The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American Furniture Manufacturers today issued a national consumer alert about possible accidental death or injury to young children using or playing on recliner chairs. In the past 5 years, the Commission has investigated or received reports of 3 deaths and 2 serious brain injuries to children. Of the estimated 87 million American households, an estimated 24 million households have recliner chairs in them.
Information available to the CPSC about the accidents, although incomplete, leads CPSC to conclude that the victims:
(1) were between the ages of 12 months and 20 months; (2) were unsupervised by parents and alone in the room at the time of the accident; (3) were apparently climbing or playing on the leg-rest of the chair while the chair was in a reclined position; and (4) were trapped when their heads entered the opening between the chair seat and leg-rest as their own body weight forced the legrest down. |
The CPSC and the American Furniture Manufacturers Association suggest that parents use appropriate precautions in preventing young children from playing on recliner chairs.
Consumers are urged to report any accidents with recliner chairs to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207, or call the toll free Hotline on 800-638-CPSC.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
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