cpsc posts

Graco Children's Products is recalling its popular Graco Harmony High Chairs after receiving nearly 500 reports of them tipping over. At least two dozen injuries to children have been reported, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

About 1.2 million of the high chairs were sold nationwide since November 2003 for $70-$120. The company has stopped making them. Every Harmony High Chair that has been made is subject to the recall.

The U.S.-made high chairs should not be used until they are repaired.

"Made in China." It's the calling card of a staggering percentage of products that Americans buy. And what does that phrase conjure for you? Poorly made? Dangerous?

Ask America's top product safety official about Chinese-made products and you're going to get a different answer. She said change is already here -- asserting there's a new awareness among Chinese government officials and manufacturers that has led to a noticeable difference in imports from that country meeting U.S. standards.

In an interview with WalletPop.com, Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum said recent law changes in the U.S. and a constant dialogue with the Chinese government is yielding results that should end up with American consumers feeling better about Chinese products.

Telebrands Corp., which nurtures inventions onto the infomercial screen, is recalling its Therma Scarf scarves after reports of at least five fires started by its microwaveable heat packs, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada said.

The fires were started in the flax-seed filled heat packs, which are warmed in the microwave. Three of the fires caused damage to the microwaves.

Telebrands is recalling 100,000 of the Chinese-made scarves, which were sold for $20-$25 at Bed Bath & Beyond, As Seen on TV kiosks in malls, infomercials and at www.thermascarf.com and www.asseenontvguys.com from October 2009 through January 2010.

If you have one of scarves you are asked to stop using it and return it to where it was purchased for a refund. Telebrands said it would contact all consumers who purchased the scarves through either infomercials or on the web with details about getting their money back.

For more information, call Telebrands at (800) 777-4034 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern Time.

Baby slings, an accessory that engenders strong feelings from parents and safety advocates on opposite sides, is being targeted by the U.S. Consumer Product Commission for a warning that they can be dangerous to infants.

"We know of too many deaths in these slings and we now know the hazard scenarios for very small babies, so the time has come to alert parents and caregivers," CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said in an address to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. "We want to empower them to make a decision that is best for the safety of their baby, while realizing that slings play a role in the bonding of baby and mother in many cultures."

The CPSC has issued at least four recalls of the slings for falling apart, including one that followed eight infants falling out -- four of whom ended up in emergency rooms. But it is not the risk of falls that has increased the focus on the slings -- which cradle infants in fabric worn around an adult's neck. It is the risk of suffocation.

An Oregon mother sued Infantino -- the manufacturer in the recall involving the eight falls -- after her 6-day-old son smothered in one of the slings last year. More than 40 sling-related injuries are suspected over the past decade -- including seven deaths.

Some parents swear by the slings as not only a convenience but a way to bond with an infant by "wearing" them as part of the "attachment parenting" credo. It is also a common practice in other parts of the world, such as in Africa and Asia. Safety advocates, on the other hand, point to the sometimes awkward positions infants can end up in and the risks of the fabric covering the nose and mouth.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is moving toward forbidding companies that sell, make or import children's clothing from offering outerwear with drawstrings after a sweep by the agency found numerous violations of its 14-year-old guidelines regarding the products, WalletPop.com has learned.

Daiso, a huge Japanese-owned retail chain with some 3,000 stores worldwide,has been accused of repeatedly violating federal safety laws while importing toys and other children's goods from China and Vietnam. The company has agreed to pay a $2 million penalty and, in an extraordinary move, was forbidden from future commerce of children's products until the company can demonstrate it can comply with U.S. laws.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the action against Daiso Holding USA Inc., Daiso Seattle LLC, of Seattle, Wash. and Daiso California LLC, of Hayward, Calif. today. The company was accused of violating laws governing the import and sale of toys with high levels of lead, lead paint and phthalates, as well as having toy parts too small for products meant for children younger than three years old, and for failing to have required warning labels.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced four separate recalls involving sweatshirts for children.

You would think 14 years after the clothing industry was told to stop putting drawstrings in hoods the practice would have stopped.

Drawstrings have been implicated in strangulation deaths of children and were essentially banned in 1996 when the CPSC issued guidelines for clothing manufacturers and importers. All three of the recalled lines were manufactured in China; one included some made in Pakistan.

Three of the recalled lines were sold at Burlington Coat Factory stores.

With millions of cribs recalled over safety concerns, it's important for parents and caregivers to understand how to ensure the baby's sleeping environment is as safe as possible.

Statistics collected by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission show babies are more likely to die in a crib than any other piece of nursery equipment. It is, after all, where babies spend a good chunk of their time -- even more of a reason to embrace safety guidelines.

Discovery Kids animated marine and safari lamps are being recalled after seven families reported them catching fire, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

A child was injured in one of the fires. If you have one of the lamps you are asked to stop using it and contact the importer to get a full refund. The lamps have a defective circuit board that can cause a short circuit.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a crib recall and warning anyone with Generation 2 Worldwide or "ChildESIGNS" drop side cribs to stop using them following reports of the deaths of three babies. At least a half million of the cribs are believed to have been sold by the now defunct company.

"Infants and toddlers are at risk of serious injury or death due to strangulation and suffocation hazards presented by the cribs," the CPSC said in a written statement. "CPSC staff urges parents and caregivers to stop using these cribs immediately and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby."

Toymaker Schylling Associates, which makes classic toys including many with the Curious George and Thomas & Friends brands, was accused of knowingly selling tens of thousands of its products that had lead paint in violation of federal law, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced.

Although the company denied it broke any federal laws in agreeing to the settlement, Schylling agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty. The toys were sold in 2001 through 2003 but were not reported to the government, as required by law, until 2007, when they were recalled.

"Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers have a legal obligation to ensure that no banned products are introduced into or distributed in the U.S. marketplace, and to inform CPSC as soon as they become aware of information that must be reported under our laws," CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said in a written statement. "We will continue to penalize companies that do not follow these basic requirements."

Just days after Disney Princess and the Frog necklaces were recalled for containing the heavy metal cadmium, another Disney branded jewelry line is being recalled for lead, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

This time it's charms sold with Tiny Tink and Friends Children's Toy Jewelry Sets. More than 250,000 sets contain excessive levels of lead including Tinker Bell's Lil' Tinker Bracelet, Rosetta's Rosebud Key Chain and Silvermist's Water Lily Necklace.

A metal connector that links the charm to a necklace, bracelet or keychain is the part that contains lead. Sets with plastic rather than metal connectors are not subject to the recall.

Necklaces sold by Walmart as souvenirs of Disney's most recent princess movie -- "The Princess and the Frog" -- are being recalled because of high levels of the heavy metal cadmium, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The recall by jewelry and trinket maker F.A.F. Inc. was prompted by Disney, which made it clear that it would not allow makers of its licensed merchandise to produce them with cadmium. Walmart recently cleared its shelves of products that tests had shown contained cadmium. Walmart also said it would work with the CPSC as the safety agency decided how to handle the unregulated carcinogen, which is also toxic to young children.

Starbucks is recalling glass water bottles it has been selling this month after 10 customers reported either the glass stopper or bottle had shattered, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Starbucks told the CPSC eight of the reported incidents resulted in cuts. The company has sold 11,000 bottles in the U.S. and 1,200 in Canada.

The 20-ounce clear glass bottles were sold this month at Starbucks, Target and Safeway for about $9. They were made in Taiwan.

If you have one of the bottles you are asked to stop using them immediately and return them to where they were purchased for a full refund. Starbucks will also give anyone returning the bottles a free drink of any size.

For more information, call Starbucks weekdays between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. at (877) 492-6333.

You'd think if you paid $5,000 or more for a fancy, side-by-side refrigerator you wouldn't have to worry about the doors falling off. You'd be wrong.

Liebherr-Canada Ltd. is recalling its built-in, 24-inch wide single-door refrigerators -- often used in pairs to make a side-by-side -- because the doors can come loose and fall off, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. Only about 2,700 of the German made refrigerators were sold in the U.S. from January 2005 through November 2009. The units cost $2,500 to $3,000 for each single-door model; $5,000-$6,000 for side-by-sides. They are stainless steel or custom finished and are integrated into kitchen cabinetry.