Stay Up-To-Date on Product Recalls

By Caitlin Bootsma
Consultant to the VIRTUS_^® Programs

Regular maintenance is familiar to any homeowner—change the air filters, be sure the chimney is working properly, replace pieces of appliances when they break or become a safety hazard. It only makes sense then, to extend this care for the toys and possessions of the children we care for. One important way to make sure children’s toys are safe is to keep up-to-date on any product recalls.

The reasons for recalls can vary, but most are issued because a product has been shown to be unsafe. Examples range from a front wheel that often separates entirely from a bicycle (with clear risk of injury) to the back of a children’s watch detaching, exposing a child to material that could cause a rash or chemical burns.

It may seem a daunting task to keep up with product recalls that may affect your children. Luckily, there are a few tools that can help you keep your children safe.

The first is a product recall search engine that allows you to search by brand, product or model number to see if there have been any product recalls issued for an item. This tool can be particularly useful when you buy the item used (and the seller may not be aware of the recall).

The second tool is a monthly listing of newly recalled products. Just as you might schedule other routine maintenance, adding a note on your calendar every couple months to check for recalls could prevent your child from being injured.

While most of your child’s toys and other possessions will hopefully never be recalled, this important precaution is one more way that we, as caring adults, can protect our children and keep them safe.

Editor’s Note: Know of other great ways to keep up-to-date on product recalls? Let us know by email! 

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