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

VIDEO: A message from CPSC Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle on NCPW 2018.

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 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.

• Check www.CPSC.gov or www.SaferProducts.gov for a full list of recalls.
• Sign up for recall emails for particular product categories.
• Follow CPSC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where each recall is announced.

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

About U.S. CPSC:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.  Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

For more lifesaving information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC or sign up to receive our e-mail alerts. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired.

CPSC Consumer Information Hotline
Contact us at this toll-free number if you have questions about a recall:
800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054)
Times: 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime
Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products.

Media Contact
Please use the phone numbers below for all media requests.
Phone: 301-504-7908
Spanish: 301-504-7800

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Related Links

http://www.cpsc.gov