11,000 children’s swing sets, sold nationwide at Wal-Mart and Toys “R” Us, have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The swing set negligent design recall has been prompted by more than 100 reports of parts breaking, putting a serious risk to the safety of children using the toy. The hazardous product recall was issued by Backyard Leisure LLC.

The wooden swing sets, which come in four different styles, come with a variety of swings, slides, and gliders for children to play on. In each of the reports, customers say that the hangers supporting glider chains have broken due to negligent design. This can cause a child to fall off the moving glider, and the chain may strike the child in the head after breaking from its hanger.

Faulty design or manufacture of the Chinese-produced swing sets put the safety of children at risk, particularly because gliders are elevated and often in motion at the time the defect causes a problem. Backyard Leisure is instructing consumers to remove the glider from the swing set so it cannot be used. The company is offering free replacement glider hangers, as well as instructions on how to repair the product. The four styles included in the recall are the pathfinder, Conqueror, Cedar Ridge and Windsor styles. For more information, read the original press release.

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Yet another set of children’s jewelry is being recalled due to high levels of lead paint. This time, the products are Makit & Bakit Jewelry Sets and Suncatcher Sets. More than 70,000 pieces were sold nationwide that are now included in the recall. Read on for specific product numbers.

The manufacturer, based in Michigan, is QuinCrafts. The following jewelry sets sold from August 2007 to March of this year for approximately $2:

For photos of the recalled toys and information on what to do, visit the official Consumer Product Safety Commission press release.

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Yet another grill has been recalled due to fire hazards, but this one was sold in just a few states, including Iowa. The Char-Broil Two-Burner Gas Grill (see model number below) has been recalled because the main burner does not properly fit its attachment to the gas valve. This could cause a propane leak that leads to fire damage and serious burns to consumers.

Four hundred of the grills were sold between February and April of this year. The product retailed for approximately $120. if you have a recalled grill, stop using it immediately and contact Char-Broil for more information on getting a free replacement burner. Those grills affected will bear the model number 463720108, and were sold in the following states:

• Iowa
• North Dakota
• Minnesota
• Wisconsin

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Disney has announced a particularly unsettling lead-paint recall: sleeping bags. The company is recalling more than 4,000 children’s sleeping bags decorated in a Pirates of the Caribbean theme. The sleeping bags were sold for approximately $25 in Disney stores all across the country between April and October of last year.

The fact that a children’s sleeping bag could be coated in lead paint is quite disconcerting. Details of the recall explain that the specific part of the product effected is the zipper pull along the side of the bag. While the cartoon pirates on the bag and other parts are reported to be safe, this small zipper has effectively ‘hijacked’ the safety of the entire product.

If you have this Disney Sleeping Bag, take it away from the child immediately and bring it to the Disney store for a full refund.

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As warmer weather ensues, the federal government is warning parents about a household hazard that you might not expect: windows. On average, 25 people die each year after falling out of windows, and 1/3 of those deaths are children under the age of five. This tragic scenario, however, can be easily avoided. There are some simple steps that parents can and should take to make sure your home is safe for the whole family.

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A new law concerning pool and spa safety has been approved, spearheaded by a mother who lost her 7-year-old daughter in 2002. Now she and several organizations have teamed up to require more safety measures for both pools and spas. But on the heels of the law’s approval comes an announcement that pool and spa drownings involving children under five are actually on the rise.

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Often, products are recalled when a tame item becomes dangerous. An appliance might be a fire hazard, a toy may be a strangulation hazard. But this week a product that can be dangerous when working properly–an air pistol–was recalled because a malfunction may make the product even more hazardous.
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A product designed to safely warm bottles and food for infants has turned out to be a fire hazard. The “Deluxe Bottle and Food Warmer,” manufactured by Munchkin Inc., of North Hills, California was recalled on Thursday after several reports of the product igniting in flame.
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By now, American consumers are used to hearing about product recalls that center around children’s goods, specifically lead paint and choking hazards. However, “grown up toys” are recalled more often than one might expect for a different, yet very serious, type of hazard: laceration.
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In 1994, 5-year-old Nancy Sibley died when the drawstring on her hood caught at the top of a slide, causing her to strangle. Since then, much has been done to modify and eliminate drawstrings from the heads and necks of children’s apparel. But this April, eight companies were fined $320,000 for failing to comply with federal standards for reporting drawstrings in their products.
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