product liability - 2/45 -

The dawn of summer heralds a time of backyard barbeques and increased usage of swing sets and kiddie pools.  But this time spent outdoors also means that certain hazards are going to make themselves known.  As Consumer Reports illustrates in a new report, these threats are nothing to take lightly, and there are certain steps you should take to protect yourself and your family.

There are many potential safety issues that go overlooked by a large swath of the populace.  According to the Consumer Reports National Research Center, nearly a third of Americans don’t drain the water from kiddie pools or put away yard games after usage.  42% didn’t always offer proper lighting along paths, and 68% of people that had a backyard pool failed to have an emergency flotation device on hand.  And four out of five didn’t bother to utilize a nonflammable pad beneath their grills.

This survey speaks to a number of hazards present in the average American backyard.  On Friday, we explained the steps to take with a backyard pool, so we won’t go into that again.  But just know that even kiddie pools can pose a drowning hazard and thus should be drained whenever your kids are through swimming.

Safety then extends to securing your backyard as a whole.  If your kids have game equipment they play with, make sure you clear it out of the yard after they’re through playing.  Even small objects could trip somebody up, and you certainly don’t want to be held liable for the ensuing injury.  If tree branches are strewn about the yard, these should also be removed.  You should be proactive about cutting these down from your tree so as to prevent an infestation of insects that could compromise the stability of the branch and cause it to fall on someone’s head.

If you install a swing set in the yard, make sure that it’s kept at least six feet from other structures.  The unit should never be placed on an incline, and prior to purchase, you should make sure that your child is within the item’s suggested age range.  The swing set should be surrounded with padding that can prevent impact injuries after a fall and bolts should be fastened into place without sticking out.  That way, the threat of a laceration is reduced dramatically.  The same goes for anything that fastens the swing set to the ground.

Finally, one thing you probably shouldn’t invest in is a trampoline.  Consumer Reports estimates that 83,000 people (a majority of which are kids) have to go to the emergency room every year because they were hurt by a trampoline.  If you do purchase the item, be extremely careful and supervise kids around the product at all times.

The threat of a mix up between two medications used for the treatment of breast cancer has prompted the Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning to doctors.  The potential mix-up involves Herceptin and Kadcyla.  Although these items don’t sound like one another, their non-proprietary names are somewhat similar:  Kadcyla is referred to as ado-trastuzumab emtansine and Herceptin is referred to as trastuzumab.  Many publications and electronic systems will drop the “ado” prefix from the former drug, which could cause confusion as to what drug is supposed to be administered to a patient.  No adversity has been reported at this point, although clinical trials did see a mix-up take place.  The FDA advises that the full names of each drug always be referenced by healthcare professionals and that employees be made aware of the difference.

For more about this warning, click here.

Yesterday, we brought you word of a Consumer Reports study that found traces of bacteria in numerous samples of ground turkey.  Of the 257 samples analyzed, over 90% were shown to be positive for one of the five bacteria researchers tested for.  What’s more, it was discovered that numerous types of ground turkey had bacteria that proved to be resistant to antibiotics.

Because of this, the Los Angeles Times has released a new report that details the steps a consumer can take to protect themselves from the threat of foodborne illness associated with turkey or other types of meat.

It starts with proper storage.  Meats should be adequately wrapped so as to prevent the leakage of juices that could contaminate nearby foods.  Meat can also be kept separate from ready-to-eat foods in order to further cut down on the cross-contamination threat.  You should refrigerate meat shortly after purchase at a grocer, although if you’re going to wait a couple days to prepare the food, it should be frozen.

When you handle meat, make sure you wash your hands both before and after contact.  And to further mitigate the chance that bacteria will survive the cooking process, make sure the meat is brought to 165 degrees all the way through.  This is particularly important for ground meat, as the bacteria on the surface of a hunk of meat can get pushed down when ground up, essentially spreading to other sections.

According to Carfax, 2.1 million vehicles available for sale online last year had an unaddressed recall issue.  Given this potential safety threat, many people might instead opt to purchase their vehicle in person as has been the tradition for years.  But buying from a car lot does not guarantee that a vehicle hasn’t been recalled.

This past February, a Sacramento news team ran an undercover investigation to get to the bottom of the issue.  What they found was disheartening.  By looking into three lots in the Sacramento area, the team was able to ascertain that at least 12 cars available for sale had not been fixed properly to address a recall.

Lawmakers have taken notice.  A bill seeking to prevent this sort of behavior among dealers was introduced in the Assembly and the Senate, and the measure has gained initial traction.  Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard from a woman who was reportedly involved in a crash shortly after the purchase of a vehicle that had not its recall-related issue fixed.

The Committee apparently took her testimony to heart, as they gave their approval for the bill to proceed onward.  The California New Car Dealers Association, though, worries about a paucity of available recall information and thinks the measure would leave dealers open to liability.

The next time you purchase a vehicle, conduct appropriate research to figure out if the automobile may have been affected by a recall and whether or not the issue was ever fixed.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a communication warning consumers about the deleterious side effects that could be presented if they take Samsca for too long.  The drug, which is typically taken by those suffering from euvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremia, will receive a new label detailing the potential threat posed when a user takes the product for more than a month.  Additional risks are also presented when the patient has some kind of liver disease.  Either of these circumstances in conjunction with the drug’s extended usage could lead to a liver injury that would necessitate a transplant.  The damage could even prove to be fatal.  Doctors should limit their patients’ intake of the drug to less than 30 days, and patients should understand the risks and contact a medical professional the moment adversity becomes apparent.

To learn more about the warning, follow this link.

Vehicle safety is ever-important, but it’s the viability of one particular component that often goes overlooked:  the tires.  These are literally where the rubber meets the road, and you should do what’s necessary to ensure the tires are in suitable shape.  A new report out of Berlin, Connecticut offers tips on this very matter.

You first should be running monthly checks on your tires’ pressure.  Not only do you get less out of your gas when your tires run low, but there’s also more of a chance that they’re going to rupture.  Consulting your owner’s manual or the tire itself should enlighten you as to the proper pressure.

Tread depth also can be seen to by placing a penny into the tread head first.  If there’s any space above Lincoln’s head visible, your tire has worn down too far and probably needs to be replaced.  While you’re doing this, also make sure to give your tires a quick inspection, casting an eye toward finding cracks and other irregularities such as divots and bulges.

Finally, make sure you’re rotating your tires on a regular basis, at least once per 7,500 miles.  The back and front tires don’t wear at equal degrees, and a simple rotation can ensure that wear gets distributed equally.  If you have to get your oil changed every 3,000 miles, perhaps consider rotating the tires every other change.  That should be a handy way to remember.

In a new article, Consumer Reports discusses the dangerous situation that can present itself when an individual elects to purchase an aerosol fire spray in lieu of a fire extinguisher.  As the agency demonstrates, this could be a potentially deadly mistake.

One could easily see why a consumer would elect to purchase an aerosol spray over a fire extinguisher:  they’re cheaper and relatively simple to use.  But this will come as little solace to a residence beset by a blaze that can’t be snuffed with such a spray.

The problems with the aerosols are said to be numerous.  First, they tend not to last nearly as long, having a recommended three year reliability span versus up to 12 years for your standard dry chemical fire extinguisher.  The sprays also don’t come with a display indicating when the pressure inside is suitable for immediate usage.  Two sprays that Consumer Reports put through various tests were deemed inadvisable to purchase due to their performance problems, and the agency is worried about one recently released product as well.

Consumer Reports says to do yourself and your family a favor by investing in a fire extinguisher that’s capable of handling any blaze that might erupt.  The unit should be of a size that everyone in your home is capable of handling.  One should be set up in every level of your house, and you might consider small units for the kitchen and your motor vehicle as well.

Today is Earth Day, and not only is it a great time to commemorate the many tasks that can be carried out in order to ensure the planet’s continued well-being, there are also some things you can do to protect your own safety as well as the safety of your family.  The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine explains how to do so.

You can begin by eliminating common households threats.  If you suspect that you have asbestos in your home, for instance, you should visit the website of the CPSC to learn how to identify the threat, and if you confirm the material’s presence, get in touch with a contractor who is licensed to remove it.  Don’t do it yourself, as rustling the material can put you in danger of experiencing health problems.

You should also run tests to determine if lead or radon exist in unsafe levels within your home.  As with asbestos, removing lead from your home should be a task carried out only by professionals.  The same goes for cutting down on radon levels.  Each of these things can cause severe health issues over the course of time, and you want to make sure you get the job done properly.

Of course, some safety precautions are well within your power to take.  Household chemicals and pesticides should be stored in a safe manner, far from where a child could gain access to them.  Proper usage and disposal instructions should be followed at all times.

Remember that the steps you take to keep the environment safe also tend to keep your family safe.

If you have a gun in your home, or you’re thinking about purchasing one, then it’s imperative that you make safety your first priority.  Keeping yourself apprised of the various precautions that should be taken to prevent an accidental discharge is critical, and to achieve that type of safety awareness, you might want to direct your attention to some valuable safety tips.

Perhaps the first thing you should do, even before you purchase a weapon, is submit to a course that can teach you the basics of safety.  The proper training can go a long way toward ensuring you’re handling the firearm in a safe manner.  You’ll also want to take some time to carefully choose what kind of gun you want prior to purchase.  This will necessarily depend on whether you’re buying a gun for self defense purposes or opting for something like a shotgun that can be used for hunting.

When you have the gun in your hands, always assume that the weapon has been loaded.  That way, the idea that you shouldn’t goof around will remain reinforced in your mind.  You should never point a gun in someone’s direction while carrying it, and your finger should remain far away from the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.  When you are getting ready to discharge the weapon, be absolutely positive that there is no one in the path of the bullet or even behind what you’re aiming for.

These safety precautions should extend to when you practice on a firing range.  You should inform yourself of the various rules in place at whatever facility you choose to visit.  When you arrive, you ought to identify where a first aid kit is in case you need to access it.  Protect your hearing and vision by wearing the necessary protective gear, and deposit unused ammo in the appropriate location.

Proper storage is also essential to safety, especially if you have children in your home.  Placing your gun in an unlocked drawer is oftentimes just not sufficient to ensuring safety.  Instead, purchase a safe that offers adequate defense against those who aren’t authorized to use the gun.  It’s essential that you have some barrier between the firearm and those who aren’t prepared to handle it safely.

Finally, as your children age, there might come a point where they want to know more about the gun you keep in the house.  Explain to them the dangers of accessing the gun when they’re prepared for such a discussion, and do whatever you can to keep the firearm out of your child’s hands.

In the past few weeks, compounders have been recalling sterile products in droves over concerns that said sterility cannot be assured.  Many of those recalls have stemmed from inspections by the Food and Drug Administration that uncovered the types of conditions that could lead to contamination.

Nevertheless, the Commissioner of the FDA feels that current laws leave the agency at a disadvantage when it comes to policing such compounders.  She said as much during questioning yesterday by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Members of that committee lobbed questions the Commissioner’s way in regards to how the organization handled a variety of complaints made about the Massachusetts-based New England Compounding Center.  That company had made available certain steroid injection products that were reportedly contaminated with fungus.  730 people sustained a fungal meningitis infection, and 51 persons are thought to have died because of the illness.

The Commissioner expressed disappointment over the fact that the agency did not more aggressively go after compounders like the NECC, and she has asked for alterations to the law which could improve the FDA’s oversight of such facilities.  At the moment, she believes the FDA’s hands are tied thanks to conflicting laws that allow compounders to dispute inspection access.

Recently, the FDA has handed out inspection reports to 31 different compounders, and a variety of recalls have been issued.  Some lawmakers believe this shows the FDA already has the power to police the compounders.