February 2020 Consumer Product Recalls Analysis
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recalls Analysis
In February 2020, there were 19 recall notices issued for consumer products by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, two more than the 17 recall notices issued in January. About 20% of the recalls (four notices) were carried out by the CPSC in conjunction with Health Canada.
Furniture and home appliances each accounted for 16% of the recalls, whereas toys, durable nursery products & off-road vehicles each accounted for 11% of the recalls.
Highlighted below are some of the recalls relevant for the hardlines and softlines industries:
| February 2020 – Consumer Product Safety Commission | |
| Product | Reason/Hazard(s) |
| Children’s Sleepwear – Nightgowns | Due to violation of Federal Flammability Standard |
| Durable Nursery Products – Infant Sleep Accessory | Infant fatalities have been reported inclined sleep products, after infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side, or under other circumstances |
| Durable Nursery Products – Soft Infant and Toddler Carriers | Buckles of the product can break, causing the child to fall out of the product |
| Furniture – Chest of Drawers | Due to potential tip-over and entrapment hazards if not anchored |
| Furniture – Dining Table and Chairs Set | Chairs can break, posing fall hazards |
| Furniture – Lounge Chairs | Metal frame of the chairs violates the Federal Lead Paint Ban; lead can be toxic to children if ingested |
| Children’s Products – Water Bottles | Water bottle’s spout can detach, posing a choking hazard to children |
| Toys – Bead Maze Toys | Choking hazards caused by small components violating the mandatory federal standard for small parts |
| Toys – Grocery Shopping Carts | Shopping basket can break, releasing sharp pieces that can cause laceration hazards |
Read more: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls
Health Canada Recalls Analysis
In February 2020, there were 13 recall notices issued for consumer products by Health Canada, which was same as the number of recall notices issued for consumer products in January 2020.
There were three recalls for toys, two recalls each for chemicals, sports & recreation and electronic products. The other children’s products recall of note was for choking hazard for a children’s water bottle. We’ve highlighted some of the recalls relevant for softlines and hardlines industries below.
| February 2020 – Health Canada | |
| Product | Reason/Hazard(s) |
| Children’s Product – Water Bottle | The water bottle's clear silicone spout can detach, posing a choking hazard to children |
| Toys – Radio Controlled Truck | During use, the product may overheat, which could pose a burn and fire hazard |
| Toys – Fashion Doll | The head of the plastic doll may contain levels of phthalates that exceed the allowable limit and may pose a chemical hazard |
| Toys – Shopping Cart | The material the basket is made is brittle, which may affect the ability of the basket to meet applicable mandatory standards for sharp points and small parts |
Read more: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/index-eng.php?cat=4
EU RAPEX Recall Analysis
In February 2020, there were 113 relevant product recall alerts issued through the EU’s Rapid Alert System (RAPEX). Toys (76%) accounted for the majority of the recalls, followed by clothing and fashion accessories (12%), childcare articles (6%), hobby and sports equipment (5%) and kitchen equipment (1%). We’ve highlighted the recalled product categories and hazards below.
| February 2020 – EU RAPEX | |
| Product Categories | Reason/Hazard(s) |
| Childcare Articles | There were 7 recalls in February, 1 recall was due to small parts that may present a choking hazard, 1 recall on a travel seat with cords that pose a strangulation risk and the remaining recalls were for products that may fail in use and cause injury, including a child's bicycle seat, a booster seat, a drinking bottle pushchair and a baby walker |
| Clothing and Fashion Accessories | The were 3 recalls that resulted from drawstrings and embellishments that do not meet the requirements of EN 14682 and pose an entrapment hazard; there were also 2 recalls due to embellishments on infant garments that may become detached and cause a choking hazard There were 2 chemical-related recalls due to non-compliance with the REACH requirement on products for excessive chromium VI content; 2 recalls for lead content and 2 for SCCP non-compliance, which are restricted by the Persistent Organic Pollutant Regulation and pose a risk to human health and the environment The other chemical recalls were for jewellery items that fail REACH requirements and 2 recalls for nickel release |
| Hobby and Sports Equipment | There were 2 recalls on sports equipment (a workout bar and a vinyl poncho) containing SCCPs, and two recalls were for lead content in a outdoor stool and a gym bag that contained both excessive lead and bis(pentabromophenyl) ether (decaBDE) There were also recalls for a ski boot and folding bicycle that may cause injury |
| Kitchen Equipment | There was one recall of a pressure cooker that may cause burns and does not meet the requirements of the relevant European standard EN 12778 |
| Toys | There were a total 86 recalls on toys products in January 36 of the recalls this month were due to small components that present choking hazards The majority of recalls for chemical failures were due to phthalate content in toy items (25 recalls), 7 were for boron content in ‘slime’ type toys, 5 recalls for accessible batteries that pose both a choking and chemical hazard, there were also recalls for lead content in a vinyl cape and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) in a book with plastic pages The strangulation hazards were identified on toys that have cords (4 items), 3 of these were on dress up items |
