Four Safety Hazards Affecting Minority Consumers

Hazard: Since 2007, CPSC has recalled almost 7 million cribs involved in about one dozen deaths. In

2009, CPSC staff received 35 reports of deaths associated with unsafe sleep environments. Of the reports

that mention race, 10 involve white children 11 involve minority children.

Safety Tips:

·  Place infants to sleep on their backs

·  Use firm, tight-fitting mattress

·  Never use extra padding, blankets, or pillows under baby. Remove pillows or thick comforters

·  Positioning devices are not necessary and can be deadly

·  Regularly check crib for loose, missing or broken parts or slats

·  Do not place cribs or playpens close to windows

·  Check www.cpsc.gov to find out if your crib, bassinet, play yard or any other children's prduct that

has been recalled.

ABOUT THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION (CPSC)

CPSC is an independent federal government agency committed to protecting consumers and

families from products including those that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical

hazard, or can injure children.

We are known for our recalls of hundreds of dangerous consumer products we announce every

year. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of products such as toys, cribs, power tools,

cigarette lighters and household chemicals contributed substantially to the decline in the rate

of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

This year, CPSC is intensifying its efforts to reach more minority and underserved consumers.

Also, CPSC is enhancing its data collection to better understand the relative risk of productrelated

injuries among minority and nonminority children. This is one of CPSC’s top

priorities.

While CPSC safety messages receive substantial

coverage by mainstream media, many minority

consumers may not be receiving our life-saving

messages. CPSC is partnering with minority

media and grassroots organizations to increase

awareness about four critical safety hazards that

affect minority consumers in the home: safe sleep

environment, poison prevention, pool & spa safety

and TV & furniture tipover prevention.

Poison Prevention

TV & Furniture Tipover Prevention

Pool & Spa Safety

Hazard: Every day, unintentional poisonings occur from consumer products commonly found in a home. Poisonings kill about

30 children and prompt more than two million calls to the nation's poison control centers. More than 90% of the incidents

involve accidents in the home. On average, each year an estimated 80,000 children are treated in hospital emergency

departments for unintentional poisonings.

Safety Tips:

·  When hazardous products are in use, never let young children out of your sight, even if you must take

them along when answering the phone or doorbell.

·  Keep items closed and in their original containers.

·  Leave the original labels on all products, and read the label before using.

·  Always leave the light on when giving or taking medicine so that you can see what you

are taking. Check the dosage every time.

·  Avoid taking medicine in front of children. Refer to medicine as "medicine," not

"candy."

·  Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically and safely dispose of unneeded and outdated

medicines.

Hazard: Nearly 300 children under the age of five drown in residential and public pools and spas annually. In addition, each year,

thousands of children under five require emergency-room treatment or hospitalization and some experience permanent disability,

including brain damage. Few people know of the hidden dangers from drain or suction entrapments. Drains with broken, missing or

faulty covers can entrap hair, the body, limbs, jewelry and clothing, or cause disembowelment/evisceration. Studies have found that

the risk of drowning in swimming pools is greater among African-American and Hispanic male children compared to white

males of the same age.

Safety Tips:

·  Never take your eyes off children in the water--not for a second! Always designate an adult “pool watcher.”

·  CPSC strongly recommends that all residential pools have a minimum 4-foot barrier completely surrounding the pool, such as a fence with

self-closing and self-latching gates. If the house is the fourth side of a barrier, secure doors with alarms that prevent children from wandering into

the pool area.

·  Suction from a pool or spa’s drain can be so powerful it can trap an adult underwater. Do not use a pool or spa if there are broken or missing

drain covers.

·  Ask your pool operator if your pool or spa’s drains are complaint with the Pool and Spa Safety Act for public pools.

Hazard: CPSC estimates that in 2006, 16,300 children five years old and younger were treated in emergency rooms because of

injuries associated with TV, furniture, and appliance tip-overs. Between 2000 and 2006, CPSC received reports of 134 tip -over

related deaths. Additionally, staff is aware of at least 30 media reports of tip-over deaths since January 2007 involving this same

age group. Nine of the 16 children who were identified in these news reports have Hispanic surnames.

Safety Tips:

·  Furniture should be stable on its own. For added security, anchor chests, dressers, TV stands, bookcases and entertainment

units to the floor or attach them to a wall.

·  Place TVs on a sturdy, low-rise base. Avoid flimsy shelves. Use anchor devices provided with most large, flat-screen

TVs.

·  Push the TV as far back as possible, placing electrical cords out of a child’s reach and teach kids not to play

with them.

·  Keep remote controls and other attractive items off the TV stand so kids won’t be tempted to grab for them and

risk knocking the TV over.

·  Make sure free-standing ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets