Do you live in military housing with your family?   Take a look at your window blinds or other type of window coverings, including Roman shades.  If you can see any dangling or accessible cords, your child is at risk.

Window coverings with exposed cords are one of the top hidden home hazards.  Kids can easily and quickly wrap the cords around their necks or become entangled in the cord loops.

In fact, one child strangles in window cords nearly every month and another child is hurt.  This can happen quickly and silently.  Sadly, some of the incidents occurred in military housing. We want to help you and your family to be safe and secure in your home.

So, on Military Consumer Protection Day (July 17 this year), examine your window blinds, curtains and shades closely. Look for exposed, looped cords. What you find may surprise you.  What you do about it can save your child’s life.

Here is how you can safeguard your windows.

• Use cordless blinds or go with blinds or shades that have inaccessible cords. Many stores have these products available for purchase right now.

• Move cribs, beds, and furniture away from windows, because children can climb on them and reach the cords on the window coverings.

• Make loose cords inaccessible, if you are unable to replace older blinds and shades.

In the past, many consumers have used free repair kits from the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) to fix their blinds that were made before November 2000.  Keep in mind that these kits do not get rid of the dangling pull cord hazard with many common window blinds.

Kids and cords are a dangerous combination. So, if you have young children in your house, your safest approach is to go cordless or buy blinds with inaccessible cords.

This infographic is also posted on CPSC’s Flickr page for easy sharing.

Now that you found the perfect summer camp that meets your expectations, accreditation standards, and your child’s appetite for fun, wait before you exhale. Sunscreen and labeling your child’s clothes aren’t the only final items on your to-do list. Add some time to review safety with your happy campers before you send them on their adventure.

A good place to start is by looking at a list of the camp’s planned activities. If sports are involved, remember that many sports aren’t complete without helmets. Safety equipment and athletics go hand in hand. Therefore, if you don’t plan to pack a helmet, ask the camp if it supplies the right helmet for each activity. Here’s a helmet guide that gives you more information.

In addition, here are safety tips on different sports:

• Baseball
• Football
• Soccer
• Skateboarding

Given the hot days of summer, it’s likely that your camp will include swimming or some other water play. As you pack bathing suits, take a moment to go over pool and water safety with your child.

• If your child does not know how to swim, alert the camp. Find out if the camp gives swim lessons and register your child to take them. Learning to swim is a key first step in drowning prevention.
• Check to see if the camp has life jackets for activities on docks or boats. CDC calls them a “must.” They aren’t a substitute for supervision, but they do act as another barrier against drowning.
• For kids who already know how to swim, brush up on swim safety.
• Tell your child NOT to go to the pool without supervision from a camp counselor or an adult.

Are you packing a hoodie for some cool nights of outdoor camping? Look at the neck and waist for drawstrings and remove them. Drawstrings can catch or become tangled with objects, such as a car door or playground slide, causing an injury.

Enjoy your child’s camp send off with hugs, kisses and safety.

Back after high demand last year, we have an updated version of our Fireworks Injuries infographic. The risks are the same. The only change is in the numbers. We also post these infographics on Flickr for easy sharing.

Tune up your bikes, and get riding!

Around the country this month, organizations are sponsoring Bike to School and Bike to Work days. It’s a great time to remind yourselves and your kids about bike safety.

Step 1: “Strap It On, Save a Life.” Having a helmet head is cool—and it protects your brain. Nearly 70 percent of all fatal bicycle crashes involve head injuries. Wearing a properly fitted bicycle helmet can reduce the risk of a brain and head injury by as much as 85 percent.  Follow these tips to make sure your helmet is doing its job:

• When buying a helmet look for the label that reads “Complies with U.S. CPSC Safety Standards for Bicycle Helmets.”
• Tighten chin straps and adjust padding so the helmet feels snug, forms a V around the ears, and does not move up and down or side to side. Watch this video from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on how to put a helmet on correctly.

Step 2: Check your family’s bikes for safety.

• Make sure the tires have the proper amount of air.
• Adjust and tighten the seat and handlebars. Remember, kids grow!
• Check and adjust the brakes so your family’s riders can stop quickly.
• Consider taking bikes to a local bike shop for a tune up periodically.

Step 3: Be alert when riding.

• Ride on the right side of the road in a straight, predictable path.
• Children younger than 9 should not ride on roads. They don’t yet have the skills to identify and avoid dangerous situations.

Want to know more?  This bicycle safety page has brochures and posters to guide you to better bike riding safety.

The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a bare crib that meets CPSC’s new federal safety standards.

 Blog en español

Remember the happiness you felt when you first held your baby? Was your next thought “Now what?” Keeping your baby safe was likely one concern. Do you know there are some simple steps that you can take to lessen your worry and create a safer home for you and your baby? Well, there are!

So, relax this Mother’s Day and give yourself the gift of safety. Here are a few safety steps and safety devices that can give you peace of mind and can help reduce the risk of injuries to babies and young children. Most steps are easy to remember; the devices are relatively inexpensive:

1. Bare is Best: Put your baby to sleep in a crib that doesn’t have quilts, comforters or pillows. Nearly half of the infant crib deaths and two-thirds of bassinet deaths reported to CPSC each year are suffocations caused by pillows, quilts and/or clutter in the baby’s sleeping space. Footed pajamas should be enough to keep your baby warm.

1. Safety Latches and Locks: These are a no-brainer to help prevent children from accessing medicines, toxic household cleaners (including single-load liquid laundry packets) and sharp objects.

1. Furniture Anchors: Before your baby gets mobile, crawl around your home and explore. Do you see a dresser, bookcase or other piece of furniture? That looks fun to climb, doesn’t it? Buy and install low-cost anchoring devices to prevent a tip-over tragedy.

1. Water Dangers: Any time your baby is near water, you should remain on high alert. It only takes a few inches of water and a short lapse in supervision for a child to drown. Stay focused on your baby constantly when your baby is in the bath. Do not rely on bath seats or siblings to assist with bath time. PoolSafely.gov also has many simple steps for parents to take in and around pools and spas, including using fences and alarms.

1. Small Batteries: Coin or button-sized batteries that power devices like remote controls, electronic games, toys, musical cards, and hearing aids can cause life-threatening chemical burns in the body in as little as two hours. Even dead batteries can cause serious injuries.  Battery compartments should be secured with a tight screw or strong tape if there’s no screw on the product. Put any item with an unsecured battery up and out of sight and reach of a child. Throw away used batteries in a way that children can’t get to them.

1. Corded Products: Cords such as those on window coverings and baby monitors have strangled children. Keep all cords out of a baby’s reach. Baby monitor cords should be at least 3 feet away from your child’s reach.  CPSC urges parents to use cordless blinds or window coverings that have inaccessible cords in homes with young children.

1. Working Alarms: You never know when you’ll need a working carbon monoxide or smoke alarm—until a disaster happens.  Working CO and smoke alarms should be placed on every floor of a home. Here’s a guide to more information on smoke alarms.

Editor’s Note: Babycenter has cross-posted this blog in English and in Spanish.

Community education programs work. That’s a message we at CPSC hear regularly through our Neighborhood Safety Network.

Last week, during Window Safety Week, Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland, Ore., touted that message while spreading the word on preventing window falls. “According to Oregon Trauma Registry data, the rate of children’s window falls has decreased 46 percent from 2009 to 2011,” the hospital says in a news release.

The Oregon hospital, along with Safe Kids Oregon and a mom whose child died in a window fall, formed the STOP at 4” campaign to raise awareness about window safety. The campaign’s slogan means that when you open windows, you should stop and lock the window at 4 inches to prevent children from falling from open windows. According to that campaign’s website, the campaign was launched by injury prevention specialists who were concerned by the large number of children in Oregon who fell from second-story windows in warm weather.

Window fall safety is a topic we’ve written about before. We have a fantastic video and a safety alert that you can post on your website and in your community or share in your social media channels to spread the message: Five minutes is all it takes to prevent your child from falling out of a window.  We encourage you to follow these simple steps:

• Install window guards and window stops to prevent children from falling out of windows.
• Don’t depend on screens to keep children from falling out. Screens keep bugs out; they won’t keep children in.
• Whenever possible, open windows from the top, NOT the bottom.
• Keep furniture away from windows to limit a child’s access.

We applaud local safety campaigns such as those in Portland, New York City and other cities and towns. Our Neighborhood Safety Network sends free safety materials including posters, videos, pamphlets and alerts to subscribers around the country to help spread safety in local communities.

Do you want to help address a consumer product-related safety need in your community?  Let our Neighborhood Safety Network team know at nsn@cpsc.gov.

Six retailers are voluntarily recalling all Buckyballs and Buckycubes high-powered magnet sets that they sold. CPSC staff alleges that the magnets pose a substantial risk of injury and death to children and teenagers.

The retailers involved with today’s recall are:

• Barnes & Noble
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Brookstone
• Hallmark
• Marbles the Brain Store
• ThinkGeek

These retailers have agreed to participate in the recall because Maxfield & Oberton, the importer of the magnets has refused to participate in the recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes.

CPSC began rulemaking in late August to address the serious risks posed by hazardous high-powered magnet sets.

In July 2012 CPSC staff filed an administrative complaint against Maxfield & Oberton after discussions with the company and its representatives failed to result in a voluntary recall plan that CPSC staff considered to be adequate to address the very serious hazard posed by these products. This type of legal action against a company is rare, as this is only the fourth administrative complaint filed by CPSC in the past 11 years.

If you bought these magnet sets from any of the retailers listed above, please contact the retailer for a remedy. All of the retailer contact information is included in this news release.

Two women are reported to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning recently in Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.  The newspaper reports that a faulty boiler is suspected. Elsewhere, in Oxford, Conn., a man reportedly died due to high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) found in a home where he was housesitting. The dogs in the house died, too. (Connecticut Post, 1/30/13).

These reported deaths are just two of the regular, tragic reminders we see that carbon monoxide is a killer. In fact, CO is called the “invisible killer,” because you can’t see, smell or taste it. Don’t let this happen to you.

The best way to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home is to:

• Have fuel-burning home heating appliances – your furnace, chimney, water heater, etc. – checked by a professional every year to make sure they are working properly.

• Install carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your home and outside bedroom areas.

• If you use a generator when the power goes out, keep it outside, far from windows and doors. Do NOT use a generator in your garage.

Carbon-monoxide deaths are more common than you might think. According to a new CPSC report:

• There were an average of 169 unintentional, non-fire CO poisoning deaths each year between 2007 and 2009.

• 1/3 of the deaths were associated with carbon monoxide from heating systems, such as furnaces.

• More than 40% of carbon-monoxide deaths are from using generators, such as operating them in a garage or basement, which is extremely dangerous.

• Most CO deaths occur in the colder months of the year: November, December, January and February.

In addition to carbon monoxide risks, space heaters also need to be handled with extra care to prevent unintentional fires. Space heaters are associated with an average of 100 deaths each year between 2008 and 2010.

Just last week, local fire officials reportedly blamed space heaters for fires at homes in Portsmouth, Va. (via Fox 43-TV) and Bristol Township, Pa. (via PhillyBurbs.com).

• When you use a space heater, follow these safety tips:

• Turn the space heater off when you go to sleep or leave the room.

• Keep the space heater at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including curtains and furniture.

Have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside bedroom areas and inside each bedroom.

Look for additional life-saving information in CPSC’s Carbon Monoxide Information Center.

As a refresher: Beginning June 28, 2011, there are new new federal safety standards for cribs. All cribs made and sold after that date must meet these new standards, which prohibit traditional drop-side cribs, strengthen crib slats and mattress supports, improve the quality of hardware, and require more rigorous testing from entering the marketplace.

Cribs provided by child care facilities, family child care homes, hotels, motels and other places of public accommodation have until Dec. 28, 2012, to meet the requirements of the new standards.

Here are some materials that we have created to help you understand the new standards and what you need to do:

• Questions and Answers about the New Crib Standard
• Enforcement Guidance for Child Care Providers
• Child Care Provider Guide to the New Crib Standards
• Child Care Facilities, Foster Care, Churches: Who is Covered by the Crib Rules

In addition, we continue to receive questions about the new standard. Many of your questions revolve around evacuation cribs and play yards.

Evacuation Cribs

Cribs in child care facilities, family child care homes and places of public accommodation must meet the requirements of the new federal safety standards for full-size or non-full-size cribs. The regulations do not offer any exemptions or exceptions for evacuation cribs, regardless of how they are used.

Play Yards

The new crib standards do not apply to play yards. CPSC recently strengthened the safety standards for play yards. This new standard will take effect in February 2013. From CPSC’s regulatory perspective, a play yard can be used in lieu of a crib. HOWEVER, some state regulations prohibit the use of play yards in lieu of cribs in a child care setting. If you choose to replace the cribs in your child care with play yards, please familiarize yourself with your state regulations.

A new CPSC data report shows that 349 people (84 percent of them children under 9) were killed between 2000 and 2011 when TVs, furniture, or appliances toppled over onto them. The 41 reported deaths in 2011 were the highest number reported in one year. That’s an increase from 31 in 2010 and 27 in 2009.

Here are excerpts from our Twitter chat in February with more information and safety tips from CPSC, Kids in Danger and Dr. Gary A. Smith of Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Help teach all parents to prevent these tragedies. Share the poster above on Facebook. Pin it on Pinterest. Post it on Twitter. Print and post it for parents in your communities.

In 2012, CPSC staff has learned of about 500 incidents involving children and adults who were injured by single-load laundry packets like those shown above. Children have required hospitalization from ingesting the product due to loss of consciousness, excessive vomiting, drowsiness, throat swelling, and difficulty breathing (requiring intubation).

Do NOT let children handle laundry packets. Keep them locked up and out of a child’s sight and reach.

Read and Share this CPSC Safety Alert.

The aftermath of a storm can sometimes be a time when people take risks. Do not make your generator placement one of those risks. It can have deadly consequences for you and your family. Since Hurricane Sandy hit,  more than a dozen people in the Northeast have died from carbon monoxide, or CO, poisonings from generators, according to news accounts.

Generators need to be placed outside, away from windows and doors. They do not belong in garages or basements. Opening the garage or basement door does NOT provide enough ventilation to save you from the deadly gas.

Share this information with anyone you know in the affected areas. If you are in a storm-affected area and hear a generator running in your neighborhood, share this information with its owner.

If you’re running a generator, make sure you have a working CO alarm in your home. Even if you aren’t running a generator, install a CO alarm. This alarm can save your life. The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness.

Here’s more information on carbon monoxide.

CPSC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s recent seizure at a U.S. port of two shipments of children’s Halloween costumes with safety issues has resulted in many questions to us about what parents should look for when buying a Halloween costume.

Here are some things for you to consider:

Q: Are costumes required to be flame resistant?

A: Yes. Costumes can’t have fabrics that burn rapidly and intensely. This applies to all clothing, including costumes.

Q: Are accessories such as wigs, beards and wings also required to be flame resistant?

A: Yes. Both Halloween accessories and toys must meet flammability requirements.

Q: Different Halloween costumes have different warnings. Some say “flame resistant.” Some say “keep away from flames.” Some say nothing. Does this mean that some items are flame resistant and others are not?

A: No. All costumes must meet the flammability requirements. This doesn’t mean that textiles won’t burn. All textiles can burn and should be kept away from flames. Parents should look for costumes made from synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester because these materials are less likely to ignite, will resist burning and will extinguish more quickly if they do ignite. Manufacturers sometimes promote this by putting a “flame resistant” label on the package. The warning label to keep a costume away from flames is important advice that is provided by the manufacturer.

Q:  How can a parent tell if a costume is safe?

A: You should have two concerns. First, check for any labels on the costume about its flammability and the materials that the costume is made from. Second, choose well-fitting costumes that are not too big and billowy.

Q: The costumes mentioned above contained lead. How can parents know whether a product meets the lead requirement?

A: All children’s costumes sold in the U.S. must meet federal lead safety standards. Manufacturers must test costumes if they contain certain items that could have lead, like buttons, snaps and appliques, as well as other Halloween-themed accessories.

Q: How else can parents keep their children safe on Halloween?

A:

1. Carve pumpkins safely. Sixty-four percent of Halloween-related injuries between October and November last year were related to pumpkin carving.
2. Use battery operated candles and lights instead of candles.
3. If you are making your child’s costume, trim the costume or outerwear with reflective tape to make it easier for your child to be seen.
4. Carry flashlights or glow sticks when trick-or-treating after dusk.

You can find more Halloween safety tips in our Halloween Safety Alert.

That’s 2,310 deaths on average each year.

Take a Good, Better, Best approach to fire safety in your home. Fires can happen anytime, so be ready!

GOOD:

• Install a working smoke alarm in your home. Consumers who have working smoke alarms in their homes die in fires at about half the rate of those who do not.
• Change the batteries every year.
• Replace the smoke alarms every 10 years. After all, smoke alarms don’t last forever.

BETTER:

• Multiple working smoke alarms are better than one. Install alarms on every level of your house, inside each bedroom and outside sleeping areas.
• Interconnect your smoke alarms. That way, if one smoke alarm detects a fire, all smoke alarms will sound.
• Consider installing smoke alarms that use 10-year sealed batteries. They don’t require annual battery changes.

BEST:

• Install two types of working smoke alarms in your home: ionization and photoelectric alarms.  Smoke alarms use one or both of these methods, sometimes with a heat detector, to warn you about a fire. The safety standard for smoke alarms has been improved and should result in improvements to how both types of alarms perform. Ionization alarms respond quickly to flaming fires and photoelectric detectors respond sooner to smoldering fires. Make sure all alarms are interconnected.
• Have a fire escape plan and practice it. A smoke alarm can’t save your family’s lives if everyone doesn’t know what to do when it sounds. Have two ways to get out of each room and set a pre-arranged meeting place outside. And remember, once you are out of the house, stay out.