Sliding into disaster!

In 1993, Kransco Group and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a press release warning consumers that WHAM-O backyard water slides, a popular water toy for kids, is NOT appropriate for use by adults or teenagers. They urged that the products were designed to be used by children, not adults. 

When used by adults or teens there is a great risk of neck injury, even paralysis.  Adults and teenagers (aka “grown-ups”) who dive onto the plastic water slide may land and stop suddenly due to their heavier weight and height.  The abrupt impact could cause permanent spinal cord injury when the adult’s forward momentum shoves the body into the neck, compressing the spinal cord. Quadriplegia or paraplegia are very real possibilities with this kind of injury.   

Lance Van Grouw, a Central Valley Christian (California) basketball stand-out, remains partially paralyzed after injuring his neck and spinal cord on August 8, 2011, while playing on a Slip ‘N Slide. He underwent emergency surgery to remove shattered pieces of his C-5 vertebra that were putting pressure on his spinal cord. He is suffering from some partial paralysis of his legs and torso. Friends and family are hoping that he will eventually regain the use of both, but only after significant physical and rehabilitative therapy.             

This sad incident is a big flashing reminder that these children’s toys are NOT intended for, nor are they safe for adults!

 NOTE:  My daughter was showing me photos of here fantastic north Michigan summer vacation by the lake.  When she showed me this photo I was speechless.  Some things are just so much fun, but in reality they are just  accidents waiting to happen.

Build-A-Bear Workshop® Lapel Pins Recalled

Build-A Bear Workshop® has announced a recall on their Love-Hugs-Peace lapel pins.  They sold about 26,500 of the affected pins in the USA, and another 2,200 in Canada.  The surface coatings (paints) on the pins were found to have too much lead content.  Federal law in both the U.S. and Canada restrict lead in coatings to 90 ppm.  Pins sold at Build-a-Bear retail and online stores between July 2009 and October 2010 are included in the recall. 

Consumers who have purchased a pin during the dates above should stop using the product and return it to any local Build-a-Bear Workshop store to receive a $5 store coupon.  In lieu of visiting the store, contact them toll-free at (866) 236-5683; or at their website www.buildabear.com.

CPSC press release is found here.

Health Canada's press release is found here.

Battat Fun Keys Recalled in USA & Canada

Battat Inc., a family-owned business in Plattsburgh, New York has been a well-known name in educational toys for the past 40 years. They stand behind their products and strive to provide consumers with affordable products of quality and durability.

This week they fell short of that goal, as they joined with CPSC* and Health Canada to recall over 1 million toys keys with remote feature. Battat officials say they received 17 reports of the metal keys and/or the plastic key rings breaking during use.  No injuries have been reported, but parts that break into small parts can present a choking hazard to young children. The keys are marketed for children from 6 months to 3 years - ideal ages for teething and sucking 

Battat has the following customer information posted on their company website:  “On April 8th we announced we were conducting a full inquiry into our FunKeys because of a couple of isolated complaints (from tens of thousands sold) of breakage. Let us start by letting you know that no child has been hurt. Our CEO personally traveled to China to oversee a full safety review, and our engineers and labs have not been able to torture the stainless steel keys into breakage. FunKeys still pass all safety tests. Yet we know a few have broken.”   

Since that time Battat has tweaked the product and now has stronger and more secure Fun Keys available to replace the ones in the recall.  Here’s what you need to know:

United States:  1, 080,000 sold

Canada:  3,600 sold

Retail  & Online stores

 B. Fun Keys

• Sold from April 2010 through May 2011
• Factory code H58000-01 or H26300-01
• Code on back of remote
• Remote is green or red, silver key blades, and multi-colored tops
• Keys hang from a plastic ring (various colors)
• Remote makes noise when buttons pushed
• Retail price was about $9.00

Parents Magazine

• Parents Magazine Electronic Keys
• Sold from January 2006 through December 2009
• Factory code H26300-01        
• Code on back of remote
• Remote can be different colors, silver key blades with solid colored tops
• Keys hang from plastic ring (various colors)
• Remote makes noise when buttons pushed
• Retail price was about $9.00

Consumers who have purchased this product should stop using them immediately and contact Battat for replacement. Battat can be reached toll-free at (866) 665-5524; or their company Website at www.battatco.com

CPSC Press Release, click here 

*Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the leading consumer product safety authority for consumer goods in the United States

Prime-Line Announces Recall on Bathtub Non-Slip Pads

Photo: e-uhs.efxinternet.com

Prime-Line is in the window and door repair and replacement parts business for the past 50 years.  Home maintenance is where they shine, and their products can be found in home centers or hardware stores across the USA.   If you need a hog ring, bug seal or screen window spline, Prime-Line most likely makes one.  They supply many manufacturers with OEM or originally designed component parts that meet customized specifications.

This week, however, they have not met the specifications of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) product safety requirements.  In addition to this week’s recall on the cabinet and drawer child safety latches (see blog post on 7/27/11), Prime-Line has once again joined forces with CPSC to recall 8,000 Bathtub Non-Slip Pads.  

Prime-Line bathtub pads

Although no injuries have been reported, one consumer advised Prime-Line that some of the pads do not stick firmly to the bathtub surface. A pad that moves out of place during use can create a potential fall hazard.

The bathtub pads are white, adhesive-backed, whale-shaped vinyl pads that have a slightly textured surface.  Sold in sets of 12 or 15 pieces, they range in size from 2” to 4” in height. Sell price for each set was $6.00.

Consumers who have purchased these pads should check them for security immediately. Contact Prime-Line directly at (855) 839-9555 or on their website www.prime-line-products.com to receive a refund.

New Federal Regulations for Cosmetics Proposed

 The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 (H.R.2359) was introduced on June 24, 2011 and is designed to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to ensure that all the ingredients in cosmetics (also known as “personal care products”) are fully disclosed and free of harmful chemicals. The proposed law still has to undergo manufacturer, public and government scrutiny before it becomes final, and is likely to change as it goes through the system.

Photo: It's About Health 

The current law, enacted over seventy-three years ago (the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938), surrendered all decisions about ingredient safety to the cosmetics industry themselves. Under the existing law, the FDA does not have the authority to require cosmetics companies to conduct safety assessments, or product recalls.  This is true even when the FDA receives information that the cosmetic contains a chemical that is harmful to human health.  The new proposed law would give FDA the authority to recall or stop the sale of any cosmetic it determines to be unsafe based on scientific evidence. 


This new legislation will have an impact any consumers who use moisturizing lotions, sunscreens, make-up, shampoos and deodorants, to name a few.  The general public is becoming increasingly concerned with eliminating unsafe chemicals from the products we use everyday.  The new law, as proposed, will put some pressure on cosmetic manufacturers to be vigilant about researching, testing and listing the formulations used in their personal care products.  The desired result is intended to be safer products for the consumers, but is this new bill the correct vehicle for attaining that result?

Photo: Skin Rejuvenation Today

The cosmetic industry has often been accused of not keeping up with scientific research on chemical toxicity. The lack of a strong regulatory structure could be one cause that has allowed some manufacturers to bury their heads in the sand and play dumb about the toxicity and long-term effects of the chemicals in their products. Cosmetic manufacturers would argue that they care very much and develop their formulations based on scientific research and data. One only needs to read the ping-pong game going on between organizations like Personal Care Truth and The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to recognize the complexity of the issues.  Each of these organizations is in favor of safer cosmetics, but they both have different road maps to get there. 

Photo: Skin Beauty Review

On one side are the smaller natural cosmetic manufacturers who feel the new proposed law would make labeling confusing to the consumer, would require duplicative registration steps, increases costs for testing and basically would discourage innovation. It is important to note that the proposed law only applies to US manufacturers. This has the potential to cause some consternation between U.S. and overseas suppliers.

The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 also proposes extensive pre-market testing and would require Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to be provided in multiple languages.  Many smaller manufacturers feel that the mandates would put an undue strain on their bottom line, and could prevent entry into the marketplace. In contrast, the larger companies are likely to have deeper pockets and would be more easily able to incorporate these additional expenses.

You can read the full text of the proposed Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 here.