Posted by Benji Riggins on December 22, 2011 under Safety | 
Many people are planning year-end holiday festivities. But a report says there are many dangers lurking at these events. And people aren’t paying enough attention.
A MetLife Auto & Home American Safety Pulse Poll says only about a third of potential hosts are concerned about common safety issues. The poll shows many potential hosts are failing to take precautionary steps to prevent unnecessary accidents.
Only about 40 percent are concerned about whether their guests might get involved in a drunk-driving-related accident after consuming alcohol on their property. The majority are not concerned about the potential to be named in a lawsuit should a guest get involved in a drinking-and-driving accident.
Most states offer an injured person, such as the victim of a drunk driver, a method to sue the person who served the alcohol.
The poll also found that two-third of those surveyed weren’t concerned about the potential theft of personal items at the party, despite the fact that in addition to inviting family (86 percent) and close friends (74 percent) to their homes, many people planned on inviting guests they are less familiar with, including neighbors (44 percent), co-workers (31 percent) and casual acquaintances (26 percent). The majority of party hosts (59 percent) said they would not restrict the party to a designated space, meaning the guests would be free to roam around the premise.
More than 60 percent of the party hosts said they have no plan to move or hide their valuables during their festivities.
The poll also noted that many people are planning to leave their homes for an extended period during this holiday season. But one in five travelers said they weren’t concerned about locking all doors and windows, the MetLife poll found. Some 40 percent have no plan to set lights on a timer system or leave lights on while they are away.
Posted by Benji Riggins on December 16, 2011 under Safety |
Hosts Seem Unconcerned About Safety, Liability
As it gets a chillin’, it’s the perfect time to strike the fire, and enjoy the company of family and friends. Opening up one’s home during the holiday season is a heart-warming gesture. All the excitement, however, has some hosts overlooking basic safety issues.
According to MetLife Auto & Home’s American Safety Pulse Poll, only about one-third of potential hosts are concerned about avoiding common safety issues, and taking precautionary steps to prevent unnecessary accidents.
This lack of concern is reason for big worry, considering the last two year’s claim trends during the month of December. For MetLife Auto & Home, fire claims frequency increased by 12.5 percent in December 2009 and 2010. Theft claims frequency increased by 7.7 percent.
“The holiday season and transition to winter in many parts of the country generates higher frequency [certain types of home-related claims] than previous months,” explains Tim Bowen director of homeowners’ claims with Metlife Auto & Home. “We see theft frequency increases around the holidays with claim notices indicating that gifts/recent purchases were stolen. Heating systems are also being used with greater frequency at this time of year and we see more ‘puff back’ type losses with oil fired systems.”
There are a number of everyday safety issues many tend to overlook while planning their parties.
Too Many ‘Cheers’
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there is an increase in alcohol-related car crashes and fatalities over the holidays. Yet, fewer than half of Americans or 42 percent are concerned that one of their guests would be involved in a drunk-driving-related accident after consuming alcohol on their property. Fifty-eight percent of respondents to the MetLife Auto & Home survey are not concerned about the potential to be named in a lawsuit, should a guest be involved in a drinking and driving accident.
Blazing Holiday Spirit
Decorating is essential to set the mood for festivities. This holiday season, 91 percent of people plan to decorate their homes, but many may be inadvertently exposing their home and guests to an increased risk of fire, if they’re not careful.
“Only 32 percent of those polled expressed concern that their decorations might pose a fire risk to their homes and to their party guests,” says Mike Convery, chief claim officer and vice president of MetLife Auto & Home. “It’s important for hosts to exercise caution with their decorations, especially wax candles, as December has more candle-related fires than any other month of the year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).”
The Grinch Didn’t Steal Christmas
Only one-third of those surveyed expressed concern about the theft of their personal belongings during a party. Many are inviting family (86 percent) and closer friends (74 percent) to their homes. Others plan on inviting less familiar guests, including neighbors (44 percent), co-workers (31 percent) and casual acquaintances (26 percent).
Not Home for the Holidays
Many people are planning a holiday trip, instead of a party, as is the case for 65 percent of those surveyed. However, 19 percent of the respondents said they would not lock all doors and windows before hitting the road. Only 61 percent said they would leave lights on or set lights on a timer system when they are away, potentially putting their homes at risk for a burglary.
This is the third survey in the American Safety Pulse polls series conducted MetLife Auto & Home by ORC International. MetLife Auto & Home, a brand of Metropolitan P&C Insurance Company and its affiliates, is one of the nation’s leading personal lines P&C insurance providers.
MetLife Auto & Home has compiled essential holiday party safety information here outlining how Americans are planning for their parties and some potential pitfalls they may face.
Source: www.metlife.com
By Melissa Stewart
December 13, 2011
Posted by Benji Riggins on November 23, 2011 under Safety |
Serafino Alfe was deep-frying turkeys for an annual fundraiser dinner recently and ended up at the Loyola Burn unit with third-degree burns – the worst – on his leg.
“I tripped and fell right into the deep fryer,” said the Mount Prospect (Illinois) resident. “Thirty quarts of hot oil poured over my leg and I basically fried myself.”
In the United States, more than 141 serious fires and hot-oil burns have been reported from the use of turkey fryers over the last decade, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Alfe said he has used a deep fryer for many years and is always careful. “We put the deep fryers on cardboard and I caught my shoe on the edge and just lost my balance,” said Alfe, who will undergo surgery on his injured leg on the day before Thanksgiving. “We were using the older fryers that do not have a secure lid and the gallons of hot oil just splattered out everywhere.”
Taking care to not become a victim of a fire and serious burns applies equally inside the home on Thanksgiving Day, the leading day for cooking fires, with three times as many as on an average day, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
“Cooking remain a major mechanism of injuries for adults, and for children who are underfoot,” said Richard L. Gamelli, MD, director, Burn & Shock Trauma Institute, and Provost of Health Sciences, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Hospital.
Loyola’s Burn Center is one of the busiest in the Midwest, treating nearly 600 patients annually in the hospital and another 3,500 patients each year in its clinic. More than 40 percent of the burn cases are children.
“If a turkey fryer is used the way it’s supposed to be used by people who are not impaired by alcohol or drugs, I think they’re fine,” said Dr. Thomas Esposito, chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns in the Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. “Injuries from turkey fryers are rare, but when they happen to you or a family member, that doesn’t matter – they are very devastating.”
He said $15 million in annual U.S. property damage is caused by deep fryer fires.
“It doesn’t matter if it is a turkey fryer or a conventional oven, you should always take great care when using appliances, vehicles and any other device that has the potential to cause great harm to yourself and others if used in a careless, irresponsible manner,” Esposito said.
Esposito offered safety tips for those planning to use a fryer:
•Look for the newer fryers with sealed lids to prevent oil spills.
•Keep the fryer in full view while the burner is on.
•Keep children and pets away from the cooking area.
•Place the fryer in an open area away from all walls, fences or other structures.
•Never use the fryer in, on, or under a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, deck or any other structure that can catch fire.
•Slowly raise and lower the turkey to reduce hot-oil splatter and to avoid burns.
•Never cook in short sleeves, shorts or bare feet. Cover all bare skin when dunking or removing bird.
•Protect your eyes with goggles or glasses.
•Immediately turn off the fryer if the oil begins to smoke.
•Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water don’t mix and water can cause oil to spill over, creating a fire or even an explosion.
•Don’t overfill fryer with oil. Turkey fryers can ignite in seconds after oil hits the burner.
•Keep a fire extinguisher appropriate for oil fires close at hand and be familiar with how to operate it.
•Do not use a hose in an attempt to douse a turkey fryer fire.
•If you do burn yourself, or someone else is burned, seek immediate medical attention.
Source: Loyola University Health System
Tags: auto ins, car ins, cooking accid, home ins, homeowners ins, house ins, insurance agency, insurance agent, Safety, thanksgiving, thanksgiving day, turkey fryer
Posted by Benji Riggins on October 31, 2011 under Safety |
NEW YORK, Oct. 24 — The Insurance Information Institute issued the following news release:
A few basic safety steps, along with an up-to-date homeowners and auto insurance policies, can take some of the fright out of possible Halloween related damage, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).
“If you’re worried about your home or apartment being damaged by a small army of trick-or-treaters dressed like Zombies, Charlie Sheen , Snooki or Lady Gaga–anticipated to be the most popular costumes this year–call your insurance agent, broker or company representative,” said Jeanne M. Salvatore , senior vice president and consumer spokesperson for the I.I.I. “They can help explain your insurance coverage, suggest upgrades to your policy and even offer tips to keep your home safe this holiday season.”
Fortunately, your insurance can provide coverage for many possible Halloween-related disasters:
Your home or car is the target of mischief
Standard homeowners and renters insurance policies provide coverage for vandalism. There will be a deductible before your policy starts to pay, but if you suffer expensive damage to your home or possessions you will be financially protected. In the event that your car is damaged by mischievous trick-or-treaters, there is coverage under the optional comprehensive portion of your auto insurance policy.
There is a fire in your home
If a Halloween candle or electrically powered decoration causes a fire, any damage will be covered by standard homeowners and renters insurance policies. If the fire is significant enough to make your home unlivable, you would also be covered for additional living expenses, such as having to check into a hotel while your home is being repaired.
A trick-or-treater is injured on your property
If a trick-or-treater or Halloween party guest is accidently injured in your house or apartment, you would be covered under the liability portion of your homeowners or renters insurance policy, should the injured guest sue you. Standard policies also include no-fault medical coverage so that the injured guest could simply file their medical claim with your insurance company and avoid a lawsuit. Not everyone is familiar with this coverage, but it provides very important financial protection.
You crash your car into a tree to avoid hitting a trick-or-treater
Of course, we know you will drive slowly and carefully, but if a group of excited trick-or-treaters darts in front of your car causing you to swerve and hit a tree, you should be covered. Accidents that do not involve another driver or pedestrian are covered under the optional collision portion of an auto insurance policy. If another car or person is involved in the accident, the liability portion of your auto policy would kick in.
Some basic steps can make your home safe for trick-or-treaters, so you can avoid Halloween disasters altogether:
Remove all objects around the outside of your house that could cause children to trip or fall.
Turn your outside light on so children will know they can visit your home.
Keep candles, jack-o-lanterns, matches and lighters in a place that children cannot reach. Halloween candles with multiple wicks close to one another are hazardous and should not be used. When lit they can produce a single high flame or several large flames close together resulting in intense heat and the danger of igniting nearby materials such as curtains or window sills.
Keep pets inside and away from trick-or-treaters and lit candles, especially if they are easily frightened or become over-excited in the presence of strangers.
If using decorative lights indoors or outdoors, use lights certified by a recognized organization such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories). Check lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires or loose connections. Discard damaged sets. Do not overload extension cords.
Each year, the clock is turned back on the Sunday before Halloween in almost every state, marking the end of daylight savings time. This means that it will be dark in much of the country by 5 p.m. on Monday, October 31, and because Halloween falls on a school day, many youngsters will be canvassing neighborhoods for treats after dark. Motorists need to remember that kids may be distracted by all the costumes and candy. So, drive slowly in residential areas and honk your horns on dimly lit streets to alert children who may not be paying close attention to vehicular traffic. And watch out for youngsters crossing against the light, darting out from between parked cars and walking in the street.
Copyright:
(c) 2011 Targeted News Service
Source:
Targeted News Service
Posted by Benji Riggins on October 13, 2011 under Safety |
NU Online News Service, Oct. 07, 11:47 a.m. EST
West Virginian deer continue to find the front grills of vehicles—more than in any other state.
Using its claims data, State Farm has again come up with a report on deer-vehicle collisions and has found that for the third straight year, the overall number of these unfortunate encounters in the United States has fallen between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011.
However, the average cost of property damage due to these collisions was up 2.2 percent during this period, to $3,171.
But the Mountain State, for the fifth year in a row, tops a list of states with the greatest odds of striking the wide-eyed grazers.
Over the next 12 months 1-in-53 drivers in West Virginia are likely to hit a deer, State Farm says. That’s actually an improvement over the last report, when the odds were 1-in-42.
The likelihood of hitting a deer in eight of the top 10 states form last went down from a year ago. For example, in Michigan—the state with the fifth-greatest odds of hitting a deer—there were 23,000 fewer deer-auto accidents during the latest period compared to the last period.
State Farm says about 1.09 million collisions occurred in from the mid-point last year to June 30 this year. That count is down 7 percent from the same period a year prior.
“It makes sense to us that during these challenging economic times, drivers in the U.S. are logging fewer miles,” says State Farm spokesman Dick Luedke in an email. “Everything else being equal, the fewer miles we drive, the fewer deer we hit.
“But perhaps not everything else is equal,” he adds. “Perhaps there is at least one other factor in play. We would like to think that the attention State Farm and others (including the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) have drawn to this issue in recent years has inspired drivers to be more attentive to what they can do to reduce their chances of an encounter with a deer.”
The nation’s top insurer of cars uses its data with licensed-driver data from each state to calculate the odds.
By Chad Hemenway, PropertyCasualty360.com
Tags: auto ins, car ins, deer accid, deer collision, gmac, hartford, insurance agency, insurance agent, MetLife, progressive, vehicle ins
Posted by Benji Riggins on September 27, 2011 under Safety |
Bedbugs don’t make people sick. But the poisons used to kill them can.
A new government study has found that dozens of Americans have fallen ill from the insecticides, and a North Carolina woman died after using 18 cans of chemical fogger to attack the tiny blood suckers.
Because many of the cases, including the lone death, were do-it-yourselfers who misused the chemicals or applied the wrong product, federal health officials are warning consumers to be careful and urging them to call professionals.
The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 80 illnesses and one death linked to the insecticides over three years. Most of the cases were in New York City, the apparent epicenter of a recent U.S. bedbug comeback.
The CDC was able to get data from 12 states, and only seven had reports of such illnesses. One was New York, where bedbugs have become a highly publicized problem and where health officials have also been extra vigilant about reporting unusual chemical poisonings.
Investigators were relieved to find a relatively small number of cases.
“At this point, it’s not a major public health problem,” said Dr. Geoff Calvert, a CDC investigator who co-authored the study.
Bedbugs are wingless, reddish-brown insects that bite people and animals to draw blood for their meals. Though their bites can cause itching and welts, they are not known to spread disease.
“There’s nothing inherently dangerous about bedbugs,” said Dr. Susi Vassallo, an emergency medicine doctor who works at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital Center and occasionally treats patients who report bedbug problems.
But the insects are a major hassle. In recent national surveys of exterminators, bedbugs were named the toughest pest to get rid of. They can hide for months, only come out at night and can be hard to spot with the human eye.
They are also creepy, provoking intense fear in the minds of many people unnerved by the threat that an almost invisible insect could emerge at night to drink their blood.
“Sometimes people get hysterical,” said Theresa Braine, a New York City journalist who lived with bedbugs in her apartment for a year and now writes a weekly Internet column about the pests.
The CDC study was the first to look at the dangers of bedbug insecticides. Researchers reviewed reports from California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Washington.
They counted 111 cases from 2003 through 2010. Most occurred in the last few years, when bedbug reports rose across the country. More than half were in New York City.
People suffered headaches, dizziness, breathing problems and nausea and vomiting. More than 80 percent of the illnesses were considered mild.
The one death was a 65-year-old woman from Rocky Mount, N.C., who had a history of heart trouble and other ailments.
In 2010, she and her husband used nine cans of insecticide fogger one day, then the same amount two days later, without opening doors and windows to air out their home afterward. She also covered her body and hair with another bedbug product, and covered her hair with a plastic shower cap.
Two other illnesses were carpet cleaners who had not been told the apartment had recently been treated with pesticides. Two more were emergency medical technicians who responded to a scene and were exposed to a white powder believed to be a pesticide.
CDC officials said they could not be absolutely certain that the insecticides caused every problem. For example, there was no record of an autopsy on the North Carolina woman. It’s possible that some of the illnesses were coincidental to the insecticide exposure.
But it’s also likely these kinds of illnesses are under-reported, Calvert said.
About 90 percent of the cases were linked to pyrethroids or pyrethrins, insecticides commonly used against bedbugs. Such products are not a health risk to most people but should still be applied by a trained exterminator, said Vassallo, who is also a toxicologist and a clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Medical Center.
But in some cases, an improper and more dangerous product was used. That happened in 2010 in Ohio, where an uncertified exterminator used malathion to rid an apartment of bedbugs, even though the chemical is never supposed to be used indoors. A couple and their 6-year-old child got sick.
CDC officials suggested people trying to rid their homes of bedbugs should first thoroughly vacuum all floors and furniture and wash linens.
If it doesn’t work, call an exterminator to apply the chemicals, and then carefully follow their directions about re-entering the room and airing it out, they said.
Exterminators can be expensive. Braine said it cost her more than $1,000 for one treatment of her small Brooklyn apartment, which was only briefly successful. She has since moved to another place.
For products that are sold to the public, labeling could be a little better.
“We think it would be helpful if they were easier to read, understand, and better conveyed the message that the insecticide can be toxic and should be used with great care,” Calvert said.
A spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association, a trade group, said the industry is continually looking at improving its labeling. But some people just don’t read labels.
For example, foggers are not recommended for bedbugs, she noted. And it appears some people use much more than is recommended.
“We live in a society where people believe that if a little bit is good, more is better,” said the spokeswoman, Missy Henriksen. But sometimes more is dangerous, she added.
CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr
By Mike Stobbe | September 26, 2011
Tags: auto ins, bedbug, bug killer, car ins, home ins, homeowners ins, house ins, insecticide, insurance agency, insurance agent, pest control
Posted by Benji Riggins on August 23, 2011 under Safety |
As automakers are building more small cars, they are managing to make them safer than ever, new car safety tests show.
Six of 13 small cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) earned the group’s top safety pick award, and none earned a poor rating in any of four tests.
This is a turnaround from a few years ago when small cars struggled to earn top safety ratings. The new tests include hybrids and gasoline-only models that are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the U.S. market.
The ratings are based on performance in front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations. Cars that earn the top rating of good in each test and have available electronic stability control (ESC) qualify for top safety pick. Winners are the 2012 Ford Focus and Honda Civic, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Nissan Juke, and Toyota Prius hybrid. The Civic, CT 200h, Elantra, Focus, and Prius have at least one version with a government fuel economy rating of at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The Dodge Caliber, Honda CR-Z and Insight hybrids, Nissan Sentra and Versa, Scion xD, and Suzuki SX4 also were rated but didn’t earn Top Safety Pick.
“The list of cars with the best fuel economy now includes those with the highest crash test ratings in their class, too,” says David Zuby, the institute’s chief research officer. “At a time of high gasoline prices, consumers have never had a bigger selection of small cars that earn Top Safety Pick.”
The IIHS began awarding top safety picks for the 2006 model year with less stringent criteria than today. Then only three small cars earned the designation (Honda Civic, Saab 9-2X, and Subaru Impreza). Now 22 small models, including those the Institute tested previously, earn the award with tougher requirements including a roof strength test, an ESC requirement to help drivers avoid crashes, and a higher bar for rear impact protection.
Still, Zuby points out that small, lightweight cars “don’t protect their occupants as well as bigger, heavier ones. Even though fuel prices sometimes defy gravity, the laws of physics always are in effect for cars. That’s why it’s important that the crashworthiness designs of smaller cars be as good as possible. The new ratings demonstrate that small cars are much safer than they used to be.”
In the latest group, the Toyota Prius hybrid is a top safety pick and also one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the market, with estimates of 51 miles per gallon in the city and 48 mpg on the highway. Altogether, 10 small and minicar models with government fuel economy ratings of at least 40 mpg on the highway also earned top spots.
Small cars used to have the least safety equipment. Now all have standard side airbags, and in this group all but the Caliber, SX4, and Versa have standard ESC for preventing many kinds of crashes. Auto manufacturers put ESC on cars and SUVs after research by the IIHS and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration demonstrated the effectiveness of this feature. An IIHS study found that ESC reduces fatal single-vehicle crashes by up to 50 percent. The government will require standard ESC on all new vehicles, starting with 2012 models.
In 1997, when the institute first put small cars through its then-new 40 mph frontal offset test, none of the 11 small cars earned the top rating of good, and 3 were poor. The first results for small cars in the side test in 2005 were no more encouraging — none was good, and 14 of the 16 models evaluated earned the lowest rating of poor.
“Each time we’ve introduced a new test, automakers have stepped up and improved designs,” Zuby says. “Now it’s rare for any vehicle to earn less than a good rating in front, side, or rear tests, and automakers are working on rollover protection.”
The Hyundai Elantra’s results show how vehicle designs have improved. The 2001-03 Elantra was rated poor for frontal crash protection. A late-deploying airbag contributed to high forces on the driver dummy’s head and neck. Forces on both lower legs indicated that fractured bones and a foot injury would be possible in a real-world crash of similar severity.
The 2001-06 Elantra also earned a poor side rating, even with standard side airbags. The structure of the older Elantra allowed a lot of intrusion into the occupant compartment, and driver dummy injury measures indicated that rib fractures, internal organ injuries, and a broken left leg would be possible in a real-world crash. ESC wasn’t available on this version of the Elantra, even as an option.
Acceptable ratings in one or more evaluations kept 5 of the 13 small cars off the top safety pick list. That was the case for the Honda CR-Z and Insight, Nissan Versa and Sentra, and Scion xD. The Suzuki SX4 is rated marginal for rollover and rear protection. The Dodge Caliber is rated marginal for side protection, while it is acceptable in the rollover test. None of the cars recently tested earn a poor rating in any evaluation.
Source: IIHS
Posted by Benji Riggins on May 11, 2011 under Safety |
A bill exempting adult drivers of all-terrain vehicles from helmet and eye protection requirements while riding on private property has become North Carolina law without Gov. Beverly Perdue’s signature.
Perdue didn’t act on the bill loosening protections in a 2005 ATV law before a constitutional deadline, which means the bill becomes law even though she didn’t sign it. The law takes effect Oct. 1.
Bill supporters have said the measure was in part about limiting what government can force adults to do.
Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson said the governor understands the concept of personal freedom behind the bill but she didn’t sign it as a symbol of her concern about the bill’s negative effect on public safety. Pearson likened ATV restrictions to child safety seat and motorcycle helmet requirements.
“They’re all designed to protect our citizens,” she said.
Eyewear and helmets would still be required on public streets and vehicular areas for adult ATV drivers and for children who drive the vehicles at all times. Opponents have said the exemption will lead to more injuries and deaths for adults and for children, who often mimic their parents’ actions.
Also last week, Perdue signed into law a bill that raises the fine for motorists speeding in school zones to $250 starting Aug. 25, the earliest day most traditional schools can start next school year. Current law sets a $25 minimum fine.
Posted by Benji Riggins on March 22, 2011 under Safety |
Despite a last-minute attempt to derail it, the U.S. government launched a public database Friday that allows Americans to report and search safety complaints on thousands of products — from cribs and toys to power tools and hair dryers.
SaferProducts.gov, overseen by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, went live last Friday’s as scheduled over the objections of manufacturers and a stalled Republican effort in Congress to withhold money for the project until critics’ concerns were addressed.
The database allows people to file reports of injury or potential harm about household products, baby gear and more. In the coming weeks, as consumers file reports with the agency, people will be able to search for safety complaints about specific items they might have in their homes or want to purchase.
“Through SaferProducts.gov, consumers will have open access to product safety information that they have never seen before and the information will empower them to make safer choices,” Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the consumer safety agency, told The Associated Press.
But manufacturers, congressional Republicans and others charge the public database will be replete with bogus reports and misleading information.
“We want the information to be as accurate as possible in this database,” said Rosario Palmieri, vice president of regulatory policy at the National Association of Manufacturers. “Otherwise this will not be a useful tool for consumers.”
NAM had filed a petition asking the commission to delay Friday’s launch to address manufacturers’ concerns. The agency said it is still reviewing the petition.
Manufacturers want the definition of who can file a report to be more limited. Pretty much anyone can make a report. They don’t necessarily have to have first-hand knowledge of what happened. Database opponents worry that business competitors, trial attorneys and others will populate the system with reports inspired by political or financial motives.
That was one of the reasons Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Republican newcomer, sponsored an amendment approved in the Republican-led House last month to withhold additional funding for the database. But the amendment stalled in the Senate, where Democrats remain the majority.
Consumer advocates say the database has safeguards to ensure accuracy.
“It will not be the doomsday scenario that the industry has said it is going to be,” Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety and senior counsel at the Consumer Federation of America, said in an interview. “The database will end the secrecy that currently prevents critical product safety information from reaching consumers.”
While the website went live on Friday, the first complaints to go public likely will not come for about 15 days.
During a recent “soft launch” of the public database, where the agency tested the system for about six weeks, 1,500 reports were filed by consumers. Of those, the commission says, 13 were identified by manufacturers as having false or misleading information.
By Jennifer C. Kerr | March 15, 2011
