s critical to put a strong standard in place that consumers can trust,” said William Wallace, Manager of Home and Safety Policy for Consumer Reports. “We commend House members for passing the STURDY Act, and for taking action to help protect consumers from carbon monoxide poisoning and portable fuel container fires.”

We applaud the sponsors of these bills, Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Ann Kuster (D-NH), and Mike Thompson (D-CA) for their leadership in protecting consumers from product safety hazards. We urge the Senate to quickly take up the House-passed bills or their Senate companion bills, in order to protect children and all consumers from these preventable product safety hazards. If the Senate passes the same version of the bills, they would proceed to the President for his signature.

The groups also support two additional bills that have not yet come to the House floor for a vote.  These will protect our most vulnerable consumers – sleeping infants.

• The Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2019 (H.R. 3172), sponsored by Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA), would ban infant inclined sleep products, such as the recently recalled Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, which have been linked to the deaths of at least 50 infants.
• The Safe Cribs Act of 2019 (H.R. 3170) would ban padded crib bumper pads. Bumper pads have led to dozens of infant suffocation deaths and do not offer protection to babies. These products are also inconsistent with expert safe sleep recommendations.

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The three bills the groups support are:

• The Nicholas and Zachary Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2019 (H.R. 1618) would establish a grant program to encourage states to require the installation of residential carbon monoxide detectors, including for vulnerable populations.
• The Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2019 (H.R. 806) would help prevent flame-jetting incidents through establishing enforceable standards that would require flame mitigation devices, or flame arrestors, on portable fuel containers.
• The Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act, or SOFFA (H.R. 2647) would adopt a California flammability standard as a federal flammability standard to reduce the risk of furniture fires.

These bills offer a critical opportunity to protect children and all consumers from preventable injuries and deaths.

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Liquid nicotine is a highly toxic product that poses a serious risk of negative health effects and death for children. Liquid nicotine products often contain high concentrations upwards of 36 mg of nicotine per milliliter of liquid, or over 500 mg of nicotine in a small 15 mL dropper bottle. Given that the estimated lethal dose of nicotine is 1 to 13 mg per kilogram of body weight, a bottle of liquid nicotine at this size and concentration would be enough to kill four toddlers. Since liquid nicotine can be quickly absorbed through the skin, flow restrictors are a critical protective measure to reduce the risk of child nicotine poisoning.

Nearly four years ago, in response to this hazard, Congress passed the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act. The law requires the CPSC to enforce a mandatory child-resistant packaging standard for liquid nicotine containers, including the use of flow restrictors. However, concrete CPSC enforcement measures to remove noncompliant products from the market are long overdue and swift action is needed to protect children from this urgent public health danger.

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But unlike Yelp or Angie’s list, there is an online database that contains reports of harm about a product that are reviewed before being posted. You may be surprised to find out the U.S. government maintains this website full of user reports about consumer product safety, which puts power back into the hands of consumers. SaferProducts.gov is an online database where consumers can report and research safety hazards with a wide variety of products, from stovetops to toys, power tools to strollers. This database empowers consumers to take control of their safety, while also helping regulators discover trends in unsafe products so they can be dealt with quickly.

SaferProducts.gov is one of the successful components of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which was signed into law ten years ago this summer. CPSIA expanded the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) ability to protect consumers from dangerous products while increasing public awareness of safety hazards in the home.

Giving Consumers Control

The CPSC collected consumer complaints before the passage of the CPSIA, but most were hidden from the public for long periods of time, sometimes until and only if a recall was announced. This is because the Consumer Product Safety Act – the law which created the CPSC – includes a section barring the CPSC from communicating information about a product to the public until they have essentially received permission from the manufacturer. This meant that consumers were unwittingly using products that manufacturers and the CPSC knew posed safety hazards, but which the CPSC was legally barred from warning the public about.

This changed on March 11, 2011, when the database went live. Consumers and other members of the public, such as physicians, began submitting reports about products that posed a risk of harm. The CPSC has been able to use this data to identify trends in product hazards, and then act accordingly to protect the public.

To preserve the integrity of the database, the CPSC prevents inaccuracies in several ways:

• anonymous reports are not permitted;
• only safety-related information is permitted;
• reports are only considered for publication if specific minimum fields are completed; and
• manufacturers have the opportunity to review and comment on reports.

Improving the Database

As of June 22, 2018, there were 36,544 reports in the database. While the database has grown in recent years, its rate of growth has been slowing. It is important that the CPSC continue to improve and expand the database, and keep consumers better informed about their safety.

Here are some ways the CPSC could continue to build on the success of the database’s first seven years:

• Increase awareness and use of the database by the public. Encourage consumers, healthcare professionals, and other members of the public to continue submitting reports by implementing a more user-friendly interface as well as outreach and training.
• Fold additional CPSC data sources into SaferProducts.gov. For instance, there is a field on each report in the database to link it to associated recalls, but that is not being done. Failing to do so leaves consumers in the dark about their use of a recalled product.
• Analyze the database and release reports. The CPSC could proactively prevent injuries by evaluating and publicizing trends in harm posed by products reported in the database. The CPSC could also release reports on specific emerging hazards, as well as an analysis of why the number of public reports is decreasing annually.

We hope that the CPSC continues to improve SaferProducts.gov which has been a success in its first seven years online. Consumers can now quickly and easily share information on harmful products, giving the CPSC a boost in their mission to keep the products we use every day safe.

Read more about SaferProducts.gov here.

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This law was passed in response to a record number of product recalls in 2007, including recalls of: 25 million toys for hazardous lead paint, tiny magnets, or dangerous chemicals; one million cribs for side rails that can separate and strangle infants; and tens of millions of pieces of children’s jewelry made with hazardous levels of lead. These recalls and the hazards that these products posed to consumers highlighted the need for Congress to take action to ensure that cribs were safe, that toxic chemicals were banned from children’s products, and that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) had the tools and resources it needed to fulfill its mission.

On August 14, 2008, the CPSIA was signed into law after a deliberative process and overwhelming bipartisan support in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The law includes strong product safety reforms that helped strengthen the work of the CPSC, a critical independent regulatory agency.

In the ten years since the CPSIA was passed, there have been significant safety breakthroughs, including the following:

• The reduction of lead in children’s products through lower lead limits. Lead content in children’s products is now limited to 100 parts per million (ppm) and lead paint to 90 ppm. In 2007, there were 109 children’s products recalled for lead, including toys and other children’s items. In 2017, there was just one such recall for lead.
• Strong mandatory standards for cribs and other infant and toddler products. The CPSC has promulgated 22 standards for products such as cribs, high chairs, and strollers due to this provision and still must complete three more. As a result of strong mandatory standards, in 2016, no deaths were reported prior to a recall on a children’s product. This mandatory standards process must continue effectively.
• A mandatory safety standard for children’s toys, which now exists and which includes a mechanism for the CPSC to improve those standards if necessary, and a requirement for toys to be tested to ensure that the safety standards are being met. In 2007 there were 107 recalls of children’s toys and in 2017 there were 15: an 89% reduction due in large part to this provision of the CPSIA.
• Increased authority to hold violators of product safety rules accountable, which enables the CPSC, when it uses this authority, to assess meaningful civil penalties to deter violators of product safety rules and laws.
• SaferProducts.gov, a consumer incident database that helps the CPSC identify trends in product hazards and gives consumers a tool to report and research harm associated with a consumer product.
• Required third-party premarket safety testing for children’s products subject to mandatory standards.
• For durable nursery goods, manufacturers are required to include a product registration card, making it easier for consumers to register their products so that they can be contacted directly in the case of recall.
• A ban of eight phthalates, chemicals that soften plastic, in kids toys and childcare articles. Phthalates are endocrine disrupting chemicals and exposure to phthalates has been linked to breast cancer, developmental issues, decreased fertility, obesity and asthma.

On this tenth anniversary, many of our organizations are releasing a CPSIA Tenth Anniversary Album, documenting the important impact that the CPSIA has had on safety in the United States.

“The CPSIA represents the most significant strengthening of product safety laws since the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was created. The CPSIA is a critical regulation that comprehensively strengthens our nation’s product safety net. Consumers, including children, are safer as a result of the CPSIA and its effective implementation,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and general counsel at Consumer Federation of America. “The CPSC must continue to build on this success and implement more mandatory standards for infant and toddler products, assess meaningful and timely civil penalties, and make Saferproducts.gov an even more effective resource.”

“In the ten years since Danny’s Law was adopted, countless families have been saved heartache because safe cribs and other children’s products are on store shelves,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger (KID), founded by Danny’s parents after his death in an unsafe portable crib. “There is more to be done, but the law has had a tremendous impact on our children’s safety.”

“As pediatricians, we work every day to ensure children are safe where they live, learn and play, and counsel parents on how they can protect their children from dangerous products. Since its enactment, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) has made significant progress to advance needed reforms that are designed with children’s safety in mind, such as imposing standards for lead in children’s products. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children, and the law was an important step forward to protect children from its serious health consequences. As we commemorate the law’s tenth anniversary, we reflect on these achievements and look ahead to continued improvements that keep our children healthy and safe,” said American Academy of Pediatrics President Colleen Kraft, MD, MBA, FAAP.

“Making the toy safety standard mandatory means that parents don’t have to play detective looking for lead paint, sharp edges, or dangerous magnets. And for too long parents relied on slow or voluntary recalls from the Commission and manufacturers,” stated Adam Garber, U.S. PIRG Consumer Watchdog. “But since the passage of the Act ten years ago, mandatory toy testing often catches these dangers before they get in a child’s hands. Parents can now have more confidence than ever that their kids’ toys are safe.”

“For the past ten years, the CPSIA has helped to keep unsafe products out of the market and gives the CPSC more tools to hold corporate bad actors accountable if they do not take adequate action to recall unsafe products,” stated Remington A. Gregg, Counsel for Civil Justice and Consumer Rights at Public Citizen. We look forward to continuing to work with the CPSC and Congress on behalf of consumers to ensure that the provisions of this milestone law are implemented well.”

“The CPSIA has helped to restore scientific integrity at the CPSC, providing it with the resources it needed to give scientists at the agency the space to conduct the important work that has led to safeguards protecting consumers and families from dangerous products,” stated Genna Reed, Lead Science and Policy Analyst, Union of Concerned Scientists. “Its implementation has served as a necessary firewall to prevent political interference and hindrances to scientific work that erode the federal decision-making process.”

“The CPSIA’s goal was to make sure companies and our government are proactive, not reactive, when it comes to dangerous safety defects. It’s been a clear success, and consumers are safer because of it,” said William Wallace, senior policy analyst for Consumers Union, the advocacy division of Consumer Reports. “The CPSC and members of Congress should build on that success by securing far stronger safety standards, especially for products with clear, unaddressed hazards and those that threaten vulnerable populations.”

“The CPSIA ban on the use of eight phthalates in kid’s toys and childcare articles continues to represent one of the most important consumer protections of the decade for one of our nation’s most vulnerable populations,” said Janet Nudelman, Director of Program and Policy at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. “Indeed, the 2008 phthalate ban was a resounding victory for children’s health and safety and dealt a major blow to the chemical industry, which spent millions of dollars trying to defeat it and then thwart its implementation. Ten years later, there’s still so much more to be done to protect our kids from unsafe chemical exposures but today, parents can rest easier knowing that their children’s toys, from rubber duckies to bath books, no longer contain these extremely toxic, hormonally active chemicals.”

Contact:

Rachel Weintraub, CFA, 202-387-6121
Nancy Cowles, KID, 312-218-5593
Kara Kelber, CU, 202-462-6262
Devin Miller, AAP, 202-724-3308
Adam Garber, U.S. PIRG, 267-515-1220
Remington Gregg, PC, 202-454-5117
Lisa Nurnberger, UCS, 202-331-6959
Erika Wilhelm, BCPP, 415-539-5005

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Last year, a ninth child death led IKEA to reannounce the recall of its dressers. In addition, the number of units said to be affected was revised downward, from 29 million to 17.3 million. But information on the effectiveness of the recall has been hard to obtain. IKEA has not provided any updated recall information dated after January 1, 2017, despite requests from our organizations. The latest recall response rate information from IKEA includes the following:

• 175,000 refunds provided to consumers;
• 268,000 consumers provided with anchoring straps following the recall; and
• 439,000 anchoring straps sent out by IKEA prior to the dressers’ recall, in a program that began in July 2015 following the deaths of two children.

Although this recall response information from IKEA is not current, most recall responses occur soon after the recall announcement. Therefore, it is unlikely that up-to-date response figures are much higher than the data provided in January 2017.

“Overall, IKEA’s information indicates that consumers have been left to fend for themselves. At best, only around 1% of consumers have had the unstable furniture removed and been issued a refund. Many of those counted as ‘participating in the recall’ were issued anchoring straps prior to the recall. And in the cases where IKEA has sent consumers straps, it has no way to know if the furniture left in homes actually has been anchored.”

In addition to withholding information from the safety advocates, IKEA has also kept consumers in the dark. Following the recall in 2016, IKEA only posted the recall on its Facebook page a handful of times, along with occasional general reminders to consumers to secure their furniture. Most of the company’s messages have relied on IKEA’s broader “Secure It” campaign to anchor all furniture – not specifically letting consumers know that the unstable furniture they had in their homes has been recalled.

“All companies must publicize a recall of hazardous products as widely as possible, especially since the CPSC does not always require companies to notify consumers directly. Every means possible must be used to reach consumers who are using this unstable dresser and may be unaware of its history or the danger.”

“Our groups call on IKEA and the CPSC to provide updated data on the effectiveness of the recall, a complete accounting of action taken to date to alert consumers to the recall, and a renewed concrete effort by both to reach consumers who currently possess this deadly furniture and urge them to remove the recalled product from their home and get a refund. In addition, IKEA and the CPSC should join our organizations in working for a strong mandatory standard that covers all clothing storage units, includes requirements for test weights that reflect the risk of injury or death to all children under six, and better replicates real-world use.”

Contacts:

Nancy Cowles, Executive Director, Kids In Danger, 312-595-0649

William Wallace, Senior Policy Analyst, Consumers Union, 202-719-5925

Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel, Consumer Federation of America, 202-939-1012

Lisa Siefert, Founder, Shane’s Foundation, 847-867-5978

Janet and Jeremy McGee, 651-600-8229

[1] The death of the McGee’s son, Ted, led to the 2016 recall.

The post Hazardous IKEA Furniture Remains in Homes Two Years After Recall appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

Such is the case with window blind cords, which children wrap around their bodies and their necks, sometimes with deadly consequences. According to a recent American Academy of Pediatrics study, 300 children younger than six were strangled to death in window blind cords from 1990 to 2015. Over the same time period, 2,000 children were treated for entanglement injuries.

The Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA), which advocates on behalf of window blind manufacturers, has had a voluntary standard meant to address the hazards of window coverings since 1996. Yet each year, 11 children die and 80 are treated for injuries as a result of window cord strangulation. In some cases, the injuries are so severe that children require 24-hour daily nursing care afterward.

So why do these deaths and injuries keep happening?

The main reason is that the 1996 voluntary standard allows for blinds with dangerous, accessible cords that can strangle infants and young children. The standard has failed for over two decades to significantly reduce or eliminate the strangulation hazard posed by window coverings.

In response to these tragedies, CFA, Parents for Window Blinds and Safety, and other safety organizations petitioned the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue an effective mandatory standard to address the risks that corded window coverings pose to children. In response, and after years of work by safety advocates and the CPSC, the WCMA has agreed to revise its voluntary standard so that dangerous, accessible cords are no longer permitted on “stock” products.

Is My Family Safe Now?

Despite being a positive step forward, this new standard does not eliminate the strangulation risk on all blinds available for purchase. Here’s what you need to know when buying window blinds:

1. Window coverings bought off the shelf should be cordless by the end of 2018. These will be the safest option.
2. Custom ordered window blinds will still be allowed to have hazardous cords. Insist on cord-free products when purchasing custom.
3. Products bought online may still be sold with cords. Be careful to purchase only cord-free.

How Can I Identify Safe Window Coverings for My Family?

Technology has come a long way over the past decade for cordless window coverings. Linda Kaiser, President of Parents for Window Blind Safety, advises consumers seeking safe blinds to look for the following:

• Window coverings with no outer cords and tight inner cords
• Cordless products
• Products carrying the Parents for Window Blind Safety Seal of Approval which is awarded to cordless products that are Lab Tested, Mom Approved

What About the Blinds in My Home?

Many households already use window blinds with accessible, hazardous cords. Wrapping cords around a cleat, or putting them on top of the valence isn’t enough. Dozens of young children have been strangled by cords that parents had thought were placed out of reach. The best course of action is to replace them with cord-free window coverings.

If you’re moving to a new apartment building, staying in a hotel, or visiting friends and family, be aware. Since blinds with dangerous cords haven’t been recalled, millions of hazardous window blinds remain in living spaces. Keep sleep and play areas free of cords.

Manufacturers Must Go Cordless on All Their Products

For the first time, this voluntary standard requires that some window coverings be cordless. This is a step in the right direction. It’s troubling, however, that the standard continues to allow cords on custom products. CFA would like to see the voluntary standard reopened immediately, so this loophole can be addressed.

It’s also important to note that the voluntary standard is not mandatory, and thus not enforceable by the CPSC. That means that window covering manufacturers are not required to test their products to ensure that they meet the voluntary standard before being put into the market.

We will continue to push for a mandatory standard that eliminates the hazard of window blind cords. Until then, consumers should be vigilant about the products in their homes.

The post Go Cordless: Keep Your Children Safe from Window Blind Cords appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

But as human factors psychologist, Dr. Carol Pollack-Nelson warns, “Consumers – especially parents and grandparents – should not get the wrong impression and think that all window coverings are safe.” Here is what consumers need to know:

1. Stock Products – window coverings bought off the shelf – should be cordless by the end of 2018. These will be the safest option.
2. Custom products – products that can be customized to consumers’ specifications – will still be allowed to have hazardous cords. Insist on cord-free products when purchasing custom.
3. Products in homes often have accessible hazardous cords that pose a risk of strangulation. Replace with cord-free window coverings.
4. Watch out for on-line products that may still be sold with cords.. Insist on cord-free.
5. Window coverings in multi-use dwellings, hotels, and apartment buildings, could have hazardous cords. Keep sleep and play areas free of cords.

This updated version of the ANSI/WCMA standard was preceded by decades of mounting death and injuries caused by window covering cords, and extensive advocacy efforts by our organizations and others to protect children from the strangulation hazard posed by these cords. As a recently published Pediatrics journal article reported, approximately eleven children die and 80 children are treated for entanglement and near fatal injuries every year as a result of window cord strangulation.

“For the first time, this voluntary standard requires that some window coverings be cordless. This is a step in the right direction,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general Counsel with Consumer Federation of America. “However, it is troubling that the standard continues to allow cords on custom products. We urge a reopening of the voluntary standard to address this immediately.”

“We are hopeful that eliminating cords on stock products will reduce deaths and injuries in the future. Consumers should junk their cords and #GoCordless. Our major concern is that non-compliant products could be sold online and that the flood of hazardous corded stock inventory will be liquidated throughout 2018. Consumers should not be lured by cheap corded prices,” stated Linda Kaiser, president and founder of Parents for Window Blind Safety.

It is important to note that this window covering voluntary standards is not mandatory and not enforceable by the CPSC.

Contact:
Rachel Weintraub, CFA (202) 939-1012
Linda Kaiser, PFWBS (314) 494-7890
Carol Pollack-Nelson, ISC (301) 340-2912

Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 non-profit consumer and cooperative groups that was founded in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education. www.consumerfed.org

Parents for Window Blind Safety is a nonprofit organization founded by Matt and Linda Kaiser. PFWBS was created to support parents whose children have been seriously injured or killed by dangerous cords, to educate consumers about the dangers of accessible window covering cords in homes, daycare facilities, and military housing, to help create safer standards in the industry, to encourage innovation of safer products in the industry, and to test window coverings products for safety. www.parentsforwindowblindsafety.org

Carol Pollack Nelson, Ph.D. is a Human Factors Psychologist specializing in consumer product safety. She is an advisor to all stakeholders including manufacturers, retailers, test laboratories, government agencies, and consumer organizations. She previously served as an in-house expert for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in the Human Factors Division.

The post New Window Covering Voluntary Standard is Step in Right Direction But Unsafe Corded Products Still Available appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“Window covering deaths and injuries happen when parents cook dinner, fold laundry, aid other children or while parents think kids are asleep. Designing the hazard out of products and changing the consumer’s mindset about window covering safety is the only way these deaths and injuries will end,” stated Linda Kaiser, President of Parents for Window Blind Safety.

The Window Coverings Manufacturer’s Association has had a voluntary standard addressing window coverings since 1996. So why do these entanglement deaths and injuries keep happening? The main reason is that the voluntary standard allowed dangerous, accessible cords that can strangle infants and young children.

“The voluntary standard for window coverings has failed for over two decades, to significantly reduce or eliminate the strangulation hazard posed by window coverings. The AAP study confirms that too many children are being harmed by these cords,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel with Consumer Federation of America.

Due to the failure of the voluntary standard to address the strangulation hazard, Consumer Federation of America, Parents for Window Blinds and Safety and other groups petitioned the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue an effective mandatory standard to address the risks that corded window coverings pose to children. In response, and after years of work by safety advocates and the CPSC, the Window Covering Manufacturer’s Association (WCMA) has agreed to revise its standard so that dangerous, accessible cords are no longer permitted on “stock” products.

According to Dr. Carol Pollack-Nelson, a human factors psychologist and one of the petitioners, “while eliminating dangerous cords on stock products is a step in the right direction, consumers should be warned that the new voluntary standard won’t eliminate the strangulation risk on all blinds due to limitations and potential loop holes in the standard:”

1. The standard still permits “custom” products (e., products manufactured after a consumer order) to be made with cords that can strangle children. According to WCMA, custom products account for 20% of the market. This percentage projection could increase depending on the consumer demand for cords.
2. Consumers typically believe cords are safe as long as they are kept out of reach by wrapping around a cord “cleat” or putting up on top of the valence. While this may seem like a safe strategy, cases in the study reveal dozens of young children strangled in a cord that was believed to be placed out of reach but was accessed by children using various objects or avenues.
3. Millions of window blinds with dangerous cords currently exist in consumers’ homes (and will likely remain for at least a decade or two until the blinds are replaced because in most cases, blinds with dangerous cords have not been recalled.
4. Voluntary standards are not equivalent to mandatory standards. Voluntary standards are not enforceable by the CPSC and there are no requirements to test window coverings to ensure that they meet the voluntary standard before being put into the market.
5. Enforcement of products sold online will be difficult and this means that on-line retailers may continue selling window coverings with dangerous cords. If corded products are less expensive than cordless, consumers who are unaware of the entanglement danger are likely to purchase the less expensive corded blinds.
6. Window coverings purchased for large scale housing such as condos, apartment buildings can be ordered as “custom” products and skirt the voluntary standard’s cordless requirement which only applies to “stock” products.

“If it was your child, would you want to change these products? Children are so smart, they can get to chains tied up,” said Brende Owen Bullard of Cleburne Texas, mother of Lawson who passed away December 10th, 2016. “Products should have safety built-in rather than relying on consumers to consistently check to see if products are safe for kids.”

How Can I Identify Safe Window Coverings for My Family?

Technology has come a long way over the past decade for cordless window coverings. Linda Kaiser, President of Parents for Window Blind Safety advises consumers seeking safe blinds to look for the following:

• Window coverings with no outer cords and tight inner cords.
• Cordless products

Products carrying the Parents for Window Blind Safety Seal of Approval which is awarded to cordless products that are Lab Tested, Mom Approved

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, 202-939-1012

The post New Study Shows More Children Are Injured by Window Covering Cords appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“Sadly, we know the tragic consequences of inadequate communication about this recall of unstable dressers due to the eighth death that was recently publicized,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel at Consumer Federation of America. “We urge IKEA to more robustly communicate this recall to its consumers. We urge consumers to remove these unsafe dressers from their homes and obtain a refund. We urge the CPSC to take stronger action to protect consumers from these potentially deadly dressers.”

These dressers are now known to be responsible for eight deaths. The most recent known death occurred in May 2017 in California, and involved a 2 year-old boy. The CPSC has stated that IKEA has received 186 reports of tip-over incidents involving the MALM chests and dressers, including 91 reports of injuries to children. In addition, IKEA has received 113 reports of tip-overs with other recalled IKEA chests and dressers, including 53 reports of injuries to children.

”IKEA should again use their Friends & Family program and other lists to communicate directly with consumers who purchased these unstable dressers and urge them to return them for a refund,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. “Millions of these are still in homes and are extremely likely to tip – causing future injuries.”

Our organizations have previously called on the CPSC and IKEA to protect consumers by substantially increasing efforts to reach every home with an IKEA dresser, urging families to return them for a refund, and providing incentives for consumers to remove the unsafe dresser from their homes. Our groups have also used social media to communicate to consumers about the recall and the need to remove these unsafe products from their home.

“It is imperative that safety messages focused on anchoring dressers to the wall not be substituted for clear messages urging consumers to remove the unstable MALM dressers and obtain a refund from IKEA,” stated Weintraub.

“Without direct and extensive communication about this recall, we will see additional deaths,” added Cowles.  “Any family with a recalled dresser is in danger.”

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, CFA (202) 387-6121; Nancy Cowles, KID (312) 218-5593

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of over 250 non-profit consumer groups that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

KID is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by fighting for product safety.  Our mission is to save lives by enhancing transparency and accountability through safer product development, better education and stronger advocacy for children.

The post IKEA and CPSC Reissue Recall of MALM Dresser Due to Tip-Over Hazard appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

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In a recent twenty-nine day period, four children strangled to death from cords on a window covering: a 4-year-old boy, in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, on November 12, 2016; a 4-year-old girl in Salt Lake City, Utah, on November 29, 2016; a 4-year-old girl in League City, Texas, on December 7, 2016; and a 3-year-old boy in Cleburne, Texas, on December 10, 2016. Each of these children died after the cord of a window covering strangled them. In 2016, we are aware of a total of 11 window cord strangulation deaths. These most recent tragic incidents contribute to the already long list of 293 deaths and serious injuries associated with these products between 1996 and 2012.

Fatality data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reveals that since 1983, 12 children have strangled to death each year when they became caught in loops formed from the cords on window coverings. The rate of injuries and deaths has not been significantly reduced since 1983¹, despite six industry attempts at revising their voluntary standards. The seventh revision of the voluntary standard is currently underway and we are hopeful that it will be a step in the right direction.

“These window covering strangulations are so complicated but the most important factor is that it happens to the best of parents. Parents who trusted that either tying up cords, cutting cord short or using break away devices would prevent their children from death,” stated Linda Kaiser, Founder and President of Parents for Window Blind Safety. “It is paramount that consumers use window coverings with no pull cords in their homes.” Linda Kaiser and her husband Matt formed Parents for Window Blind Safety in 2002, after their daughter, Cheyenne Rose, died as a result of being strangled by a window blind cord.

“This holiday season and every day, we urge families to make sure that cords on window coverings are not accessible to children,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel at Consumer Federation of America. “When purchasing new window coverings we urge parents to buy cordless products.”

“Cords and kids don’t mix. Use only window treatments without accessible cords,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. “It is the only 100% effective way to eliminate this hazard.”

“It is outrageous that for decades the window covering industry has failed to enact a strong standard to protect kids,” said Ed Mierzwinski, U.S. PIRG Consumer Program Director. “For parents, the recommended fix is simple: Go cordless.”

“These terrible tragedies can happen quickly and silently,” said William Wallace, policy analyst for Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports. “We urge manufacturers and retailers to sell only those products that do not pose a risk of strangulation to children.”

“I am saddened that young children continue to strangle in window blind cords. This is a fixable hazard. I am hopeful that the next version of industry’s voluntary standard will lead to a real change and a reduction in these deaths,” stated Carol Pollack-Nelson, Ph.D., a product safety expert and President of Independent Safety Consulting.

The CPSC has long recognized window covering cords as a hidden strangulation and asphyxiation hazard to children and continues to identify it on its website as one of the “top five hidden hazards in the home.” The most vulnerable children are infants through eight years of age.

Contact:
Rachel Weintraub, CFA, 202-387-6121
William Wallace, CU, 202-462-6262
Carol Pollack-Nelson, ISC, 301-340-2912
Nancy Cowles, KID, 312-595-0649
Linda Kaiser, PFWBS, 314-494-7890
Ed Mierzwinski, PIRG, 202-461-3821

Consumer Federation of America is an association of nearly 300 nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

Consumers Union is the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports, an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. As the world’s largest independent product-testing organization, Consumer Reports uses its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center to rate thousands of products and services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 7 million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications.

 Kids In Danger (KID) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving children’s product safety.  KID’s mission is to promote the development of safer products, advocate for children and educate parents and caregivers about dangerous children’s products.

 Parents for Window Blind Safety is a nonprofit organization that supports parents whose children have been seriously injured or killed by dangerous cords, educates consumers about the dangers of accessible window covering cords in homes, daycare facilities, and military housing, helps create safer standards in the industry, encourages innovation of safer products in the industry, and tests window covering products for safety.

 U.S.PIRG serves as the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On the web at uspirg.org.

The post Four Children Killed by Window Covering Cords in Last Six Weeks appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

Consumer Federation of America, Kids In Danger, Consumers Union, Public Citizen, U.S. PIRG and National Center for Health Research issued the following joint statement:

“We applaud this recall announcement. For almost a year, consumers have not had the information they need to best protect their families from hoverboards’ potential safety hazards. The announcement today clarifies that these half a million hoverboards have a design flaw that puts consumers at risk. Consumers should stop using these products immediately and contact the appropriate company to take advantage of this recall. If your hoverboard is not on the list, you are not necessarily in the clear.  The Chairman of the CPSC recommends that even for those hoverboards not recalled today, consumers should contact the manufacturer or retailer and request a refund. Amazon, for example, has already agreed to provide refunds for hoverboards bought on their site.

Earlier this year, the safety and testing organization, UL, developed testing requirements to address the battery pack and electrical systems in hoverboards. Since February, the CPSC has urged consumers to use only hoverboards which meet the new UL 2272 standard. Now, today, consumers have clear information about how they can return or repair hoverboards that do not meet this standard. The standards-setting body ASTM International is working on developing a standard to address the fall hazard and other hazards posed by these products. Our organizations are participating in that process to ensure a robust, consumer-protective standard.”

If you have had a safety incident with a hoverboard, please report it to the CPSC at www.saferproducts.gov.

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, CFA (202) 387-6121; Nancy Cowles, KID (312) 595-0649; William Wallace, CU (202) 462-6262; Sonia Gill, PC (202) 454-5135; Ed Mierzwinski, PIRG (202) 461-3821; Diana Zuckerman, NCHR (202) 223-4000

Consumer Federation of America is an association of nearly 300 nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

Kids In Danger (KID) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving children’s product safety.  KID’s mission is to promote the development of safer products, advocate for children and educate parents and caregivers about dangerous children’s products.

Consumers Union is the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports.  Consumers Union works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace. Consumer Reports is the world’s largest independent product-testing organization.  Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually.  Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications.

Public Citizen is a national non-profit organization with more than 400,000 members and supporters. We represent the public interest through lobbying, litigation, administrative advocacy, research and public education on a broad range of issues including consumer rights in the marketplace, product safety, worker rights, workplace safety, financial regulation, safe and affordable health care, campaign finance reform and government ethics, fair trade, climate change and corporate and government accountability. Learn more at citizen.org.

U.S. PIRG serves as the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan consumer groups that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society.

NCHR is a think tank dedicated to improving the health and safety of adults and children by using research to develop more effective policies.

The post CFA, KID, CU, PC, U.S. PIRG and NCHR Applaud CPSC’s Hoverboard Recall appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

Parents for Window Blind Safety, Consumer Federation of America, Kids In Danger, Consumers Union and Independent Safety Consulting issued the following joint statement:

“We support this effort. The industry’s voluntary standard, in its current form, falls short in protecting children from the risk of strangulation posed by corded window coverings.

“In opening the standard, WCMA must prioritize that any revisions will finally address the strangulation hazard posed by accessible cords in an effective way. But today’s announcement does not provide the critical details necessary to know whether that will be the case.

“We will be at the table to monitor the discussions and press for a standard that effectively addresses the strangulation hazards on all window covering products. The standard should also help reduce the confusion consumers face when purchasing products with unclear safety claims.

“For this process to be productive, it must be open to all interested parties and incorporate the contributions of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and consumer advocates. We appreciate the CPSC staff’s commitment to participating in this standards process—their involvement is critical.”

Since 1983, 12 children have died each year and many more suffered permanent brain injuries from strangling in window covering cords. The rate of injuries and deaths has not been significantly reduced since the hazard was first identified in 1983.[1] These deaths and injuries typically involve children who are 8 years old and younger. Infants, toddlers, as well as school-age children have been harmed by cords inaccurately deemed safe, including those with free repair kits, break away cords, or retrofit safety tassels with safety devices such as cord cleats.

Contact:

Rachel Weintraub, CFA 202-387-6121

Linda Kaiser, PFWBS (314) 494-7890

Carol Pollack-Nelson, ISC (301) 340-2912

Nancy Cowles, KID (312) 595-0649

William Wallace, CU (202) 462-6262

Consumer Federation of America is an association of nearly 300 nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

Parents for Window Blind Safety is a non profit organization that supports parents whose children have been seriously injured or killed by dangerous cords, educates consumers about the dangers of accessible window covering cords, helps create safer standards in the industry, encourages innovation of safer products in the industry, and tests window covering products for safety.

Kids In Danger (KID) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving children’s product safety.  KID’s mission is to promote the development of safer products, advocate for children and educate parents and caregivers about dangerous children’s products.

Consumers Union is the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports.  Consumers Union works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace. Consumer Reports is the world’s largest independent product-testing organization.  Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually.  Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications.

Carol Pollack-Nelson, Ph.D. is a human factors psychologist and an independent safety expert advocating for cord-free window coverings.

[1] CFA 2011 Press Release.  http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/WindowCoveringsStandardPressRelease.pdf

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Since 1983, 12 children have died each year and many more suffered permanent brain injuries from strangling in window covering cords. The rate of injuries and deaths has not been significantly reduced since the hazard was first identified in 1983.  These deaths and injuries involve children who are 8 years old and younger. Infants, toddlers, as well as school-age children have been harmed by cords on window coverings.

The problem is that industry’s “safety standard” for how window coverings are designed actually allows products sold in the U.S. to have accessible, hazardous cords. These cords pose a serious strangulation risk to children, infants and toddlers who sleep and play near them.

Parents are advised to look for and purchase cordless window treatment options – a task made easier as a number of retailers have stopped selling corded window coverings in their stores or online. IKEA and Target stopped selling corded window coverings in 2015. Most recently, we applaud SelectBlinds.com, an online window coverings retailer, for only selling cord-free window coverings beginning March 31, 2016. SelectBlinds.com is the first retailer to stop selling corded custom window covering products.

“The tragic deaths and serious injuries caused by cords on window coverings compel action by manufacturers, retailers and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel at Consumer Federation of America. “We urge retailers to take bold action like SelectBlinds.com, Target and IKEA to stop selling corded products, we urge manufacturers to stop making corded products and we urge the CPSC to push for a strong standard to address the strangulation risk posed by corded window coverings.”

“We respect SelectBlinds.com for taking this step to protect children. Their decision to #GoCordless for custom products should indicate the urgency to remove unsafe corded hazardous products from homes. Thus is vital to save the lives of children in the United States and Canada,” stated Linda Kaiser, founder and president of Parents for Window Blind Safety.  Linda Kaiser and her husband Matt formed Parents for Window Blind Safety in 2002, after their daughter, Cheyenne Rose, died as a result of being strangled by a window blind cord.

Carol Pollack-Nelson, Ph.D. of Independent Safety Consulting stated, “Families who purchase SelectBlinds.com and blinds from other retailers that have gone cordless can be assured that their children can live, play and sleep near window coverings without the risk of strangulation. The proactive action by SelectBlinds.com demonstrates that this can be done. Retailers and manufacturers who still sell window coverings with hazardous cords – either in stores or on line – put their customers at an unnecessary peril. They also put themselves at risk for liability since this hazard is well-established and preventable.”

“Deaths and injuries from corded window coverings are preventable,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger (KID).  “But until all retailers remove corded products from store shelves and online shopping sites, parents who are unaware of the hazard will unknowingly put their children in danger. We applaud those retailers who have already taken that step.”

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, CFA 202-387-6121; Linda Kaiser, PFWBS (314) 494-7890; Carol Pollack-Nelson, ISC (301) 340-2912; Nancy Cowles, KID (312) 595-0649

Consumer Federation of America is an association of nearly 300 nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

Parents for Window Blind Safety is a non profit organization that supports parents whose children have been seriously injured or killed by dangerous cords, educates consumers about the dangers of accessible window covering cords, helps create safer standards in the industry, encourages innovation of safer products in the industry, and tests window covering products for safety.

Kids In Danger (KID) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving children’s product safety.  KID’s mission is to promote the development of safer products, advocate for children and educate parents and caregivers about dangerous children’s products.

Carol Pollack-Nelson, Ph.D. is a human factors psychologist and an independent safety expert advocating for cord-free window coverings.

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