Americans may be at risk for injury or even death because of delays in product recalls being issued, according to a new report from a consumer-watchdog group. The report, “Safe at Home?” from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund, points to numerous instances when the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an independent federal regulatory agency, and manufacturers knew of safety issues with products, but a recall wasn’t issued until months or even years later.
“It takes way too long,” said Teresa Murray, the report’s author, in an interview with MarketWatch. And the consequences can be serious, the PIRG report makes clear. Murray cites examples of faulty products, from gas ranges to treadmills, that resulted in injuries or property damage. The CPSC and companies were made aware of the problems, but reports continued to pile up before a recall notice went out. One troubling example cited in the report: Last March, a woman told both the manufacturer and the CPSC of a potentially life-threatening problem concerning her gas range, which was made by ZLINE Kitchen and Bath of Nevada. Specifically, the range emitted too much carbon monoxide, as the woman learned when a detector in her home went off. There were 43 other complaints filed with the company (and in some cases also with the CPSC) concerning the ZLINE gas ranges, with three of them resulting in people seeking medi …