Welcome to CPSC’s Podcast for Friday, August 3, 2007. I’m Patty Davis.

[Patty:] This week, CPSC alerted consumers to the top five hidden hazards in homes. Julie Vallese, CPSC’s Director of Public Affairs, is here to tell us what to watch out for. Julie, what is number one?

[Julie:] Number one on the list is magnets. Magnets are showing up in more and more children’s toys, but parents may be unaware of the danger. If more than one of these magnets is ingested by a child, it can really cause very serious injuries. Parents need to inspect these toys each and every time before they are put away. And if they find magnets, they need to dispose of them.

[Patty:] Number two is something do a lot of over here at CPSC and that is recalled products.

[Julie:] Recalled products need to come out of consumers’ homes. If the agency announces a recalled product, there’s a hazard to it and consumers should respond to that call for those products.

[Patty:] How should a consumer go about knowing about CPSC recalls?

[Julie:] For those that we’ve already announced, consumers should take an inventory and go to the CPSC Web site and check against any announced recalls to see if they have them. For future recalls, consumer can sign up for a direct email alert. It’s free and it’s fast. All you need is an email address and the CPSC will do the rest.

[Patty:] Now Number three may surprise some people.

[Julie:] Furniture and stove tipovers. Furniture in the home, things like bookshelves, dressers, armoires, and even the kitchen stove are very heavy. They can cause serious injuries and even death if they tip over on a child.

[Patty:] So what should you do?

[Julie:] Anchor them. Use the anchors that come with the furniture, use the anchors that come with the stoves. If it’s older furniture, go to your hardware store and purchase brackets. Put them against the wall or against the floor so your furniture doesn’t tip over.

[Patty:] We’ve actually seen a number of deaths and injuries associated with furniture tipping over. Tell us about that.

[Julie:] On average there are about 22 deaths per year with more than 3,000 injuries. The risk is in your home and risk is real. People should respond and anchor their furniture.

[Patty:] Number four is windows and window coverings. What is the danger there? What is the hidden hazard?

[Julie:] With windows you look at them and you look at your screen and you need to know that screens keep bugs out, not kids in. Kids can fall out of windows. The second hidden hazard is window blind cords. They can be a strangulation hazard. In fact on average, 12 children die each year from window cords.

[Patty:] And a window guard might be a good idea as well?

[Julie:] For the falls out the window, a window guard is a very good idea if you have small children who really do like to look out the window.

[Patty:] And number five?

[Julie:] Pool and spa drains. It’s something that we have warned against before. Oftentimes, consumers look at the pool as a whole and the drowning hazard. But pool and spa drains are also a potential hazard because they really have quite a force when suctioning out water and filtering it through the system.

[Patty:] What should you do?

[Julie:] Parents should inspect drains for any cracks or any breakage. Replace old drains with newer models that keep little fingers out and keep hair from getting entangled in it. Also, know where the circulation shutoff switch is in the event that a child does get pinned to the bottom of the pool you’re able to turn off the circulation. Basically you get rid of the seal.

[Patty:] All right. Thanks Julie for joining me. That is it for this week’s podcast. And thank you for tuning in.

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