If
you buy at thrift stores, here are some tips to help you
make safer purchases.
Cribs
Make sure cribs meet current national safety standards
and are in good condition. Look for a certification
seal. Check that crib slats are no more than 2 3/8 inches
apart. Crib mattresses should fit snuggly.
If crib slats are too far apart, infants can slip
between them and strangle. If the mattress doesn't fit
snuggly, infants can become entrapped and suffocate.
Clothing
Drawstrings
Be sure there are no drawstrings around the hood and
neck of children's upper outerwear clothing, such as
sweatshirts. Other types of clothing fasteners, like
snaps, zippers, or hook and loop fasteners (such as
Velcro), should be used. Drawstrings at the waist should
not extend more than 3 inches.
Drawstrings can catch on playground and other equipment,
and can strangle young children.
Hair
dryers
Look for hair dryers with large rectangular shaped safety
plugs.
These immersion protection plugs prevent electrocution
by shutting off the current if the hair dryer comes
into contact with water.
Halogen
Floor Lamps
Make sure that halogen torchiere floor lamps have glass
or wire guards over the bulb shield and the bulb is
300 watts or less.
Glass or wire guards with lower wattage bulbs can
prevent fires that occur when flammable materials like
curtains get too close to the lamp. Wire guards are
free. For information, call CPSC at 1-800-638-2772.
Playpens
and Play Yards
Check that playpens and play yards have not been recalled.
Recalled products include play yards with protruding
hardware or rotating top rails that don't properly lock
into place.
Children can strangle if pacifier strings or clothing
become entangled on protruding hardware. Children can
be entrapped by folding play yards that collapse.
Car
Seat Carriers
Check to make sure the infant car sear carrier you are
buying has not been recalled. Car seat carrier handle
locks on recalled models can unexpectedly release when
used as a carrier outside of a car.
Infants can fall forward and strike the ground if
the handle disengages.
Bunk
Beds
Make sure all spaces between the guardrail and bed frame
and all spaces in the bed headboard and footboards of
the top bunk are less than 3 1Ú2 inches. Make sure there
are guardrails on both sides of the top bunk.
Children can become entrapped and strangle in the
bed's structure or wedged between the bed and a wall
and suffocate.
Toy
Basketball Nets
CPSC has obtained recalls of millions of hazardous toy
basketball nets. Check before you buy. Children can
strangle on loops or openings in these basketball nets
if the nets come unhooked from the rim or have knots
that slide. If children put their heads into these openings,
the nets can get tangled around their necks.
Toy basketball nets can present a strangulation hazard
to children.
Accordion-Style
Safety Gates
Do not buy older accordion-style child safety gates.
Make sure that newer style child safety gates are used
to keep children away from potentially dangerous areas,
especially stairs.
Older child safety gates that do not meet current
safety standards can present strangulation and other
hazards to young children.
Bean
Bag Chairs
Do not buy bean bag chairs with zippers that can be
opened. CPSC has obtained recalls of more than 12 million
bean bag chairs.
Young children can unzip bean bag chairs and choke
or suffocate on the small pellets of foam filling.
For
more information about children's safety and recalls
of children's toys and products, contact:
U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission
Washington, DC 20207
Toll-free hotline: 1-800-638-2772
Web site: www.cpsc.gov (Go to
Recalls/News)
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