Name of Product: Siemens and Murray Circuit Breakers, Load Centers and Meter Combos

Units: About 2.2 million

Importer: Siemens Industry Inc., of Alpharetta, Ga.

Hazard: The recalled circuit breakers have a spring clip that can break during normal use, leading to a loss of force to maintain a proper electrical connection in the panelboard. This can lead to excessive temperature, arcing or thermal damage at the connection point, and damage to the panelboard’s electrical insulation and can result in a fire, property damage, or personal injury.

Incidents/Injuries: Siemens has received one report of a circuit breaker spring clip that broke during installation. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Siemens and Murray 15 through 50 AMP single and double pole circuit breakers, load centers (circuit breakers that come with an electrical panel), and meter combos (contain a load center and a meter socket). “Siemens” or “Murray,” date codes 0610 or 0710 and the catalog number are printed on a label on the side of the circuit breakers. Date codes between June 2010 through August 2010 are stamped on the inside of the metal box of the load centers and meter combos. The catalog number for the load centers and meter combos is printed on a label inside the metal box door and on the packaging.

Recalled Product: Circuit Breakers
Date Codes: 0610, 0710
Catalog Numbers: Q115, Q120, Q130, Q215, Q230, Q250, MP115, MP115U, MP120, MP130, MP215, MP230, MP230U, MP250

Recalled Product: Load Centers
Date Codes: Jun 23 2010 – Aug 25 2010
Catalog Numbers: G2020B1100CP, G3030B1100CP, G4040B1200CUSGP, LC4040B1200P, G3040B1200CP, G3040L1200CP, G4040B1200CP, G3030B1150CP, W3040B1200CP, G1624L1125CP, W4040B1200CP

Recalled Product: Meter Combo
Date Codes: Jun 23 2010 – Aug 25 2010
Catalog Numbers: JA2040B1200SP

Sold at: The Home Depot, Lowes, other hardware and building supply stores and numerous electrical distributors nationwide from June 2010 through August 2010 for between $2.50 to $235.

Manufactured in: Mexico

Cadmium had no good effects on human health. High level cadmium levels irritate the stomach leading to vomiting and diarrhea. Ingesting cadmium has also been linked to high blood pressure, iron poor blood, liver, kidney, nerve and brain damage. Breathing cadmium can severly damage the lungs and cause death.

WalMart was finally forced to stop selling the defective products after extensive reporting of the toxic nature of the toys. It appears they continued to sell the products which are specifically marketed to children because of the lucrative sales resulting in big profits. Although the defective toys have been pulled from the shelves, how many children have already been exposed to the toxic cadmium? We need to have better testing and approval procedures BEFORE these imported products reach American consumers.

The retailer is cooperating with the recall although the importer maintains the toy meets federal safety rules. Their attorney insists the toy is not unreasonably dangerous because “there really isn’t any reason for a child to put this plastic dart in their mouth” even though the company has known the toy was deadly for more than three years. The first child death occurred in late 2006 and Gordy was notified in January of 2007.

The CPSC sent a draft recall alert letter to Gordy’s attorney last September, but the company declined to recall the $1.50 toy. Because nearly all recalls are voluntary, the safety commission negotiates the wording of recall alerts with the manufacturers or importers to avoid forcing mandatory recalls which can result in lengthy court battles. Despite lengthy negotiations with Gordy, the importer continued to refuse to recall the toy so the CPSC turned to the retailer Family Dollar who voluntarily stopped selling it in January 2009.

This recall and one involving a different suction cup dart toy imported by OKK Trading Inc. which was linked to the 2007 death of a child in Texas has caused consumer advocates and toy industry officials to rethink their position regarding choking hazards in children older than three years of age. Rules generally are written with the idea that children over the age of 3 don’t put toys in their mouths.The committee that sets toy safety standards will now study which toys older kids put in their mouths. In the meantime, parents should immediately discard the Auto Fire toy gun dart sets and make sure their children stay away from any short, pliable toy darts with a suction cup end.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada (HC), in cooperation with Infantino LLC, of San Diego, Calif. are announcing a free replacement program for the Infantino “SlingRider” and “Wendy Bellissimo” infant slings. One million of these infant slings are being recalled in the United States and 15,000 are being recalled in Canada. CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using these slings for infants younger than four months of age due to a risk of suffocation and contact Infantino for a free replacement product.

CPSC is aware of three reports of deaths that occurred in these slings in 2009; a 7-week-old infant in Philadelphia, Pa.; a 6-day-old infant in Salem, Ore.; and a 3-month-old infant in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Infantino “SlingRider,” is a soft fabric baby carrier with a padded shoulder strap that is worn by parents and caregivers to carry an infant weighing up to 20 lbs. “Infantino” is printed on the plastic slider located on the strap. “Infantino,” “SlingRider” and the item number are printed on the instruction/warning label inside the baby sling carrier. “Wendy Bellissimo” branded sling carriers were sold exclusively at Babies “R” Us and have a sewn-in label on the inside of the sling strap that says in part “Wendy Bellissimo Media, Inc.” and lists Item numbers 3937500H7 and 3937501H7.

Infantino LLC sold the slings in the United States and Canada from January 2003 through March 2010 at Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Babies “R” Us, BJ’s Wholesale, various baby and children’s stores and other retailers nationwide, and on the Web at Amazon.com, for between $25 and $30.

The product was manufactured in China and Thailand.

Consumers should stop using the recalled slings immediately and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement product, with a choice of a Wrap & Tie infant carrier, or a 2 in 1 Shopping Cart Cover, or a 3 in 1 Grow & Play Activity Gym. A Jittery Pals Rattle will also be provided. Contact Infantino toll-free at (866) 860-1361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.infantino.com.

A review of past headlines illustrate the vast number of defective products that have caused a multitude of injuries and cost Americans dearly: Bridgestone and Firestone tires, prescription drugs Vioxx, Baycol and Halcion, dietary supplement ephedra, medical devices like Guidant defibrillators, Medtronic pacemaker leads,and  Dalkon Shield; silicon breast implants, asbestos, and tobacco products just to name a few. Litigation has resulted in recalls of numerous products including Ford Pinto and Explorer, Chrysler minivans, baby cribs and strollers and infant car seats, children’s Tylenol, flammable clothing, birth control medication and devices, tainted food products, and the most recent Toyota vehicles causing unintended acceleration just to name a few.

Aviation litigation has resulted in a drastic drop in the number of crashes and deaths involving aircraft. According to the Consumer Federation of America, there has been a dramatic change in the rate of accidental deaths and injuries since the enactment of products liability laws and stiffer regulation. As a result they estimate that approximately 6,000 deaths and millions of injuries have been prevented on an annual basis.

People are powerless to protect themselves against defective products and the harm they cause without these laws and regulation, as well as the courageous attorneys willing to take on the manufacturers. Beware of the political hue and cry for so-called “tort reform” by business interests and insurance companies trying to gut these important safeguards. Those who support such disingenuous political initiatives just may end up being the victim of a dangerous product without legal recourse to compensate them for the resulting injuries.

Parents are urged to immediately discontinue use of the convertible close-sleeper/bedside sleeper bassinets marketed as 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible bassinets with the Graco logo and Winnie the Pooh motif following the strangling death of infants who got caught in the metal bars of the bassinets.

Simplicity Co. is no longer in business, but their potentially deadly baby products are still out there for unsuspecting consumers. Several major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us and Target have agreed to give store credit for the bassinets purchased from them. Parents should check their children’s bassinets immediately to make sure the bassinet they are using is safe. Better to be safe now than sorry later.

This is yet another example of the profits at any cost business model that is pervasive in our economy today. Companies that profit by knowingly evading safety laws, especially those designed to protect children, should face the stiffest civil penalties allowed by law and consumers should be better informed so they can boycott those companies. If they are driven only by profit the best place to hurt them is in their pocketbook.

The recall involves SRAM PowerLock connector links, which are sold individually, on 10-speed bicycle chains and as original equipment on some bicycles. The recalled PowerLock connector links are identified by a date code of M or N, which is located on the side of the PowerLock connector link. 10-speed SRAM chains that were equipped with recalled PowerLock connector links include the following chain model numbers: PC-1030, PC-1050, PC-1070, PC-1090 and PC-1090R. The recalled chains were also installed on some Guru, Surly, Salsa, BMC, Serotta, Seven, and Ridley brand complete bicycles. The individual PowerLock connectors and bike chains with these connectors were sold from January 2009 through August 2009; bicycles with affected chains were sold from April 2009 through August 2009.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Office Max Task Chairs

Units: About 216,000

Importer: OfficeMax Inc., of Naperville, Ill.

Hazard: The back and the base post of the chair can break while in use, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: OfficeMax has received about 35 reports of the chair backs or posts breaking, including 15 reports of injuries involving lacerations, muscle strains, contusions and concussions.

Description: The recall involves OfficeMax Task Chairs with model numbers OM182 and OM96614. The model number is located under the chair’s seat on a white UPC label. The chairs are charcoal or dark charcoal in color and have black plastic arms and a rolling plastic and metal base.

Sold at: OfficeMax stores nationwide, on the firm’s Web site, in OfficeMax catalogs, and through direct commercial sales to businesses from September 2003 through July 2008 for between $40 and $65.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the chairs and return them to any OfficeMax store for a full refund or a $55 gift card if the consumer does not have a receipt.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact OfficeMax at (800) 283-7674 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.officemax.com

This recall involves Frigidaire, Frigidaire Gallery, Frigidaire Professional and Kenmore Elite smoothtop electric ranges with rotary knobs and digital displays. Frigidaire has received 126 reports of incidents, including four reports of minor burns and two reports of minor property damage.

The models affects by the recall were sold at Sear’s and other retailers throughout the U.S. from June 2001 to August 2009 for between $1000 to $2000 dollars. Consumers should stop using the recalled ranges immediately and contact Frigidaire or Sears to schedule a free repair.

Here is a list of the recalled products:

Frigidaire (Serial Number Range VF122xxxxx – VF831xxxxx) and Models Beginning with

FEFBZ90GC
FEFLMC55GC
FEFLZ87GC GLEF396AB
GLEF396AQ
GLEF396AS
GLEF396CQ
GLEF396CS

GLEFM397DB GLEFM397DQ
GLEFM397DS
GLEFM97FPB
GLEFM97FPW
GLEFM97GPB
GLEFM97GPW LEEFM389FE PLEF398AC
PLEF398CC
PLEF398DC
PLEFM399DC PLEFMZ99EC
PLEFMZ99GC
PLEFZ398EC
PLEFZ398GC

Kenmore Elite (Serial Number Range VF122xxxxx – VF334xxxxx) and Models Beginning with
790.99012 790.99013 790.99014 790.99019

How did this get to be such a large problem for American consumers? Profit. The majority of toys purchased in the U.S. are made in China and paint with higher levels of lead often sells for a third of the cost of paint with low levels.

Lead poisoning is a serious threat to children’s health. After ingestion, lead enters the bloodstream and is absorbed and stored in various tissues and organs, including the liver, kidneys, brain, bones and teeth. High levels of lead causes many different symptoms and can affect almost every organ system of the body. The most common symptoms include vomiting, belly pain, headaches, muscle weakness, seizures, hair loss, confusion and anemia. Even lower lead levels can cause problems with attention, behavior, decrease in IQ and learning difficulties.

Parents who are concerned their children may have toxic leaded toys that made their way onto American shelves can check for the photos and descriptions of recalled toys at http://www.cpsc.gov or call 1-800-638-2772.

The pros and cons of this issue was recently debated by the Oregon state senate. Their proposed bill would extend the legal prescription period in product liability claims to 10 years from the date the product was purchased. An additional provision, perhaps more importantly, gives the victim the choice of applying the statute of limitations of the state where the product was manufactured.

The bill will now go to the Oregon House of Representatives for consideration.

Perhaps consumer advocates and concerned voters in each state should pressure their individual legislature to ensure that their citizens are not left holding the bag by a shorter and more restrictive statute of limitations than those of their sister states.

Recently, a Los Angeles court ruled in favor of a California man who is left unable to move his arms or legs after a rollover highway accident involving a Land Rover Discovery sport utility vehicle. The court awarded $21.1 million in damages finding the vehicle’s high center of gravity made it prone to rollovers and it’s roof crushed too easily.

Also a federal jury ordered Ford to pay over $18 million in damages to a quadriplegic man who was injured when his passenger van rolled over after skidding off an icy highway. A defective seat belt latch mechanism caused the man’s head to slam into the crushed roof.

In both cases the vehicle’s manufacturer blamed the driver and denied its designs were defective. Those arguments obviously did not prevail in either court.

During the Bush administration, the agency and especially its head Nancy Ford, had come under increasing criticism from Congress and consumer advocates, for the too-cozy relationship with the industry it supposedly regulated and lax regulation enforcement. Ford, a former lobbyist before being appointed by George Bush, admitted taking three overseas all expense-paid trips arranged by the toy industry. During Ford’s tenure millions of unsafe toys, cribs and other children’s products were sold in the U.S.

The USCPSC tests a wide range of over 15,000 products, including children’s toys, cribs, strollers, appliances and all-terrain vehicles. It has only 430 employees to do its work. President Obama’s new budget proposal will increase the agency’s funding by nearly 70%. A new chief with the qualifications of Ms. Tenenbaum and an increase in funding will go a long way to ensure that products Americans buy every day will be safe to use.

The good news is that extensive press and media coverage and parental pressure on Congress has led to more scrutiny of imported toys as well as product design changes in many toy and children’s products.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (US CPSC) is entrusted with making sure the toys on the shelves in your community are tested and safe. They must police a $15 billion industry. The first line of defense is to make sure imports are meeting applicable safety standards before they are allowed in the country. The
US CPSC must be adequately funded and staffed to carry out their mandate. Parents should always read the labels on toys to make sure the toy is age appropriate. Here is a toy safety guide.