Prevent Holiday Drowning Spending time in and by the pool is a 4th of July tradition for many families. Unfortunately, the popularity of this activity coincides with an increase in drowning reports during this time of the year.
PoolSafety.gov was created to educate homeowners and families about the risks of drowning and to provide important safety tips to prevent these tragedies from occurring.
Tips include the obvious -- staying close to children and being alert -- to the less-so, like learning water safety skills and using a door or pool alarm if the house serves as the "fourth side" of a fence around the pool.
Be sure to check out the PoolSafety.gov website for all the safety advice and have a safe 4th of July!
Flushmate and the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced the recall of about over 2.3 million Flushmate III Pressure-Assisted Flushing Systems due to impact and laceration hazards.
The systems can burst at or near the vessel weld seam, releasing stored pressure. This pressure can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank, posing impact and laceration hazards to the consumer as well has the risk of property damange.
There have been 304 reports of the product bursting and 14 impact or laceration injuries.
Consumers who own the recalled product should shut off water supply to the unit immediately and stop using it. You can contact the firm to determine if your serial number is in the recall and request a free repair kit.
Over 83,000 Thomas Lighting ceiling flush mount light fixtures were recently recalled by the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission due to a fire and shock hazard. 28 different models of ceiling flush-mounted light fixtures manufactured by the company between June 1, 2010 and November 25, 2010 were named in the recall.
The fixture's socket wire insulation can degrade, leading to charged wires becoming exposed, which can cause electricity to pass to the metal canopy of the fixture, posing a shock and fire hazard to the consumer.
There have been 11 reports of defective fixtures which cause the home AFCI to trip. So far no injuries have been reported to the firm.
Consumers who own one of the recalled fixtures should stop using it immediately and contact Thomas Lighting to arrange for a free in-home repair by a qualified electrician.
About 40,000 Aqua-Leisure Trampolines were recently recalled due to a fall hazard associated with the product. Sold exclusively at Toys "R" Us, the trampolines have a handlebar that can break due to metal fatigue, posing a risk of both laceration from the exposed metal surfaces as well as a injury from a fall.
So far Aqua-Leisure has received four reports of handlebars breaking during use. Fortunately there have been no injuries reported.
The product is sold under the First Fitness Kid's First name. The model number is FF-6902TR. They were sold nationwide between September 2010 and April 2012 for between $45 and $70.
Consumers who own the recalled product should contact Aqua-Leisure's recall hotline for a full refund.
183,000 toilet locks and 685,000 cabinet locks were recalled by the Dorel Juvenile Group due to a failure in the safety locks. Children who can unexpectedly disengage the locks can gain access to the toilet, posing the risk of drowning, as well as the cabinet, where they can access dangerous or unsafe items stored within.
There have been at least 110 reports of toilet locks that did not secure adequately and 278 reports of cabinet locks that we ineffective. There was at least one incident in which a child swallowed small, toxic beats stored in a cabinet.
Consumers who have the recalled locks should contact DJG for a free replacement lock of a different model.
The recalled models, sold as Safety 1st Sure Fit, were sold at Bed, Bath and Beyond, Burlington Coat Factory, Home Depot, Target, Walmart and others.
Walmart and Toys R Us have recently recalled about 21,000 inflatable Banzai in-ground pool water slides. The slides can deflate when in use, allowing the user to hit the ground underneath the slide and become injured. Additionally, the slide is unstable and can topple over even without wind and comes with inadequate warnings and instructions.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware of a 29-year-old Colorado mother who died in Andover, Mass, when she fractured her neck going down a Banzai in ground pool water slide. The slide had been placed over the concrete edge of the pool and the victim hit her head at the bottom of the slide because it had partially deflated.
At least two other serious neck injuries caused by the slides have been reported, including one of a man who has become a quadriplegic.
Consumers should stop using the slides immediately and return them to the nearest Walmart or Toys R Us for a full refund.
About 2,000 Viking Dishwashers were recalled by the U.S. Product Safety Commission due to a fire hazard. An electrical component in the dishwasher can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
Viking has received at least 21 reports of incidents, including five reports of property damage from fires. Fortunately there have been no injuries reported.
The recall involves the Viking 24" Professional, Designer and Custom Panel dishwashers which were manufactured between May and September 2010. They were sold in appliance and specialty retail stores across the country from June 2010 through March 2012 for between $1,425 and $2,000.
Consumer who have these dishwashers should stop using them immediately and contact the Viking hotline at (800) 241-7239 to schedule an in-home repair.
