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CPSC Celebrates National Consumer Protection Week: March 4-10, 2018

Release Date: March 01, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is March 4-10, 2018! This week is all about keeping you safe. We’re working side-by-side with federal and state partners and consumer groups to help you make informed decisions about product safety on five different topics:

Day #1 Monday, March 5: Baby Safety: Bare Is Best!

Nearly half of the infant crib deaths and two-thirds of bassinet deaths reported to CPSC each year are suffocations caused by placing infants to sleep on top of pillows, thick quilts and/or overcrowding in the baby’s sleeping space.

Many of these deaths are preventable. Moms and dads — follow our safe sleep tips and make sure other family members and caregivers do the same.

  • Always place baby on their back to sleep. This helps prevent suffocation and can reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
  • Bare is Best for babies. Do not add extra padding, pillows, blankets or other soft bedding.

Visit our Crib Information Center at www.cpsc.gov/cribs for more safe sleep tips.

Day #2 Tuesday, March 6: Fire Safety 

Every year there are about 360,000 home fires leading to roughly 2,200 deaths. Two-thirds of all deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarms or no smoke alarms at all. In addition, nearly 11,500 ER-treated fire injuries (pdf) are reported each year.

  • Make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside each bedroom.
  • Test the alarm once a month.
  • Always stay in the kitchen when cooking. Stand by your pan!
  • Create an escape plan with your family. Make sure there are two ways out of each room.

For more tips, check out our multigenerational tool kit and fire safety information center.

Day #3 Wednesday, March 7: Pool Safely 

Every year more than 340 children, younger than 15, fatally drown in pools and spas. These deaths are preventable.

Pool Safely by following these simple steps to keep children safer in and around the water.

  • Never leave a child unattended in or near water.
  • Teach kids to stay away from pool and spa drains.
  • Install proper barriers, covers and alarms on and around your pool and spa.
  • Teach children how to swim.
  • Learn how to perform CPR.

Visit www.PoolSafely.gov for more safety tips.

Day #4 Thursday, March 8: Anchor It! 

CPSC is aware of numerous injuries and deaths resulting from TV and furniture tip-overs. About 60% of child tip-over fatalities involve children age two to five. To protect children against tip-over dangers:

  • Anchor furniture, such as dressers, armoires and bookshelves to the wall.
  • Secure TVs to the base or wall. Recycle older, unused TVs.
  • Check for, and act on recalls of products that present tip-over hazards.

For more safety tips, visit www.AnchorIt.gov.

Day #5 Friday, March 9: Recalls: Use Them 

To protect your family from hazardous products, CPSC issues recalls to get these products out of your home and to provide a remedy from the company. Each recall will provide a remedy of a refund, repair and/or replacement of the product to consumers.

​For safety information and resources in Spanish, visit www.SeguridadConsumidor.gov and follow us on Twitter @SeguridadConsum.

Be part of the conversation on social media with #NCPW2018

Release Number
18-111

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:

Media Contact

Please use the below phone number for all media requests.

Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800

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