Changes to popular skiing areas over the past decade, from open slopes to more wooded areas, mean that more snowboarders and skiers are moving slowly enough to benefit from the added protection a helmet can provide. The finding is one result of research recently published in the peer-reviewed, quarterly medical journal, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine.
Continue Reading...Historically, approximately five children are killed each year as a result of tip-over accidents involving televisions or large furniture and appliances in the home, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In most recent years, the incidence of these events has been significanlty higher than normal -- since 2000, 100 such fatalities have been reported. If you or someone in your family acquired a new television or large household item this holiday season, or if you simply have large furniture items that you've never stabilized or secured, please take time to familiarize yourself with the following safety tips regarding potentially dangerous household items:
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Nearly 600 finger amputations per year are attributable to snow-thrower machines, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Another 5,740 people per year, on average, wind up in the emergency room for other types of thrower-related injuries. Since 1992, at least 19 consumers have been killed by the machines.
Continue Reading...According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 2.5 million children are killed or injured as a result of basic home safety hazards. Most of those deaths and injuries are entirely preventable, and in fact, many of them can be prevented relatively easily, by purchasing and properly utilizing the following 12 commercially-available home safety and child-proofing devices:
Continue Reading...If a skateboard is on your shopping list this season, consider the results of recent research conducted at the University of California -- Irvine. According to Irvine researchers, the average cost of a skateboarding injury is approximately $3,200. Medical costs comprise two-thirds of that figure, while one-third is wages lost during periods of recovery.
Continue Reading...The holiday season is a time of travel and a time when many households accommodate out-of-town visitors. As available beds become more scarce, many homeowners employ inflatable mattresses to accommodate additional guests. Those inflatable mattresses are too soft for sleeping infants, however, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning that the mattresses are safe only for adults and older children.
Continue Reading...There is a strong correlation between states that lack stringent seat belt laws and states that suffer high percentages of fatal accidents on rural roads, according to a recent analysis by researchers at the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety at the University of Montana.
Continue Reading...According to the National Safety Council (NSC), traffic death rates triple at night, on average. Nighttime driving is both more difficult and more dangerous than many drivers realize -- for drivers of all ages, but particularly for older drivers, who can't see as well in the dark, and for younger drivers who are more likely to attempt to drive while impaired. By preparing your vehicle for night driving, and adhering to the following guidelines, provided courtesy of the NSC, you can minimize some of the inherent dangers of driving in the dark:
Continue Reading...Winter weather often brings snow, sleet and ice, and consequently, power outages. Although portable generators can offer life-saving benefits during power outages, they can also be dangerous. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), the best way to avoid accidents and injuries related to portable generators is to become familiar with their proper operating procedures. The agency recommends the following tips for staying safe around portable electric generators:
Continue Reading...If you're hosting a holiday party this season, keep in mind that a responsible host protects his or her friends and loved ones by planning in advance to prevent drunk driving. To help with that advance planning, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) offers the following holiday party safety tips to help ensure that your seasonal get-together is both successful and safe:
Continue Reading...Winter can be a healthy and enjoyable season for kids and adults, alike. It can also be a dangerous season. According to experts at Children's Hospital Boston:
To help avoid injuries this winter, and to safeguard children's health and safety, Children's Hospital Boston offers the following basic winter safety tips:
Winter weather brings a higher incidence of home fires every year, many attributable to heating equipment. Many winter fires are also caused by holiday cooking, decorating and entertaining, however. This holiday season, protect your home and family by familiarizing yourself with the following winter home fire facts and safety tips, courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association:
Continue Reading...An estimated 15,600 home fires were ingnited by candles in 2005, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Worse, those candle fires claimed the lives of 150 people, and injured another 1,270. If you plan to decorate with candles this holiday season, do yourself a favor and take time to familiarize yourself with the following candle fire data and safety tips, courtesy of the NFPA:
Continue Reading...The winter holiday season is a time of celebration and relaxation, but according to the Nemours Foundation, additional cooking and home decorating also help to make it a season of increased personal injuries. This year, take time to familiarize yourself with some of the following common holiday dangers, and enjoy a happier, healthier new year:
Continue Reading...Toy sales peak during the holiday season. Each year at this time, hundreds of new toys flood the market. How can you tell which ones are safe and appropriate for your children and loved ones? The Nemours Foundation recommends the following age-based guidelines to determine appropriate developmental levels and help ensure that you're buying the safest kinds of gifts this season:
Continue Reading...Even the most delicious holiday foods can become dangerous if mishandled. This season, if you're transporting homemade foods to a family gathering, or planning to prepare food in someone else's kitchen, follow these tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) to help ensure that your gathering isn't spoiled by foodborne illness:
Continue Reading...Turducken -- a layered poultry dish made popular in Louisiana and often served during the holidays -- is a deboned stuffed chicken inside a deboned stuffed duck inside a deboned stuffed turkey. Though the finished product closely resembles a whole turkey, it poses more health threats than typical poultry dishes. Safe steps in handling, cooking and storage are important to prevent foodborne illness when preparing a turducken. If you plan to include one in your holiday festivities, take steps to protect your health, and familiarize yourself with the following safety tips, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):
Continue Reading...Cookie dough, homemade eggnog, and stuffing are popular holiday food items, each of which could potentially contain undercooked eggs. Those eggs sometimes host bacteria known as salmonella enteriditis (SE) -- bacteria that can cause serious illness in consumers if eggs are handled or cooked improperly. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), only 3% of Americans utilize a food thermometer when cooking baked egg dishes such as stuffing. This holiday season, don't put yourself (or your family members or guests) in danger of Salmonella poisoning. Keeping these holiday cooking tips in mind can safeguard the health of all your dining guests:
Continue Reading...According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), General Electric is recalling approximately 92,000 microwave ovens. The CPSC notice is reproduced below in its entirety.
| Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 5, 2007 Release #08-110 | GE’s Recall Hotline: (888) 240-2745 |
Name of Product: Built-in Combination Wall and Microwave Ovens
Units: About 92,000
Manufacturer: GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Ky.
Hazard: The door switch in the microwave oven can overheat and ignite plastic components in the control area, posing a fire hazard to consumers. The lower thermal oven does not pose a hazard.
Incidents/Injuries: GE is aware of 35 incidents of minor property damage and one incident in which a fire damaged adjacent kitchen cabinets. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recall includes GE combination microwave and conventional built-in wall ovens sold under the following brand names: GE, GE Profile® and Kenmore. The ovens were sold in white, black, bisque and stainless steel. The brand name is printed on the lower left corner on the front of the microwave door. The following model and serial numbers can be found inside the microwave oven on the left interior wall.
| Recalled Models | Serial number begins with: | |
|---|---|---|
| GE / GE Profile | JKP85B0A3BB, JKP85B0D1BB, JKP85W0A3WW, JKP85W0D1WW, JKP86B0F1BB, JKP86C0F1CC, JKP86S0F1SS, JKP86W0F1WW, JT965B0F1BB, JT965C0F1CC, JT965S0F1SS, JT965W0F1WW, JTP85B0A2BB, JTP85B0A3BB, JTP85B0A4BB, JTP85B0A5BB, JTP85B0D1BB, JTP85W0A2WW, JTP85W0A3WW, JTP85W0A4WW, JTP85W0A5WW, JTP85W0D1WW, JTP86B0F1BB, JTP86C0F1CC, JTP86S0F1SS, JTP86W0F1WW, JTP95B0A2BB, JTP95B0A3BB, JTP95B0A4BB, JTP95B0A5BB, JTP95B0D1BB, JTP95W0A2WW, JTP95W0A3WW, JTP95W0A4WW, JTP95W0A5WW, JTP95W0D1WW | AZ, DZ, FZ, GZ, HZ, LZ, MZ, RZ, SZ, TZ, VZ, ZZ, AA, DA, FA, GA, HA, LA, MA, RA, SA, TA, VA, ZA, AD, DD, FD, GD, HD, LD, MD, RD, SD, TD, VD, ZD, AF, DF, FF, GF, HF, LF, MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF |
| Kenmore (All model numbers start with 911) | 41485991, 41485992, 41485993, 41485994, 41489991, 41489992, 41489993, 41489994, 49485992, 49489992, 47692100, 47699100, 47862100, 47869100, 47812200, 47813200, 47814200, 47819200, 47792200, 47793200, 47794200, 47799200 | 0, 1, 2, 3 |
Sold at: Department and appliance stores from January 2000 to December 2003 for between $1,500 and $2,000.
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the microwave oven immediately. Consumers should contact GE regarding their GE/GE Profile micro-oven combo or Sears for their Kenmore unit. GE is offering a free repair or rebate on a new product, a $300 rebate toward the purchase of a new GE brand unit, or a $600 rebate toward the purchase of a new GE Profile brand unit. Sears is offering a free repair or $300 rebate toward the purchase of a new Kenmore brand unit. Consumers can continue using the lower thermal oven.
Consumer Contact: For additional information on GE /Profile units, contact General Electric toll-free at (888)-240-2745 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Saturday, or visit GE’s Web site at www.geappliances.com. For additional information on Kenmore units, contact Sears toll-free at (888) 679-0282 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, or visit Sears’ Web site at www.sears.com
It's the season of gift giving, and according to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), one important key to an enjoyable holiday is to be mindful of the "ABCs" of toy safety: Awareness Benefits Consumers.
Continue Reading...Decorating for the holidays is one of the most common, most effective ways to express the festive mood of the season. Many holiday decorations pose safety threats when not used properly, however. This holiday season, take steps to ensure that your decorating traditions don't put you or your loved ones at risk. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) offers the following holiday decorating safety tips:
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