Product Recalls– Stay Up to Date and Keep Your Family Safe

In August 2009 there were 49 product recalls announced by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Do you know what items have been recalled? Do you own any of these products? Do you know how to find this information?

Funds are tight and Christmas is approaching which means consumers are looking for the good deals, the bargains. This can mean buying products from lesser known retailers, selecting a lower cost brand or even buying second hand. There’s nothing wrong with any of these options, after all a savvy consumer knows how to save money.

Smart consumers also know how to keep their families safe.

Even when products are supplied by trustworthy sources, there is no guarantee that they will not be subject to recall.

Do you remember the healthy living lunch boxes issued for free by the Department of Public Health in California that were recalled because they contained elevated levels of lead?

Do you remember the ‘Thomas and Friends’ wooden toys, again recalled because they had unacceptably high lead levels in the paint covering?

Many manufacturers have closed local plants and factories electing to have their products made or assembled in other countries where wages are lower, perhaps health and safety requirements are not as stringent and their profit margins can be preserved through lower costs of production.

What these same manufacturers did not allow for was the possibility that inferior quality materials and finishes could be used to cut corners.

It is not just children’s toys that represent potential hazards in the home. In August 2009 Frigidaire recalled 200,000 electric ranges that had demonstrated problems with the on/off switch and thermostat control – all posing serious fire risks. There were also items, including clothing and window blinds, which incorporated a drawstring mechanism that failed safety guidelines and represented a strangulation risk.

As a consumer how do you keep up to date with the latest recalls? How do you keep your home and family safe? How can you take advantage of bargain shopping opportunities without compromising on safety?

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission makes the information you need available. In fact, they make it incredibly simple; you do not even have to regularly search the website for updates. All product recall information can be emailed directly to you, as it becomes available.

Keep yourself up to date and safe by visiting http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx and register your email address to receive updates. You can decide which updates are relevant to you and exclude those which are of no interest. Registering takes just a few minutes, is free of charge and will mean you never again miss a product recall warning.