Do you know about safety recalls?

When you purchase an item in a store, you usually don’t think that that item can kill you!

In fact we assume that if it made its way to a shelf then it must have been given rigorous safety testing.  This feeling of trust allows customers to leave the store without examining the product carefully.

Even if the product is carefully examined though, there is still a slight risk that there can be a safety concern.

Imported Items

Of special interest are items which have been imported.  These items could have been recalled in their home countries but the average consumer is unaware of this fact.

Imported items might also not be as carefully scrutinized as local products as there still exists the mistaken belief that, ‘anything foreign must be good’.

Reports on recalled local items might feature prominently in the  media but they might gloss over or ignore those recalls which might be on imported items.

Safety Recalls

Consumers are not totally left without information though as the Consumer Affairs’ website : www.consumeraffairsjamaica.gov.jm  has an intensive list of products that have been recalled internationally.

The list provided on the website is constantly being updated to provide consumers with an accurate up to the minute view of  of those companies who have issued recalls as well as information such as the serial numbers of affected products.

The news feed is streamed from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. As I examined the various listings, I must admit some recalls seemed to be for minor issues.

This does not take away from the fact that there are various ways that a seemingly innocent thing can pose a safety risk.

In some cases it seemed that consumers were being warned that someone had succumbed to a chocking hazard for example so the company in question wanted to ensure that they protect their customers by recalling the product and changing the design to prevent further injury.

So do you know the safety recalls that might affect the products you buy? Sound off below!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: safety recalls