Two car seat recalls involving almost 76,000 child restraints were announced this week. The first, and larger, involved almost 44,000 of Graco's Comfort Sport Frazier convertible car seats (top photo) that came equipped with body pillows that partially obscure an important airbag warning label. The second recall involved almost 32,000 Britax Frontier (center photo) child restrain systems with a design flaw that may cause the harness straps to become detached from the metal yoke on the back of the seat, preventing the child from being properly restrained. Details of both recalls can be found on the Web site of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. In better news, the Department of Transportation announced that it expects the number of highway fatalities this year to be at a record low.
Crib warnings missed before recall
Chicago Tribune
At first, Susan and Robert Cirigliano were thrilled when they learned of Delta Enterprise's October recall of 1.6 million cribs. Finally, they thought, the company was acknowledging the death of their 6-month-old son in a Delta baby bed. But when the Long Island couple went online for more details, they felt sick. ... Bobby wasn't mentioned. Read more ...
Report sounds alarm on child accidents
The New York Times
Around the globe, accidents kill 830,000 children—the equivalent of all the children in Chicago—every year, according to a report issued this week by the World Health Organization and Unicef. Read more ...
Fewer phthalates found in perfume, similar products
USA Today
A new report finds fewer controversial chemicals in personal care products, such as perfume and hair spray. Some manufacturers are removing or reducing their use of hormone-like ingredients called phthalates, commonly found in fragrances, according to a study released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of environmental groups. Read more ...
SNL finds a way to make unsafe toys funny
The Washington Post
Product safety is mostly not funny. So here's a rare bit of levity to brighten your day, courtesy of Ed Mierzwinski over at U.S. PIRG. Apparently, Saturday Night Live used the advocacy group's Annual Trouble in Toyland report to make a joke. Read more ...
Obama urged to fund watchdog agencies
San Francisco Chronicle
As George Bush's presidency draws to an end, watchdog groups are calling for President-elect Barack Obama's administration to fully fund federal agencies that relaxed monitoring of water, air quality and the safety of the food supply and consumer products in the past eight years. Read more ...
New federal safety law may force pools, spas to close
Poynter Online
A new federal law called the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act will take effect next Friday, Dec. 19. Once it goes into effect, some public spas and pools may have to close until they make safety changes. Read more ...
Panel criticizes U.S. effort on nanomaterial risks
The New York Times
In a sweeping critique made public this week, an expert panel of the National Research Council said the federal government was not doing enough to identify potential health and environmental risks from engineered nanomaterials. It called for a sweeping new effort, involving key players in and out of government, to assess them. Read more ...
Consumer watchdog finds illegal jewelry
Center for Environmental Health
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced today that it has found high lead levels in jewelry
purchased from major retailers, including Walmart, Banana Republic, Lane Bryant, Express, Anchor Blue, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Longs Drugs (now part of CVS Caremark pharmacies). Read more ...
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