Check products among one billion safety recalls

#MiddleburyCT #Seniors #SafetyRecall

It was recently disclosed that in the first half of 2022, there were over 1 billion recalls across the country of products that we buy. That’s billion, with a “b.” Depending on the level of the recall, some of them can be extremely serious … even deadly.

How do we know whether we missed an announcement about a product we own? We can go online to Recalls.gov and look. They cover everything from sports equipment to electronics, household items and more. You can search on that site by date, the type of hazard and the country where an item was manufactured.

I searched for clothing. It was shocking to see a dozen children’s items recalled for fire hazard. And the padded rolling desk chair with the legs that can break. And the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that don’t work. And laundry detergent with dangerous bacteria in it. To be notified about recalls, go to www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/Subscribe and sign up for the free email alerts.

If you need to keep up with recalls and alerts for a vehicle, go online to www.nhtsa.gov/recalls. You’ll need the vehicle identification number (VIN), which can be found on the door jamb behind the driver door. Or you can search by year, make and model of your vehicle. For the very latest vehicle recalls, Kelley Blue Book also has them listed on the front page at www.kbb.com/recall.

Food is another area where we need to keep up with any recalls and warnings. Search for “FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts” for the latest information on cosmetics, veterinary items, medical devices and food. Right on the front page was a list of alerts for products with undeclared wheat, potential listeria, salmonella and more. In the medical devices category, it was disturbing to learn of rust on needles. You’ll see a link there to sign up for alert emails.

Let’s make 2023 our year to be aware and safe.

© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.