FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2003
Release # 04-052
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Kim Dulic, (301) 504-7908
CPSC Announces Latest Holiday Season Recalls and Decorating Safety Tips
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is
announcing its most recent holiday season recalls and providing
consumers with important safety tips. Five recalls announced for the
first time today are: Arctic Cat Snowmobiles, Holiday Collection Snow
House, Snowman, and Snowflake Candle gift sets, Jack-In-the-Box,
Flutterby Winged Horses plush toys, and Children's loungewear sold at
Zutopia stores. Other products recalled in the two weeks since CPSC held
its annual holiday recall round-up on November 25, 2003 are: Mica Tree
Candleholders sold at Coldwater Creek stores, Snow Play Votive
Candleholders sold by Home Interiors' direct sales associates, Cloth
Santa Decoration Sold at Wal-Mart, and Bear Jack-In-the-Box-Type Toys.
"CPSC is aware of several new products that could potentially cause
serious injury or death due to choking and fire hazards," said CPSC
Chairman Hal Stratton. "During the holiday season consumers should
double-check the gifts on their holiday list to make sure they aren't on
our recall list."
In addition to the recall announcements, CPSC is issuing safety tips for
holiday decorations. Holiday decorations like candles and Christmas
trees add a joyous and festive mood to the holiday season. But when
decorations such as these are not used properly, they can cause fires,
injuries and death. CPSC is encouraging consumers to look for and
eliminate these potential dangers from holiday decorations.
Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,800 people for
injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks, related to holiday lights,
decorations and Christmas trees. In addition, there are more than 13,000
candle-related fires each year, resulting in 140 deaths, 1300 injuries
and $205 million in property loss annually. Christmas trees are involved
in about 300 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 30 injuries and an
average of about $10 million in property loss and damage.
CPSC continues to monitor holiday lights and other decorations at stores
nationwide. Since 2002, the Commission, working with Bureau of Customs
and Border Protection staff has prevented more than 250,000 units of
holiday light sets that contain defects that present fire risks from
being distributed in the U.S.
"Candle lighting ceremonies during the holidays are beautiful
traditions," said CPSC Chairman Stratton. "However, consumers should
remember that unattended, lighted candles can bring tragedy to even the
best holiday celebration. These simple safety tips will help prevent
many of the holiday decoration-related fires that occur each year."
CPSC suggests following these tips to make your holiday a safe one:
Trees:
- When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire
Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire,
it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish
quickly.
- When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is
green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent
between your fingers. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with
resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many
needles.
- When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and
radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to
keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of
traffic and do not block doorways.
Lights:
- Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety
by a recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL which indicates
conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have plugs
containing fuses.
- Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets,
frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets.
Always replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulbs.
- If using an extension cord, make sure the extension cord is rated for
the intended use.
- Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become
charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a
branch could be electrocuted.
- Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been
certified for outdoor use.
- Stay away from power or feeder lines leading from utility poles into
older homes.
- Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm
supports to protect the lights from wind damage.
- Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or
tacks. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware
stores).
- Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The
lights could short out and start a fire.
- Use caution when removing outdoor holiday lights. Never pull or tug on
lights - they could unravel and inadvertently wrap around power lines.
- Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into
circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).
Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are
sold. GFCIs can be installed permanently to household circuits by a
qualified electrician.
Decorations:
- Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree.
Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals.
Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
- Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always
use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be
knocked down.
- In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations
that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts
out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling
small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may
tempt a child to eat them.
- Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with
spun glass "angel hair."
- Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while
decorating with artificial snow sprays.
Fireplaces:
- Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown
on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense
gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from
children.
- Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result
as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.