Dangerous Products In The Home
In addition to products made specifically for children, many non-children items, such as appliances and furniture, found throughout a home can be very dangerous to young children. Listed below are some of the more common household items that have been known to injure young children. Bean Bag Chairs During the 1990s, the CPSC recalled at least 12 million zippered bean bag chairs as part of its ongoing investigation of deaths and injuries associated with the product. Bean bag chairs pose danger when children inhale or ingest the bean bag filling. In some cases, children have unzipped the bean bag cover, crawled inside, and suffocated from inhaling the small pellets of foam filling. In other cases, children choked while playing with escaping pellets that clogged their mouths and noses. Do not buy bean bag chairs with zippers that can be opened. Young children can unzip bean bag chairs and choke or suffocate on the small pellets of foam filling. Mini-Hammocks Mini-hammocks are small, lightweight hammocks that have no spreader bars. They are especially popular in camping and backpacking activities. The problem with mini-hammocks occurs when the hammocks are rigged too high off the ground. In this instance, a child will have difficulty climbing into the hammock and may become trapped or entangled. This can lead to strangulation. In the 1990s, the CPSC recalled over three million mini-hammocks. Always install a mini-hammock near the ground. Only use hammocks with spreader bars. Drawstrings on Clothes The CPSC received many reports of death, injury and other incidents involving children whose hood and waist drawstrings became entangled on cribs, playground equipment, bus doors and other items. There should be no drawstrings on jackets and sweatshirts hoods or around the neck. Other types of clothing fasteners, like snaps, zippers, or hook and loop fasteners (such as Velcro), should be used. Drawstrings at the waist or bottom of jackets should extend no more than 3 inches to prevent catching in car and school bus doors or getting caught on playground equipment. Lawn Darts Lawn darts are large pointed metal darts intended for use in outdoor games. This product was banned by the CPSC in 1988. Before the 1988 ban, lawn darts were sold in sets that usually included four large darts and two targets. Lawn darts also were sold in packages with other sports equipment. The darts typically are about 12 inches long with a heavy metal or weighted plastic tip on one end and three plastic fins on a rod at the other end. The darts are intended to be grasped by the rod and thrown underhand toward a target. Lawn darts can cause skull punctures and other serious injuries. Parents should destroy these banned lawn darts immediately. Parents should not give lawn darts away since they may be of harm to others. Toy Basketball Nets Toy basketball nets are very dangerous if they come unhooked from the rim or have knots that slide. Children can put their heads into the openings created by these conditions resulting in entanglement that can lead to strangulation. The CPSC has recalled well over 10 million faulty toy basketball nets in recent years due to the hazards associated with them. Inspect your toy basketball sets for nets that can unhook from the rim or have knots that slide. When purchasing new basketball sets, look for nets that are attached securely to the rim. Hair Dryers Hand-held hair dryers can cause electrocution when they fall in water if they do not have a built-in shock protection device - a ground-fault-circuit-interrupter (GFCI) - in the plug. In 1990, the industry adopted a voluntary standard for hair dryers that gives added protection against electrocution. To comply with the voluntary standard, hand-held hair dryers must protect against electrocution if they fall into water with the switch in either the "on" or "off" position. This protection is provided by a large rectangular-shaped safety plug at the end of the cord. Older hair dryers pose a risk of electrocution. 20% of general thrift stores sell hair dryers without protection against electrocution. Balloons According to the CPSC, of all children�s products, balloons are the leading cause of suffocation death. Most balloon accidents occur to children under six years of age in two ways: 1. Children suck the uninflated balloon into their mouths while attempting to inflate them; or, 2. Pieces of a broken balloon become lodged in a child�s throat while the child is playing with, chewing or sucking on the balloon. If your child is in the vicinity of balloons, Do not allow children under the age of eight play with uninflated balloons without supervision. If a balloon breaks, immediately collect and dispose the pieces out of the reach of young children. Shallow Water & Various Containers When we hear of a child drowning, the setting is usually a pool, lake or canal. However, young children can drown in as little as two inches of water. In fact, children under age one most often drown in bathtubs, buckets, and toilets. Various household containers may contain liquids and can be hidden drowning hazards for young children. Some of these products are buckets, toilets, picnic coolers, washtubs, basins and diaper pails. Always empty buckets, basins and other containers with liquids immediately after using them. 5 Gallon Buckets Approximately 40 children annually drown in buckets. Most of these drownings occur in 5-gallon buckets or similar containers used for mopping and other household chores. The victims� age generally range between 8 � 12 months. These drownings typically happen when curious, unsupervised children pull themselves up on a bucket and lean forward to play in the water. They topple into the bucket and are unable to free themselves and drown. Children at 7 months of age contain sufficient strength and coordination to pull themselves to a standing position. Toilets A curious toddler can easily drown in the shallow water of a toilet bowl. Toilet lids are also very heavy and can fall down and hurt your baby's head or neck. Install toilet lid locks on all toilets and make sure you keep them secured. The following are CPSC safety tips to help prevent childhood drownings in and around the home. ALWAYS provide supervision when children are around any type of containers containing liquids. NEVER leave young children alone or with young siblings in a bathtub even if you are using a bath seat or ring. Children can drown in just a few minutes. Keep young children out of the bathroom unless you are watching them closely. Be sure all containers that may contain liquids are emptied immediately after use. Do not leave empty containers in yards or around the house where they may accumulate water and attract young children. Small Balls Small balls found in vending machines, children�s games and in many other locations can easily become lodged in the airways of young children who have a tendency to place things in their mouths. Small balls with a diameter of 1.75 inches or less should not be available to children under three years of age. Additionally, ensure that older children do not play with small balls around younger siblings.
