FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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July 13, 1983 |
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Release # 83-041 |
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Children's Expandable Enclosures May
Present Potential Safety Hazard
Washington, D.C. -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission in
cooperation with the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association today
warned consumers that children's circular expandable wooden enclosures
may present a potential strangulation hazard to children due to neck
or head entrapment in V-shaped openings along the top edge and diamond
shaped openings in the sides of the enclosures.
Since 1980, the Commission staff has conducted investigations of
three deaths and one incident of brain damage involving unsupervised
children whose necks became entrapped in the V-openings along the top
edge of the enclosures, apparently as they were attempting to climb
out of the enclosures. In addition, the staff has investigated or
received reports of 4 incidents involving minor or no injuries to
children whose heads became entrapped in the diamond shaped openings
in the sides of the enclosures.
The enclosures are constructed of criss-cross wooden slats riveted
together which expand to form continuous circular structures of varying
diameters and which are used primarily to restrict the movement of
young children to the area within the enclosure. They have been sold
nationwide through various retail and children's products stores over
the past 15-20 years for approximately $20-$40 per unit.
The Commission estimates that approximately 239,000 of the more than
500,000 enclosures produced are presently in use.
In the opinion of the CPSC staff, it is dangerous to leave children
unattended in the enclosure without close continuous supervision. The
Commission is aware of incidents which occurred after children had been
left for only a short period of time. This is of particular concern since
the enclosures are intended to keep children away from other hazards and
consumers may leave children unattended, believing them to be safe.
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is working to develop
a voluntary standard to reduce the possibility of injury associated with
enclosures, and manufacturers voluntarily stopped production and sale of
the existing style of the enclosures pending development and adoption of
the safety standard.
In the opinion of CPSC staff, owners of the expandable enclosures
should discontinue using them.
Anyone wishing additional information may contact the CPSC toll-free
Hotline at 800-638-CPSC. the teletypewriter number for the hearing impaired
is 800-638-8270.
In contrast, mesh-style baby gates have no opening large enough for a child's head to become entrapped, and CPSC has no reports of deaths or "near-misses" with these baby gates. |
Accordion-style baby gates have V-shaped and diamond-shaped openings in which children can get their heads trapped. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has reports of 7 deaths and 17 "near-misses" eith these baby gates. |
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