[Speakers: Nancy Nord, Acting Chairman of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Selina Patten, Parent]
[Speaker: Nancy Nord]
Good Morning and Welcome. I am Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. Thank you all for coming this morning.
Spring is in the air and with the change of seasons, comes many long awaited activities; including one we all do Spring Cleaning.
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.
Our Web site - cpsc.gov - lists recalled consumer products. So specifically we are asking consumers to check our website to see if they have any recalled items in their homes.
So as you’re cleaning your closet, click on our website; emptying the storage room, click on our website; organizing the garage, click on our website. And check to make sure you don’t have any recalled products.
During the last six months the CPSC recalled more than 200 products; products in categories such as, children’s clothing, children’s jewelry, power tools and household items such as vases, candles and fans. Recalls happen all year long, but some product recall announcements may have been made when a product had been put away for the season.
Almost one year ago, the CPSC announced the recall of hundreds of thousands of rocking chairs. But not everyone has heard about this recall and injuries are still being reported. So as you are cleaning off the patio and are putting out the furniture, this is the kind of product we are asking you to check to see if it’s been recalled. And if it has, take the action recommended in the official announcement.
Another example is Playskool's Talking Tool Bench. This is the kind of product that may have been put aside or parts of it, specifically the toy nails, may be buried in the bottom of the toy box. Last September Playskool launched an aggressive campaign to publicize the voluntary recall program to get the toy nails out of consumer’s homes. The CPSC announced the program after Playskool reported to the agency two children died when they suffocated on the oversized plastic toy nail.
While many consumers did respond to the recall, we know there are still others who have not. And there is an incentive to respond. Consumers are being asked to return just the nails to Playskool and in return will receive a $50 gift card for a Playskool product.
Just last month there was another incident with the plastic nail that comes with the tool bench. Thankfully the child is alive. Selina Patten, the mother of the child very much wants to share her story so that other parents know about the recall and know how to get recall information into their home.
[Speaker: Selina Patten]
Hi, my name is Selina. I'm a mother of four children, three boys and one girl. I'm also a full-time day care provider in my home.
On February 23rd around 5pm, as I was taking my children out to meet the parents, I turned around and my little girl was standing there with a plastic toy nail in her mouth. I noticed that she was turning blue, went to her immediately and realized the toy was not coming out of her mouth easiily.
I then put my hand on her forehead and the other hand on her lower jaw to lower it down, and forcefully had to remove this toy nail from her mouth. She suffered some superficial wounds to the roof of her mouth, but I'm glad to say that all is good and she's back to her little self.
On Monday, I contacted the toy company to let them know what had happened. They then proceeded to ask me if I had known about the recall on this particular item. My answer to them was no. I was appalled. I was the parent, I was the day care provider. Why were these people asking me a question like this?
I am the one who goes on the Web sites, looks for the recalls, and checks the stores, looks for the recalls. I did not know about the recall on this item. I suffered a great amount of pain that day. I almost lost one of my children.
I did some research on the computer and found out there was a Web site that I could register on to receive immediate press releases or recalls on any item in my home, including toys. It only took me a second to register. I literally put in my e-mail address. That was it. I have since received e-mails on particular toys that have been recalled.
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. Thank you.
[Speaker: Nancy Nord]
We are encouraging all Americans to spring clean for safety. We are also launching a new nationwide safety initiative – the Drive to One Million.
As Selena mentioned in her message, never again will she not know about a CPSC recall and has gone to our website to get that vital information; vital information that will be delivered directly to her in-box.
The goal on this new initiative is during the next year, to sign at least one million people up for direct email recall announcements.
CPSC is offering an Easy way to be an informed consumer. It’s free, it’s fast and it’s lifesaving information for your whole family.
Consumers can literally save lives with the click of their own computer mouse.
We want to show you just how easy it is. You can follow along on the monitors.
First go to CPSC.gov
On the front page you will find the link that takes you directly to the form to sign up. As you can see it doesn’t ask a lot of questions about you. It asks for your email address and your zip code.
It also offers you choices. While we would encourage all consumers to receive all recall information, by signing up consumers can choose what categories for notification.
Do you want all CPSC press releases, recalls, the Public Calendar?
Or just press releases and recalls
Or let’s go down a little further, only recalls involving infant/child products or sports and recreation or household products.
The media, both print and electronic, is one of the CPSC greatest assets in recall notification. And we will continue to call on it to publicize our recalls. We have asked retailers around the country to help us achieve our goal of one million and to help sign consumers up for e-mail recall notification. We need all modes of media to help us deliver life saving information to American consumers so we will still seek to have recalls announced in the most traditional of ways.
But we are turning to the technology that keeps many people connected. By providing this information in an easy way that’s free and fast - consumers will be better informed and their homes a safer place.
Thank You.
End.