Product Safety

This special to the Bellingham Herald was published November 20, 2013. By Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson You might reasonably assume that the federal government regulates and tests most of the chemicals found in our children’s toys, household products, and other consumer goods to make sure they are safe. They do not. In response, states like Washington stepped up with stronger chemical safety state laws to protect consumers and the environment from the impacts of toxic chemicals.

Today, many consumers aren’t “shopping ‘til they drop.” Rather, they’re clicking on online deals until they get carpal tunnel syndrome. Beyond the tingling, weakness and finger or hand-muscle damage that comes with the syndrome, there are other dangers, too.

A controversial new government Web site, www.saferproducts.gov allows anyone to post information about a product believed to be hazardous. Those reports are shared with manufacturers and can also be searched by the public.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna, co-chairs of NAAG's Intellectual Property Committee, wrote the following editorial, published in The Hill.

As you rush to finish up your Christmas shopping, be sure to slow down and make sure you aren’t clicking on either a fake Web site or a Web site that sells fakes. If you’re looking for a bargain, you may end up on a dodgy site. And if you think it’s no big deal if you buy a knockoff as long as the price is low, you probably haven’t heard about perfume that contains urine and antifreeze, exploding Sony Playstation controllers and child-labor horrors. ...

Recalled baby products always seem to be in the news. Now there's a simple way to stay informed.

After cooperating with a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission investigation, toymaker Fisher-Price announced today the recall of more than 10 million potentially harmful products.

While you can get away with buying many everyday items used, there are quite a few others that are worth paying the extra few dollars to be the initial owner.

Economy still got you down? Sign up for next week's free Money Smarts workshop at KCTS 9 and learn how to stretch your dollar.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), with the cooperation of seven firms, today announced voluntary recalls of more than two million cribs to address drop-side hazards and other hazards that affect the safety of young children.