September 2019 Consumer Product Recalls Analysis

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recalls Analysis

In September 2019, there were 18 recall notices issued for consumer products by the CPSC, a 30% decline from August. One-third of the recalls (six notices) were carried out by the CPSC in conjunction with Health Canada.

Furniture, Patio & Garden, Personal Care and Recreational Off-road Utility Vehicles (ROVs) each accounted for 11% of the recalls. We’ve highlighted some of the recalls relevant for the softlines and hardlines industries below.

September 2019 – CPSC
Product	Reason/Hazard(s)
Clothing – Children’s Loungewear	The loungewear failed to meet the federal flammability standard for children’s sleepwear
Collectible – Helmets	Mold can be present on the fabric insert inside the helmet, posing a risk of respiratory or other infections in individuals with compromised immune systems, damaged lungs or an allergy to mold
Durable Nursery Products – Children’s Bunk Beds	The bunk bed’s support boards can break, posing fall and injury hazards
Furniture – Chests	The recalled chests are unstable if they are not anchored to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in death or injuries to children
Furniture – Workstations	The recalled workstation’s arm can break and cause the workstation to fall, posing a risk of injury
Sports/ Fitness – Safety Goggles in Dodgeball Game Set	The goggles contain glass lenses, posing a laceration hazard if shattered.
Toys – Plush Dolls	A sewing needle was discovered in the stuffing of one of the handmade knit dolls, posing a puncture injury hazard

Read more: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls

Health Canada Recalls Analysis

In September 2019, there were 20 recall notices issued for consumer products by Health Canada, which was the same as the number of recall notices issued for consumer products in each of the previous two months (July & August 2019).

There were five recalls for toys, three recalls were for slimes that contained boric acid above threshold allowed by the Toys Regulations. We’ve highlighted some of the recalls relevant for softlines and hardlines industries below.

September 2019 – Health Canada
Product	Reason/Hazard(s)
Clothing – Children’s Sleepsuit	The sleepsuit has leg openings and does not meet flammability requirements for children's sleepwear under the Canadian law
Furniture – Workstations	The dynamic arm of workstation may fail causing the monitor and keyboard to fall, posing a risk of injury
Sports/ Fitness – Safety Goggles in Dodgeball Game Set	The goggles contain glass lenses, posing a laceration hazard if shattered
Toys – 3 Slime Toys	The toys do not meet the Canadian toy safety requirements related to boric acid content
Toys – Bath Toy	The bath toys could break and create a sharp point, posing a laceration or choking hazard
Toys – Ride-on Toy	The battery chargers bear an unauthorized certification mark. It is unknown if the battery chargers are in compliance with the applicable safety standard

EU RAPEX Recall Analysis

In September 2019, there were 94 relevant product recall alerts issued through the EU’s Rapid Alert System (RAPEX), a 30% increase from 65 recalls issued in the previous month. Toys accounted for the majority of product recalls with 58, followed by clothing & accessories with 21 recalls, decorative items with 7 recalls, childcare articles with 5 recalls, protective equipment with 2 recalls and sports & hobby equipment with 1 recall. We’ve highlighted the recalled product categories and hazards below.

September 2019 – EU RAPEX
Product Categories	Reason/Hazard(s)
Childcare Articles	There were recalls for infant cots and potential injuries because they did not meet the requirements of European standard EN 716; for sharp edges on a child’s training toilet; unsecured straps on child carriers, which does not meet European Standard EN 13209; and one for a non-compliant child car seat
Clothing and Fashion Accessories	The majority of recalls were for drawstrings that do not meet the requirements of EN 14682; also chemical recalls due to excessive chromium VI level in children’s leather sandals; recalls for Azo dyes in a T-shirt; phthalates in false nail adhesive; and non-compliant jewellery items for cadmium content and nickel release
Decorative Items	The recalls were for refrigerator magnets that resemble food and are considered to be a choking hazard
Hobby and Sports Equipment	The recall was for a lifejacket that did not meet the requirements of European standard EN ISO 12402
Toys	There were 15 recalls this month due to small components that present choking hazards; 3 for battery-operated toys where the solder on the battery contacts was found to have excessive lead content and also cadmium in some cases, and is considered as an environmental hazard; 2 recalls were due potential sight damage – one from a projectile and one from an LED; 1 recall was due to high sound pressure levels that may cause damage to hearing. The majority of chemical failures were due to phthalate content in toy items (23 recalls), while others were for boron content in ‘slime’ type toys (4 recalls), and additional recalls due to lead content, cadmium content and also accessible batteries.