Finding Current Recalled Products In Your Home

Earlier this Spring USA Today discussed last year’s annual report from Kids in Danger (Story Here), detailing children’s product recalls in 2011.  While the report cited a 24% drop in children’s product recalls, it raised concerns for the way product recall information is currently communicated to the public.   Because of the vast retail and online market for consumer products, it can be challenging for a manufacturer or seller to identify purchasers when a problem with a product is uncovered or a product is recalled.  It can be equally difficult for a consumer to determine if the car seat, toy, hedge trimmer or medicine they bought has become the subject of a safety recall.  To put things in perspective, during the 14-day period from March 26, 2012 to April 9, 2012, there were safety recalls issued for: 20 vehicle-related products; 10 tire models; 5 child car seats; 4 child products, and 3 general household items.  Most people have likely heard about one or two of these at most.

Initially, its important to understand what a recall means.  The majority of products sold in the United States have met minimum government safety standards, which are established by a variety of government agencies.  Safety Standards for most retail products are set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); vehicles, tires, and car seats are regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); and food, drugs and personal care products are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  These product regulatory requirements should be looked at as a ‘minimum requirement’, and manufacturers are still expected to ensure products will be safe and reliable for intended uses.  A recall occurs when a product that initially was thought to meet the minimum regulatory safety requirements is later determined to be so unsafe that it should not be used.  A manufacturer is ordered to stop selling the product and everyone who already purchased the product should stop using it.

But how do you, as a consumer, find out if a product has been recalled?  Here are some suggestions:  

• www.recalls.gov – lists the most recent product safety recalls for 6 participating government agencies, with links to the government sites for specific product information;
• the FDA, NHTSA, and CPSC each have email subscription lists that you can join, that will email you recall alerts;
• www.consumerwatch.com  has a twice per month Children’s Product Recall newsletter, which includes recall alerts, that you can subscribe to for free;
• www.SaferProducts.gov is a CPSC site where you can report a dangerous product yourself and read about other reported problems, even for products that have not been recalled.

Be sure to check these lists on a regular basis to be sure that everything in your home is safe.  If you do find yourself in possession of a recalled product, make sure you follow the recall instructions.