Q4 2022 Consumer Product Recalls Analysis

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recall Analysis

A total of 78 consumer products recall notices were issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) from October-December 2022. Notably, 21 recalls from Health Canada were done jointly with the CPSC.

Sports and Recreation accounted for 10 recall notices and All-terrain vehicles accounted for 9 recalls. Appliances accounted for 8 notices, spanning across various hazard categories such as fire and/or burn, electric shock, poisoning and amputation. Toys accounted for 7 recall notices, with majority pertaining to chemical exposure, fire and/or burn, poisoning and choking. Furniture accounted for 3 recall notices, issued for various hazards such as injury, crash and/or fall, entrapment, asphyxiation and poisoning. There were 6 notices for children’s products for poisoning, asphyxiation, choking, entrapment and strangulation. There were 4 recalls in the category of electrical/electronics, posing the risk of fire and/or burn as well as electric shock.

Notably, there was 1 recall for jacuzzi hot tubs, due to risk of injury and/or burn. There was 1 recall notice issued for window shades and 1 recall notice for mattresses, for the risk of fire and/or burn. Further, 3 recall notices were issued to diving equipment, due to the risk of drowning. Highlighted below are some of the recalls relevant to Hardlines and Softlines products:

Q4 2022 – CPSC

Product

Reason(s)

Children’s Clothing (including Sleepwear)
  • Children’s bathrobes and nightgowns fail to meet flammability standards for children’s sleepwear, posing a risk to burn injuries to children.
  • Small metal wire pieces found in the pajamas can pose puncture and laceration hazards to young children.
  • Textile ink painted on the recalled clothing sets contain levels of lead that exceed the lead paint or content ban, posing risk of lead poisoning.

Children’s Product
  • A young child can become entrapped by unzipping and entering the blanket, posing a risk of death by asphyxiation.
  • The recalled stainless-steel bottles and cups bottom base can break off, exposing a solder dot that contains lead, posing a lead poisoning hazard to the child.
  • Surface paint on the miniature skateboard and scooter toys in the ramp sets contain levels of lead that exceed the federal lead paint ban, posing a risk of lead poisoning.
  • The paint on the recalled scooters contains levels of lead that exceed the federal lead paint ban, posing a lead poisoning hazard.
  • The threads in the recalled woven baby blankets can come loose and detach, posing choking, entrapment and strangulation hazards.
  • The metal base of the ring contains levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban.

Footwear
  • Prolonged and direct contact with the shoes’ upper material can expose the wearer to the chemicals benzidine and/or dimethoxybenzidine, which are toxic and can cause adverse health effects.

Durable Nursery Product
  • The crib mattress support pins can become loose or not fit properly, causing the mattress to fall, posing a fall hazard.
  • The lower side of the stroller frame can crack, posing a fall risk to children in the stroller.

Candle

The candles can burn at higher than usual temperatures causing the jars to break, posing fire and laceration injury hazards.

 

Health Canada Recalls Analysis

Health Canada reported a total of 66 consumer product recall notices issued in Q4 (October-December) 2022.

An analysis of the product categories shows 11 recalls in the category of Sports and Recreation, for various hazards, such as chemical, drowning, fall and/or injury. Toys had 7 recall notices, due to risk of choking and chemical exposure. The category of window coverings had 3 recalls, for posing risk of strangulation, electric shock, fire and/or burn. Chemicals had 4 recalls, microbial contamination and bacterial exposure, as well as for risk of poisoning. The category of children’s clothing had 5 recalls notices issued for risk of choking, chemical exposure, puncture and/or scratch.

Based on hazard categorization, there were 12 recall notices for fire or burn, 13 recall notices for fall and/or injury, and 7 recall notices for choking, and 2 notices for strangulation.

Highlighted below are some recalls relevant to Hardlines and Softlines products:

Q4 2022 – Health Canada

Product

Reason(s)

Childcare Article
  • Chill and water teethers are identified by Health Canada’s sampling and evaluation program to contain bacteria in the liquid filling, which can cause infection and adverse health effects in children if ingested.
  • Pacifier handle can detach, releasing small parts that may pose a choking hazard to young children.

Children’s Product

Baby blankets have loose threads that may present entrapment and choking hazards.

Children’s Clothing (including sleepwear)
  • Hooded and padded jackets have defective zipper. The zipper pull can come off, posing a choking hazard to young children.
  • Small pieces of metal wires were identified in fleece footed pajamas, which pose the risk of skin puncture or scratch hazard.
  • Children’s sleepwear does not meet the Canada’s children’s sleepwear flammability regulations.
  • Battery box in kids’ costume may have been sold without screws that keep the battery box closed, thereby making the button cell battery accessible, posing a choking and ingestion hazard to young children.
  • Police hats included in uniform costume sets may contain lead in excess of the allowable limit established by the Consumer Products containing Lead regulations.

Toys
  • Butterfly net, toy cube and action figure set contain lead and/or phthalates (DEHP) above the allowable limits.
  • Activity table contains metal bell that can detach from the cord if it is turned on several times, posing a choking hazard.
  • Seam on toy’s house can open, allowing a young child to access the toy’s filling, posing choking and ingestion hazard if placed in the mouth.
  • Peelable plastic label on rainbow stacker toy can peel off and pose choking hazard to young children.

 

For questions, please contact Harini Ramaswamy (harini.ramaswamy@intertek.com, +1 224-318-0220).

 

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