Defective Products Archive

Incandescent vs. Fluorescent: Just Where is all that Mercury Going?

April 13th, 2011. By Hunter West

Okay, we all know that those fluorescent bulbs are more efficient than incandescent bulbs. They last longer, and reduce greenhouse gasses.

And everyone is on the bandwagon. Canada starts phasing out incandescent bulbs starting next year. In the US, it’s 2014. Australia led the way in 2007, and the European Union came soon after. 

Here’s the thing. Incandescent light bulbs, as inefficient as they are, don’t contain mercury.

But fluorescents do. 

Okay fine, the mercury is in the bulb and as long as they don’t break… 

Indeed. 

Yes, mercury is a naturally occurring element, just as the inert gas used in the incandescent bulb is also naturally occurring. The difference with mercury is that it’s a neurotoxin that can damage the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver through chronic exposure. 

Health Canada says, “Mercury can impair the ability to feel, see, move and taste and can cause numbness and tunnel vision. Long-term exposure can lead to progressively worse symptoms and ultimately personality changes, stupor and in extreme cases, coma or death,” according to Health Canada. 

The regulator goes on to say that recent research suggests even at low levels, mercury can have adverse health impacts on the cardiovascular and immune system. 

Here’s the question. What happens to all these bulbs when they are spent? And what happens if they break en route to a disposal facility? 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that three per cent of the total mercury in Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: environment, Evironmental Protection Agency, fluorescent bulbs, fluorescent light bulbs, green house gasses, Health Canada, incandescent bulb
Posted in Defective Products, Emerging Issues, Environment | No Comments »

Chevy HHR Key Stuck in Ignition Fix – Is this a Joke?

March 17th, 2011. By AbiK

I’ve heard one too many complaints now about the Chevy HHR ignition problem—the one where you can’t get the key out of the ignition, and in some instances the key won’t come out and the HHR is still running! In these parts, we’d call that a design defect. But seems like GM doesn’t quite feel the same way.

So while I had done some checking into this a while back when I had first posted about the Chevy HHR problem (and while we’re at it, let’s throw in the Chevy Cobalt problem, too) I had focused on official complaints being filed over at the NHTSA—not so much the solution because, heck, shouldn’t GM or Chevy be taking care of this gratis for folks who’ve been stuck in an HHR that won’t shut off? Is it just me? Or, shouldn’t there be some sort of Chevy HHR recall or at least a “come in and get your part replaced” notice?

Well, there’s been none that I’ve seen, and apparently none of you HHR owners out there have seen one either.

So I came across this guy’s video on how to fix the HHR problem. Kudos to him for taking the time to film 10 minutes of repair work, explaining everything step by step. But is this a joke?!? Don’t get me wrong—the video is great—but like I’m going to dislodge my car’s gear shift and put everything back together again. Right. And I love his comment at about minute 6:15: “pretty maddening to put in” followed by minute 6:36: “it sounds easier than it is” —I’ll bet! Bottom line, there’s a car mechanic somewhere (or HHR dealer) who’ll be making a few quid off HHR owners from this problem.

Is this how GM Customer Service works?

C’mon Chevy, step up to the plate.

Tags: Chevy Cobalt, Chevy HHR, chevy-hhr-ignition-problems-2009-steering-2, Gear Shift, GM, Ignition Problem, Key Stuck
Posted in Automotive, Defective Products, Emerging Issues | 180 Comments »

Could Wipes have Killed an Innocent Child?

February 16th, 2011. By LucyC

On December 1st, 2010, two-year old Harrison Kothari died from a rare infection while in the hospital recovering from surgery. As if this weren’t bad enough, the kicker is the very real possibility that the infection, acute bacterial meningitis caused by Bacillus cereus, and his subsequent death could have been prevented. So Harrison’s parents are suing the makers of Triad Alcohol Prep Pads, which the hospital used on their son in late 2010, but which were subsequently recalled on January 5^th 2011 due to contamination with Bacillus cereus.

While hospitals are infamous incubators of a host of bacterial illnesses, acute bacterial meningitis is not one of them. Rather, Bacillus cereus is typically found in rare food poisoning outbreaks. Hospital officials were at a loss to explain how Harrison had contracted the infection. “They had no explanation as to how he contracted it,” Sandra Kothari, 37, Harrison’s mother told msnbc.com. “They know it’s rare in the hospital.”

Then, in January, a relative caught sight of the recall notice for the alcohol wipes and swabs on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, which reads:  

“Triad Group, a manufacturer of over-the-counter products and FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients of the recall involving all lots of alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks manufactured by Triad but sold as private labels at the consumer level. This recall has been initiated due to concerns about potential contamination of the products with Bacillus cereus. This recall involves those products marked as STERILE as well as non-sterile products. Use of contaminated alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks could lead to life-threatening infections, especially in at-risk populations, including immune suppressed and surgical patients.” 

 “These wipes were used in his [Harrison’s] care every single day, multiple times a day,” Harrison’s father, 38-year old Shanoop Kothari, told msnbc.com. And officials at the hospital have confirmed that those alcohol prep products were supplied by Triad.

 “We’re confident that that’s the cause,” said Kothari. “There was no other explanation that made any sort of sense. He contracted a very rare bacteria. These swatches were tainted with that bacteria.”

This week lawyers representing the Kotharis filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Houston, charging the Triad Group with gross negligence and seeking damages for the loss of Harrison’s life.

“Our emotional response over this has been horrible,” said Shanoop Kothari said of his family, which also includes Harrison’s 7-year-old sister, Hannah. “We’ve been devastated. We’ve been absolutely crushed.”

This tragic situation brings to light a larger problem: according to FDA spokesperson, Christopher Kelly, who spoke with msnbc.com about this matter, Triad, a 35-year old family run company, “did everything correctly” in notifying government authorities about the recall. The recalled products are reportedly also sold under private labels in Canada and Europe, as well as the US. So what does this mean for you and me—woe betide us if we do not regularly monitor the FDA website?

Understandably, Sandra Kothari is worried that others may have been injured, infected or killed as a result of exposure to these products. “I wouldn’t want any other mother to go what I’ve gone through,” she told msnbc. And it’s possible. To be clear, these wipes and swabs were widely used in hospitals and, “sold in stores including CVS and Walgreens. “People buy alcohol pads and they last a long time in your bathroom. They’re sitting there now,” she said.

The recall notice states the following:

“The affected Alcohol Prep Pads, Alcohol Swabs and Alcohol Swabsticks can be identified by either “Triad Group,” listed as the manufacturer, or the products are manufactured for a third party and use the names listed below in their packaging: Cardinal Health, PSS Select, VersaPro, Boca/ Ultilet, Moore Medical, Walgreens, CVS, Conzellin. 

A final caveat—in case you’re wondering whether Harrison had received his bacterial meningitis vaccine—the answer is no—he wasn’t quite old enough at the time he underwent surgery. And even if he had had the vaccine, it doesn’t protect against that strain of the bacteria.

Read the Triad alcohol swab recall notice here.

Tags: Bacillus cereus, Harrison Kothari, Negligence, Triad Alcohol Swab, Wrongful Death
Posted in Defective Products, Drugs/Medical | 2 Comments »

Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift? Go for Glee with Phthalate Free

February 11th, 2011. By Hunter West

Can we talk? 

Okay, Valentine’s Day is coming up on Monday and much as we like to think that the Big Red Day is all about flowers and chocolates, gushy Hallmark cards and little else, sex toy and adult novelty shops do a booming business leading up to Valentine’s Day. 

No, you don’t have to close your eyes. It’s not like we have samples. But face it, for some people nothing says ‘I love you’ like a big piece of rubber…even better if it glows in the dark. 

Which brings us to health issues. In January the National Post up in Canada carried a story about the Canadian sex toy retail industry crying foul over the fact that Health Canada does not regulate phthalates in adult sex toys in the same fashion as children’s toys. 

(We believe the same is true in this country, but of course Canadians are much more randy this time of year than we are—what else is there to do up there when the snow banks are higher than your Honda and it’s ten below zero outside? Ya know why they won all those medals in the Olympics last year, don’t you? All those indoor sports…). 

Health Canada, the Canadian health regulator akin to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in this country, announced last month that it was putting new restrictions in place that would lower concentrations of six phthalates by June of this year. Lest you think ‘phthalate’ is a new position you haven’t tried yet, in reality it’s a chemical that is used to make rubber compounds soft and squishy—which is the last thing you want to have happen in the real experience but quite acceptable in sex toys. 

All kidding aside, the gurus at Health Canada have a point. Phthalates have been voluntarily removed from pacifiers and baby bottle nipples for some time due to personal injury concerns about the risks associated with phthalates and reproduction and development of children less than four years of age. 

To that end, it has been determined, according to the National Post, that objects do not release phthalates merely through touch. However, they can release the vilified chemical into saliva when a child sucks on a pacifier. 

Or, for that matter, anything the child is playing with. To that end, a rubber duckie is not designed to go into a child’s mouth. However, putting things in their mouths is what children do—including rubber duckies and anything made of soft rubber into which phthalates are injected to make then soft. (By the way, according to Big Teaze Toys (tagline, “Toys that Play with You”), I Rub My Duckie (shown) is not only phthalate free, but has appeared on The View. And no, this isn’t an endorsement).

Manufacturers thought they were doing the kids a favor by taking out the rigidity of rubber, so Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: birth defects, FDA, Health Canada, Phthalates, Sex Toys
Posted in Defective Products, Emerging Issues, Personal Injury | No Comments »

Defective Products—Will the World be held Accountable?

January 13th, 2011. By janem

Wikileaks just got wind of a secret document from Chinese officials regarding the pending Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2010, or FMLAA. If the bill is passed, China plans to buy “Made in America” products, from toys to drywall, splatter  them with lead paint and sell these defective products to countries that trade with the US.  Why, you may ask? Because China wants to level the playing field: If the US can sue China under the FMLAA for contaminated drywall and defective toys, “foreign countries” (including Canada and the EU) can sue the US because their “Made in America” products are contaminated with lead paint.

KIDDING!  But it may have crossed the minds of unscrupulous Chinese manufacturers…

Last February, Representative Betty Sutton introduced the FMLAA following the Chinese drywall debacle, which came on the heels of other problems with imported products—from baby cribs and toys to auto brakes. This bill will take the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2009 one step further, to product litigation. It means that foreign manufacturers who ship to the US will have to hire a resident US agent, who will then have to “accept service of process on behalf of such manufacturer or producer for the purpose of all civil and regulatory actions in State and Federal Courts.” No registered agent, no importation.

On Tuesday, January 11^th, the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear two cases about the right to sue a foreign manufacturer in the U.S. court system.

In the first case, Robert Nicastro lost his four right fingers in 2001 while operating a machine used to cut metal made by McIntyre Machinery, based in the UK. The machine Nicastro was operating did not meet U.S. safety standards, but was marketed at trade shows across the US for 15 years. Nicastro brought a product liability case against the company in 2003, and McIntyre is arguing that because they are a UK company, they did not have sufficient “contacts” in New Jersey for the state’s legal system to have jurisdiction over them.

In the second case, two young boys, Matt Helms and Julian Brown were killed in a bus accident while traveling to Paris, France for a soccer tournament. The driver of the bus lost control when the Goodyear tire from the bus had its plies separate, causing the bus to rollover. The families of the boys are seeking to hold Goodyear Luxembourg, the manufacturer of the tire, accountable in the North Carolina court system.

Meanwhile, the head of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission seems to be up against a brick wall (pardon the pun) after meeting with her counterparts there about defective Chinese drywall, among other issues. Chinese drywall manufacturers have yet to come to the table for discussions. (According to the CPSC, as of Jan. 7, there were 3,770 incidents reported of defective drywall.)

Perhaps the threat of litigation under the FMLAA will get them talking.

Tags: chinese drywall, defective auto, lead paint toys
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »