Welcome to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Podcast for March 23rd, 2007. I’m Kim Dulic.

This week, CPSC announced the recall of about 100,000 SlingRider Infant Carriers manufactured by Infantino LLC.

The plastic slider on the fabric strap can break. This can cause the strap supporting the carrier to release and infants to fall out of the carrier.

Infantino has received 10 reports of plastic sliders breaking, including eight reports of babies falling out of the carriers. There were four reports of impact injuries where the child was taken to the emergency room. One of these children fractured her skull.

The SlingRider consists of a fabric carrier with a strap attached that is worn by the user to carry an infant up to 20 pounds. The carriers are sold in black or khaki. “Infantino” is printed on the plastic slider located on the strap. They were sold at Target Stores, Babies R Us, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Burlington Coat Factory and other retailers nationwide, by catalog and online from July 2006 through February 2007 for about $30.

Consumers should stop using these carriers immediately and contact Infantino to return them and receive a free replacement product.

For more information, contact Infantino toll-free at (888) 808-3111.

Also this week, about 250,000 Maytag and and about 20,000 Samsung Brand Front Loading Washing Machines were recalled due to Fire Hazard. Water leakage onto the electrical connections to the washing machine’s thermal sensor could cause an electrical short and ignite a circuit board, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Maytag has received five reports of incidents involving ignition in the circuit board. Samsung has received one report of an incident involving ignition in the circuit board. No injuries, fires or property damage outside the washing machine have been reported.

These washers were sold at Major department and appliance stores nationwide from April 2005 through August 2006 for between $1,000 and $1,200.

Consumers should immediately contact the firm for information on how to receive a free repair. For more information on how to determine if your washer is part of this recall, consumers should call Maytag at (800) 868-5109 and Samsung customers can call (800) 515-7902.

Finally this week, CPSC held a press conference this week to Launch it's “Drive to 1 Million” Recall Initiative. Here’s CPSC Acting Chairman, Nancy Nord:

[Nord:] “In 2006, the CPSC announced a record 466 recalls. But some of these recalled products may have been packed or put away for the season. We do a great job here at CPSC of getting dangerous products off store shelves, but our greatest challenge is to get them out of people’s homes. So CPSC is asking consumers to spring clean for safety.”

As part of our spring clean campaign, CPSC is launching the new “Drive to 1 Million” initiative. The goal: to sign-up at least 1 million consumers to receive life-saving information electronically through CPSC’s e-mail notification project. Consumers can receive notice of recall information as it is released by signing up at www.cpsc.gov -- Signing up is free, it’s fast, and it could save your life or the life of a family member.

Not everyone gets the word. Some product recalls may have been announced when products were put away for the season or consumers may not have heard about the recall when it was announced.

For example, Selina Patten, of Manassas, Va., had a close call when the recalled plastic nail from a Playskool toy tool bench became lodged in the throat of her 3-year-old daughter. She was able to remove the nail before serious injury occurred. She later discovered the product had been recalled after the death of two toddlers, though she did not hear about it. She has signed up to receive recall emails and is encouraging others to go to CPSC’s Web site and do so as well.

[Patten:] “I'm asking you parents to please take the time, look around your house, check for items that are possibly not safe for your children. Make sure these items are not on a recall list. Go to your local retailers, make sure there are no new postings on recalls on toys. But most of all, register with CPSC. Get that e-mail that may save your child's life.”

For more information on all of the recalls CPSC announced this week and to sign up for free email notices, go to CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov, or call the hotline at (800) 638-2772 anytime. And until next time, stay safe.

End.