Kentucky: Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Environmental Management Branch
275 East Main Street, HS1C-D
Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: (502) 564-4856

Return to Public Health Protection and Safety

The Consumer Product Safety Program

The mission of the product safety program is to protect consumers from the unreasonable risk of injury by consumer products. Examples of initiatives include the following:

Drowning: Drowning was the third leading cause of injury related death to children in the Commonwealth in 2002. Children under 4 had the highest drowning rates of any age group.* While most drownings occur in open bodies of water such as rivers, lakes ponds and swimming pools, they can also happen in bathtubs, toilets, 5-gallon buckets and other containers.

Caregivers should decide which adult will watch children around water, and then watch them constantly. Don’t let them out of sight even for a moment, and don’t be distracted by a ringing telephone. Be sure to empty buckets and other containers promptly after use.

Swimming pool safety Safety Alert from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

*Source: 2002 Kentucky Child Fatality Review System report

ATV Safety: Promote the safe use of All-Terrain Vehicles, including:

Always wear a helmet
Choose an ATV with an engine size appropriate for the operator’s age
Take the ATV Safety Institute Rider course. Call 800-887-2887 or visit the ASI Web site at www.atvsafety.org for information
Never operate an ATV with more than one rider
Never operate on paved surfaces
Always wear a helmet

Nursery Equipment Safety: Promote the use of safe nursery equipment through education programs conducted with local health departments. Precautions include:

Mail in the product registration card or register your purchase on the manufacturer’s Web site. This allows the company to notify consumers of recalls.
Inspect equipment regularly for loose or missing parts.
Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site at www.cpsc.gov for information about product recalls and updated standards.
Infants under one year old should always sleep in a crib that is in good repair and meets current specifications. Adult beds do not meet safety standards for babies.
Remove pillows, blankets, sheets, stuffed animals and other soft objects from the crib. They can present a suffocation hazard.

Recall Effectiveness Checks: Perform spot checks of retailers to ensure that recalled products have been removed from sale.

Toy Safety: Promote the use of age-appropriate toys. Safety tips include:

For children under age 3, select toys with no small pieces that can be a choking hazard.
Keep toys intended for older children out of the reach of children under age 3.

For additional information about recalled products, or to report a potentially unsafe product, call the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission toll-free at 800-638-2772, or visit the commission web site at www.cpsc.gov.

The posters below concerning child suffocations and furnace recalls may be copied and used without permission.

Old chest freezers

Cedar chest suffocations

Coleman furnace recalls