Press Release December 16, 1996	Contact: Andy Norton, 914-378-2436 Consumers Union Yonkers Office

CONSUMER REPORTS TESTS CHILD-SAFETY PRODUCTS

From Gates To Latches To Toilet Lid Locks: Childproofing Isn’t Child’s Play
Magazine Rates 14 Products "Not Acceptable" Based On Choking, Burning Hazards

YONKERS, NY -- The statistics alone argue forcefully for childproofing your home. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), each year in U.S. homes:

• About 1 million children accidentally ingest medicines or chemicals. Fifty or so die as a result.
  
• Some 50,000 children are injured from contact with electrical fixtures, cords and other equipment.
  

And those numbers don’t account for the kids who are injured or killed by climbing out windows, reaching onto hot stoves, falling into toilets or tumbling down stairs.

In its January 1997 issue, Consumer Reports magazine presents "Home Safer Home?" an examination of products designed to reduce or eliminate these household threats and more. For the article, the magazine tested items in more than a dozen categories, judging some Excellent or Very Good, and others merely mediocre. Fourteen other products, meanwhile, were deemed "Not Acceptable" because -- contrary to their intended purpose -- they could cause children harm.

Each product that wasn’t judged "Not Acceptable" was given an overall rating, based on ease of use, ease of installation and other criteria, including durability. The magazine further grouped products by the safety issue they address. Here are some of those groups and their top-rated products:

• Electrical Outlet Covers: Designed to prevent children from poking an item into an open socket. The Safety 1st 10401N Auto-Swivel Outlet Cover ($2/each) was rated "Excellent" overall, owing -- in part -- to its spring-loaded, swiveling covers that close automatically. Should thwart children up to about age 5.
  
• Toilet Lid Locks: Designed to lock children out of the toilet bowl. The top-rated Gerber 76597 Toilet Lid Lock ($4), judged "Very Good," mounts easily and securely to the toilet lid with double-sided tape, and resets automatically when the lid is closed, increasing its deterrent value. Should thwart children up to at least age 2½.
  
• Medicine-Cabinet Latches: Designed to secure the swinging or sliding doors of a medicine cabinet from the prying attentions of children. Rated "Very Good," the Safety 1st 11611 Sliding Medicine Cabinet Latch ($1.10/two) automatically locks sliding doors when they are closed with a leaf-spring latch attached by double-sided tape. Effective against children up to age 3½.
  
• Stove Guards: Designed to deny children access to the stove top or the oven interior, or to prevent them from turning stove knobs. The Safety 1st 241 Oven Lock ($2) received ratings of "Fair" (when used with a conventional oven) and "good" (when used with a microwave oven). Easy to install and use. Should thwart children up to age 3.
  
• Window-Blind Devices: Designed to prevent children from strangling on window-blind cords. Two products, the Safety Source/Mericon 0330 Window Blind Cord Wrap ($2.25/four) and the Safety 1st 222 Window Blind Cord Wind-Up ($1.50/two) were each rated "Good" overall. The Safety Source should protect children up to age 2½; the Safety 1st up to age 3.
  

In addition, CR examined some groups in which only one product was rated. For example:

• Window Locks: Designed to prevent windows from being opened high enough for children to get out, or from being closed on a child’s head, hands or neck. Rated only "Fair" overall, the Safety 1st 140 Window Lock ($2/two) allows a window to be locked open at two different positions, protecting children up to about age 5.
  

Within these groups, 13 products were judged "Not Acceptable" because they may choke or strangle a child. A 14th product posed a fire hazard. Consumer Reports magazine has informed the CPSC of its findings and urged the agency to investigate. These products are:

• Electrical Outlet Covers: AmerTac Style Safety Outlet Caps; Brainerd 565XC Electrical Outlet Plugs; Eagle Academy BP29CL Safety Caps; Ekco 15025 Shock Guards; GE 2501-70D5 Saf-T-Gard Safety Caps; Gem 6025BL Safety Caps; KinderGard 412 Outlet Plugs; Leviton’s 837-12777 Kiddy Cop Outlet Caps; Regent Baby King BK1403; Robinson Knife Co. 8922 Outlet Plugs; Safety 1st 117N Outlet Cap (translucent only); and True Value 474239 Master Electrician Outlet Caps. All were small enough to pose a choking hazard.
  
• Window-Blind Device: Gerber 76347 Break-Thru Window Blind Cord Tassels. Disks fitted on the cut ends of a looped window-blind cord that separate before a child, whose head has become trapped in the loop, can come to harm. Still, the Tassels don’t reduce the risk of strangulation from a cord wrapped around a child’s neck.
  

Stove Guard: Safety 1st 242R Stove Knob Cover. As first described in the June 1996 issue of CR, these plastic covers can easily be knocked loose by children older than about 2. If pushed onto a burner, a cover will catch fire.

"Home Safer Home?" also looks at child safety gates, which, when installed properly in a doorway or other opening, can keep a child from danger while allowing adults to see and hear what the youngster is doing. Although CR found flaws in many of the 14 gates it tested, all offer some security.

There are basically two types of gates on the market, the magazine notes: Those that fasten to the wall with hardware, and those that use bumper pads to stay in place. Each type has its uses, but regardless which type you buy, CR recommends you stop using a gate once the child learns to defeat it or climb over it. A rule of thumb: A gate should be at least three-quarters as tall as your child.

Among "hardware" gates (the best choice for any location where safety is paramount) the Kidco Safeway Gate G20 ($50) emerged as CR’s top rated, despite its poor instructions. Kidco also rated highest among the bumper pad, or "pressure-mounted" gates with its $70 Gateway G10.

The January issue of Consumer Reports will be available Dec. 24 wherever magazines are sold. The full report covered in this release will also be available by fax or mail starting Dec. 24, under code number 9538, via Consumer Reports by Request, 1-800-419-9824, at a cost of $7.75 per report.