Child deaths are tragic reminder that products pose risk long after recall

Just because a product has been recalled doesn’t mean it isn’t still harmful. After the untimely deaths of two children from Massachusetts who got stuck in an antique chest, safety experts are advising parents to safeguard their homes and remove any items that have been recalled or that may not be safe for children. Nancy Cowles, the executive director of Kids in Danger, explains, “The majority of children’s products that are recalled remain in use.” She estimates that only about 30% of kid’s products that have been recalled are actually returned or repaired, saying, “It’s very dangerous. It’s a hidden hazard in the home. A recalled product doesn’t necessarily look dangerous, so unless you know it’s been recalled, your kids are at risk with the product.” Lane Furniture Company was the maker of the chest in which the two children lost their lives; the children were unable to open the chest from the inside. In 1996, the company issued a recall of 12 million chests made from 1912-1987 because of this concern, but some people still have the chests in their homes because they were unaware of the recall. Mark Massarella knows how deadly these products can be first-hand, since he lost his 15-year-old daughter Natalie in 1999 when she got trapped in an antique chest. Massarella says, “We always hope that we can help with our experience to publicize the fact that these are dangerous and that people need to take action. They’re passed down from one generation to the next. They last forever.” So how can parents keep their kids safe? Anthony Green, director of public policy for Safe Kids Worldwide, recommends: “Get on the floor again and think like a kid. What can my 5-year-old get into that I’m not thinking about?” To hear about all the latest recalls, parents can also sign up for alerts from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (C.P.S.C.).

NBC News, 1/16/14