How safe are the products in your house?
There has been a spike in product recalls in recent years, but it’s on you to guarantee your family’s safety.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group looked at the Consumer Product and Safety Commission’s 323 recalls last year - products that led to 15 deaths, more than 550 injuries and more than 500 fires.
The types of products that were recalled the most were children’s sleepwear, toys, infant sleep products, small vehicles, furniture and small kitchen appliances. U.S. PIRG says product safety is a huge problem in this country and they are urging consumers to take action to learn about product recalls more quickly.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
The group also says taking the time to report any dangerous products that you come across to the company that makes them and the CPSC is critical.
Teresa Murray is a Consumer Watchdog at U.S. PIRG.
“Some of the recalls that we see, they occur because the CPSC will get dozens or hundreds or thousands of complaints about the same product, and so, then the CPSC knows to investigate,” explained Murray. “It's really important for people to look out for each other, report when something is wrong, go ahead and lodge a complaint with the CPSC. And hopefully then if it is a dangerous product and not just a one-off, then it'll help keep everybody safer.”
U.S. PIRG says that of the thousands of products out there only about 250 categories must comply with safety testing. So, consumers need to be vigilant.
When you’re buying something, inspect the product, investigate the brand, and read reviews before bringing it into your house. Check for recalls periodically on and for complaints on saferproducts.gov to make sure there haven’t been any issues with a product you own. You can also sign up to get recall alerts by text or email. Use extra caution if you’re buying something from an online marketplace or resale website or accepting hand-me-downs -- especially toys, since safety standards for toys have improved dramatically over the years. And be careful when buying products that are being shipped from overseas. international sellers may not comply with U.S. safety standards.
It’s on you to make sure items in your home are safe. New recalls get posted on the CPSC’s website every Thursday morning.
For a full list of recalls visit: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls
To report a product, visit: https://www.cpsc.gov/form/recall-complaint-form
