Airlines have had a rough go of it lately, what with skyrocketing fuel costs and fewer passengers traveling. Most airlines have already raised fares to the max that the market will allow, but they're still going deeper in debt, so they have to find ways to cut costs wherever they can.

This means charging for everything that used to be free -- checked luggage, meals, snacks, even blankets and pillows -- but it also means taking steps to reduce fuel consumption. That's why Air Canada's regional carrier, Jazz, has removed life vests from all its planes to save weight and fuel. At approximately one pound apiece, this takes about 50 pounds off each plane.

Defending the safety of their flights, Jazz reminds passengers that all seat cushions double as flotation devices, and all the carrier's planes fly within 50 miles of shore, never crossing the ocean.

I just wonder -- is 50 pounds per flight worth the PR headache?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a safety alert for the Simplicity 3-in-1 and the Simplicity 4-in-1 convertible "close-sleeper" bassinets. If you're a parent and have a baby sleeping in one of these, you should stop using it immediately.

The problem? In the last six months, two babies have died in them. The bassinets are made so that the parent can put the bassinet next to their bed, and then fold down the fabric, off of one of the metal supports in the mini-crib. That allows the mom or dad to see the baby. But since there's a gap between the metal and the mattress, a baby's chest or head can get stuck. There's there's no good way to describe what can happen next. The Chicago Tribune put it in a lengthy story on the matter, describes it this way; "Trapped, they hang to death."

It happened to a six-month-old girl in Shawnee, Kansas, a little over a week ago in a Simplicity bassinet. In the aftermath of their initial grief, the devastated family, thinking that they might have missed a recall, did some research online and discovered that something similar happened to a four-month-old girl in Noel, Missouri, last September--and yet there had been no recall at the time, although last year, the same Simplicity Inc. was the subject of a recall of over one million cribs.

The CPSC told the Tribune that the bassinet hadn't been recalled yet because the investigation is still open. And so, thanks to the urging of the family of Kennedy Brotherton Jones, the CPSC has just issued a safety alert, which they can do, much faster than start a recall.

So if you know a parent with a baby, you might want to suggest that they check the brand name of their bassinet, if they have one. You can also find more information, like a list of the model numbers that are in question, at the CPSC web site.

And it should be noted that some major retailers have stopped selling these bassinets and will offer a refund for anyone who returns them, and that includes: Wal-Mart, Toys "R" Us, Kmart, Big Lots!, J.C. Penney, and Target.

TopSavings.com reports that the Consumer Product Safety Commission is giving away a free coloring book about toy safety.

Normally we would now provide the link to fill out the form but, remember: this is the federal government and that would be far too easy. So you'll actually have to call and talk to a well-paid government employee:

Office Hours: 8:30 until 5:00 (EST)
Phone Number: 1(800)638-2772
Product Number: #283 coloring book

Every day, WalletPop will be bringing you information about a fantastic freebie. Like what you see? Check back tomorrow for more!

If you need a DVD to convince your kids to wear a helmet when biking to avoid brain damage, fill out this form to receive Lidz on Kidz: The Movie from Morrel Kelly, a personal injury law firm. According to the site:

Lidz on Kidz is to generate awareness among children and their families of the importance of wearing protective helmets to prevent brain injuries. Morell Kelly p.c. funds an in-school education program which provides information about how to fit bicycle helmet and by distributing hundreds of helmets to children in the Waterloo Region.

After analyzing over 100 accidents and interviewing almost 2,000 plane crash survivors, researchers at London's Greenwich University have determined that the safest seats on an airline are near the front of the plane, either on, in front of, or behind an emergency exit row. Passengers seated between two and five rows from an exit also had an above average chance of survival. For passengers seated six or more rows from an exit, however, "the chances of perishing far outweigh those of surviving."

Where does personal finance enter the equation? Well, the front of the plane is usually reserved for first class and business class passengers, while the more dangerous back of the plane is where the cattle...um, coach passengers go. The next time you're weighing the cost of that upgrade, you might want to think about the intangible benefits that come with business class!

Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. Given the way airlines treat coach passengers, he has a feeling that they've known about the safest seats for a long time...

Ansell, the world's biggest protective clothing maker, is giving out free protective gloves -- at least to those involved in some industry that uses protective gloves. These Vantage Series gloves are made with Kevlar (the same stuff that's in bulletproof vests), so they are designed to be cut resistant.

Since I'm blogging here you probably guessed that my work doesn't involve any heavy machinery. But I am a wildlife rehabilitator, so I did order several pairs of Kevlar gloves off eBay for bite protection. I deal with squirrels. The gloves have definitely prevented scratches, but I don't know yet about bites. (The one time a squirrel tried to bite my hand I wasn't wearing the gloves). I found out about them from this site.

You get a choice of three glove weights: the baby bear weight is for comfort and the ability to feel what you're handling. The momma bear weight is for "heavy, oily sharp pieces." The papa bear weight is for heavy, sharp metal that intermittently gets up to 400 degrees. You can also play their elaborate industrial safety video game, where you load pieces in a stamper trying not to get cut. (When you do, your character moans in pain, gets scolded by the boss, and drips blood from his hands.)

As if I didn't have enough to worry about. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, probably my favorite government agency, sent an email today, warning people about the dangers of escalators.

Granted, this news may not at first glance seem like it has anything to do with a personal finance blog, but plenty of businesspeople use escalators. You may be preparing to use one later today, when going up to see your financial adviser on the fifth floor of a building downtown. And like my recent elevator post, perhaps I should suggest investing in an escalator company. There are at least three that I'm aware of: the Escalator Company, Star Elevator and Escalator Company, and Detroit Escalator Company, or I thought that last one was one, until I logged onto a web site and discovered it's the name of a musician who calls himself the Detroit Escalator Company.

Anyway, if the musician wanted to start his own company, he'd have plenty of work. Each year, according to the CPSC, 90 billion riders use an escalator.

And while most people go up and down without a problem, the CPSC estimates that last year, there were approximately 11,000 escalator related injuries.

And, you know, at first, I was going to really send this up, and make fun of this plight, because it seemed silly and so random, but then I started Googling and found all sorts of scary things.

Most of us know that when we moved the clocks ahead one hour last weekend, we were also supposed to change the batteries in the smoke alarms (safety groups recommend doing this twice a year when you spring ahead and fall back). Turns out, those of us with children may also want to consider buying a new type of smoke detector altogether.

I received an email last month with a link to a TV news report in Boston about the failings of traditional smoke detectors. The video shows children, from toddlers to teens, sleeping right through the alarm. Apparently children aren't always awakened by the shrill sound of a conventional smoke alarm.

A smoke alarm that allows parents to add their own voice to the alarm has come on the market in the last few years. The Kidssmart vocal smoke detector, which plays a recorded message when smoke is detected, is $99.95 at amazon.com. Judging by a quick search, the alarm doesn't seem to be widely available at online retailers, and I couldn't find competitors except a company called Signal One, which apparently is no longer in business.

A 2006 study by the American Academy of Pediatricians found that 96% of kids awoke to the sound of their mother's voice on the vocal alarm while only 58% of children were awakened by the conventional smoke alarm tone. Sounds like it's worth considering, although I'm going to keep shopping for a better price. I thought I had found it on overstock.com but they were sold out.

I can't vouch for its benefits or quality yet, but I have to admit, I can see the appeal.

Todd Brabender, a PR guy who specializes in marketing off-beat products, sent me a doozy the other day. For years, I admit that I kind of ignored his emails, but then the Wall Street Journal profiled Brabender last December, touting him as a guy who always represents odd but useful items (like the SummerSled, which you can use in grass), and suddenly, now I'm almost honored to get his press releases. Funny how that happens. Brabender hasn't changed, but suddenly a respected newspaper does a profile, presto, he has credibility.

And that's how I came to help spread the word about the 4-in-1 SafetyStick Device. He sent a press release to me about it, and I thought, "Well, that's interesting." So I emailed Brabender back and asked him for a little more information, and then heard nothing back and figured he was now ignoring me. Until suddenly a SafetyStick comes in the mail to me.

"Wow," I thought, "I should be emailing PR people who represent luxury automobiles."

But instead I now own the 4-in-1 SafetyStick Device ($14.95), which is a great little stick-shaped tool for anyone who drives a car, SUV or truck and who has a healthy dose of paranoia. Worried that someday you might swerve to dodge a little squirrel in the road and inadvertently find your car crashing over a guardrail and careening off a bridge, and then finding yourself stuck in a gully, trapped in your automobile, with lousy cell phone reception, no view of your car from the road thanks to the foliage and nothing else on your side but a hope and a prayer?

The Toy Industry Association's board of directors is beginning to take steps to aggressively address toy safety issues, which were all too common in 2007. According to press accounts, there were 61 toy related product recalls last year, representing an increase of approximately 50% above the total toy safety issues reported for 2006.
With leadership assistance solicited from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a proposed plan of action has been drafted for the Toy Industry Association in an effort to more clearly define the product safety responsibilities of toy manufacturers and to more closely monitor toy manufacturing operations. The full program description will be published by ANSI for public review and comment on Feb. 22.

Daniel Grossman, Chairman of the Board of the Toy Industry Association is quoted on the TIA website as stating: "Once again, our industry has responded quickly and effectively when toy safety issues have been identified." The Toy Industry Association represents more than 500 manufacturers, and its members import or produce some 85% of toys distributed in North America, according to the website. Naturally this group has a strong interest in at least trying to keep on top of safety issues.

Nancy Nord, acting chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, has taken a justifiably hard line when it comes to toy industry foibles. Associated Press quoted her as stating: "I will not tolerate this industry ... not complying with our regulations." The CPSC is helping by providing additional guidance in the efforts to develop a toy manufacturer standards program and the agency is making it clear that they're not playing around.