October 2019 Consumer Product Recalls Analysis
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recalls Analysis
In October 2019, there were 18 recall notices issued for consumer products by the CPSC, the same as that for September 2019. One-third of the recalls (six notices) were carried out by the CPSC in conjunction with Health Canada.
The Furniture and Lawn & Garden categories each accounted for 17% of the recalls. We’ve highlighted some of the recalls relevant for the softlines and hardlines industries below.
| October 2019 – CPSC | |
| Product | Reason/Hazard(s) |
| Children’s Apparel – Infant Bib | The snap on the bibs can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children |
| Furniture – Bath Stools | The bath stools can break during use, posing fall and injury hazards |
| Furniture – Dresser | The recalled dressers are unstable and can tip over if not anchored to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards. The models of dressers over 30 inches tall do not comply with the performance requirements of the U.S. voluntary industry standard (ASTM F2057) |
| Kitchen Accessories – Folding Knives | The locking mechanism can fail to engage on extension of the blade, posing a laceration hazard |
| Kitchen Accessories – Ceramic Mugs | The mugs can crack or break when used with or exposed to hot liquids, posing burn and laceration hazards |
| Sports & Recreation – Resistance Bands | The rubber resistance bands can separate from the handle and strike consumers, posing an injury hazard |
| Toys – Kick Scooters | The brake caliper can fail causing the rider to lose control and suffer serious bodily harm, posing fall and injury hazards |
| Toys – Playground Climbers | The climbing level platforms were designed too far apart, posing a fall hazard to children who can fall climbing from one level to the next |
Read more: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls
Health Canada Recalls Analysis
In October 2019, there were 26 recall notices issued for consumer products by Health Canada, which was 30% more than the number of recall notices issued for consumer products in September 2019 (20 recall notices).
There were six recalls for children’s apparel, five recalls were for toys and four for tools. We’ve highlighted some of the recalls relevant for softlines and hardlines industries below.
| October 2019 – Health Canada | |
| Product | Reason/Hazard(s) |
| Children’s Apparel – Bib | The button on the bib may detach, posing a choking hazard to children |
| Children’s Apparel – Sleepwear | Products do not meet flammability requirements of the Children's Sleepwear Regulations |
| Children’s Apparel – Sweaters | Drawstrings on children's upper outerwear can become caught on objects and result in strangulation, or being dragged |
| Children’s Apparel – Wetskin and Rainsuit | Drawstrings at the hood and neck area pose a strangulation hazard and a waist drawstring can pose an entanglement issue |
| Children’s Apparel – Jacket | Drawstrings at the waist on children's upper outerwear can become caught on vehicles causing the child to be dragged |
| Children’s Apparel – Two Piece Rain Suit | The rain jacket has drawstrings in the neck area of the jacket that poses a strangulation hazard |
| Furniture – Bath Stools | The bath stool can break during use, posing potential fall and injury hazards |
| Furniture – Dressers | The chest may tip over if not securely anchored to the wall |
| Kitchen Acc – Mugs | Mugs may crack or break when filled with hot liquid, posing a burn or laceration hazard |
| Sports & Recreation – Kayak | Foot may become entrapped inside the kayak |
| Toys – Construction Vehicle | Wheels may detach, creating a hazardous small part, posing a choking hazard to young children |
| Toys – Plush Doll | Nose and earring may detach causing a choking hazard |
| Toys – Wind-up Toy | The wind-up toys could break, posing a choking hazard |
| Toys – Fire Engines | The hub caps and other small parts may detach, creating a hazardous small part, posing a choking hazard to young children |
| Toys – My First Tractor (Digger Style) | The backhoe attachment could snap off from its pivot, and the broken pieces can present a sharp point which could cause a cut or puncture wound to a child |
Read more: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/index-eng.php?cat=4
EU RAPEX Recall Analysis
In October 2019, there were 94 relevant product recall alerts issued through the EU’s Rapid Alert System (RAPEX), the same as the number of recalls issued in the previous month. Toys accounted for 57% of the recalls with 54, followed by clothing & accessories with 23 recalls, childcare articles with 9 recalls, protective equipment with 4 recalls, sports & hobby equipment with 2 recalls and decorative items and kitchen accessories with 1 recall each. We’ve highlighted the recalled product categories and hazards below.
| October 2019 – EU RAPEX | |
| Product Categories | Reason/Hazard(s) |
| Childcare Articles | There were recalls for potential injuries from infant high chairs because they are not stable and do not meet the requirements of European Standard EN 14988; recalls for baby walkers that are not compliant with European Standard EN 1273; recalls for a heating cushion that may overheat; and recalls for a children’s bib that may be a choking hazard |
| Clothing and Fashion Accessories | There were chemical recalls due to non-compliance with the REACH requirement for nickel release in jewellery items; jewellery was also recalled for excessive total lead and total cadmium content; there was a recall for a character wallet with a high level of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs); and recalls as a result of drawstrings and embellishments that do not meet the requirements of EN 14682 |
| Decorative Items | The recall was for a napkin ring that contains more than 5% lead and does not meet the restriction contained in REACH |
| Kitchen Accessories | The recall was for a child’s water bottle where the silicone spout may easily become detached while a child is drinking, leading the child to choke on it |
| Sports and Hobby Equipment | The recalls were for hoverboards that may overheat and catch fire |
| Protective Equipment | The recalls were for mountain climbing helmets, ropes, a rope winch and a lanyard, all which are considered not to meet requirement of relevant safety standard and not comply with the PPE regulations |
| Toys | There were 19 recalls this month due to small components that present choking hazards; a disguise mask that does not meet flammability requirements; a swing that poses a strangulation risk; and a bubble gun that does not meet microbiological requirements due to the presence of aerobic bacteria (measured value up to: 2410 cfu/g). Another recall was due potential sight damage from a LED and another due to high sound pressure levels which may cause damage to hearing. Most chemical failures were due to phthalate content in toy items, as well as others for boron content in ‘slime’ type toys; there were additional recalls due to nitrosamine content in balloons, nitrosatable substances in a plastic toy and an excessive amount of 4-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) in finger paints. |
