Thrift Store Safety Checklist
As yard sale swings into full bloom, here’s a reminder ot what not to look out for in your quest.
| In a recent national study of thrift stores conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 69 percent of the stores were selling at least one type of hazardous consumer product. Many of these were children’s products. |
CONSUMERS: Check products carefully before you buy.
THRIFT STORE SAFETY CHECKLIST
For Consumers and Thrift Stores
If you buy at thrift stores, here are some tips to help you make safer purchases.
Cribs
Make sure cribs meet current national safety standards and are in good condition. Look for a certification seal. Check that crib slats are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. Crib mattresses should fit snugly.
If crib slats are too far apart, infants can slip between them and strangle. If the mattress doesn’t fit snugly, infants can become entrapped and suffocate.
Clothing Drawstrings
Be sure there are no drawstrings around the hood and neck of children’s upper outerwear clothing, such as sweatshirts. Other types of clothing fasteners, like snaps, zippers, or hook and loop fasteners (such as Velcro), should be used. Drawstrings at the waist should not extend more than 3 inches.
Drawstrings can catch on playground and other equipment, and can strangle young children.
Hair Dryers
Look for hair dryers with large rectangular shaped safety plugs.
These immersion protection plugs prevent electrocution by shutting
off the current if the hair dryer comes into contact with water.
Halogen Floor Lamps
Make sure that halogen torchiere floor lamps have glass or wire guards over the bulb shield and the bulb is 300 watts or less.
Playpens and Play yards
Check that playpens and play yards have not been recalled. Recalled products include play yards with protruding hardware or rotating top rails that don’t properly lock into place.
Car Seat Carriers
Check to make sure the infant car seat carrier you are buying has not been recalled. Car seat carrier handle locks on recalled models can unexpectedly release when used as a carrier outside of a car.
Bunk Beds
Make sure all spaces between the guardrail and bed frame and all spaces in the bed headboard and foot boards of the top bunk are less than 3 1/2 inches. Make sure there are guardrails on both sides of the top bunk.
Toy Basketball Nets
CPSC has recalled millions of hazardous toy basketball nets. Check before you buy. Children can strangle on loops or openings in these basketball nets if the nets come unhooked from the rim or have knots that slide. If children put their heads into these openings, the nets can get tangled around their necks.
Accordion Style Safety Gates
Do not buy older accordion-style child safety gates. Make sure that newer style child safety gates are used to keep children away from potentially dangerous areas, especially stairs.
Bean Bag Chairs
Do not buy bean bag chairs with zippers that can be opened. CPSC has recalled more than 12 million bean bag chairs.
Young children can unzip bean bag chairs and choke or suffocate on the small pellets of foam filling.
Website: www.cpsc.gov
To get all CPSC recall information sent directly to you by:
On-line: visit CPSC’s subscription web page.
Washington, DC 20207
