Hazards at Home

TITLE: HAZARDS AT HOME 8-00-04 (Three Part Version)

ANCHOR LEAD

WHEN YOU BUY A BABY WALKER OR A BIKE HELMET, YOU EXPECT IT TO BE SAFE. BUT MANY CHILDREN'S AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS ARE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS. EACH YEAR THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION ISSUES AS MANY AS 300 PRODUCT RECALLS. BUT ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE PRODUCTS ARE ACTUALLY RETURNED. AS _______, REPORTS, YOU MAY BE SURPRISED WHERE THEY END UP.

#1 Length :34

WRAP ONE Length :09
THRIFT STORES CAN BE GREAT PLACES TO PICK UP CHILDREN'S ITEMS INEXPENSIVELY. BUT KEN GILES OF THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION SAYS PEOPLE MAY BE GETTING MORE THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR-UNSAFE PRODUCTS.

ACT :Ken Giles, Consumer Product Safety Commission Length :07
"We do a good job getting the products off the store shelves. It's much harder to get recalled products out of the homes."

WRAP TWO Length :08
LYNN STARKS KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE ANGUISH HAZARDOUS PRODUCTS CAN CAUSE. HER THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHITNEY WAS ONE OF 54 CHILDREN STRANGLED BY A DEFECTIVE BUNK BED.

ACT: Lynn Starks,Mother Length :05
"I know they don't want to go through what I went that morning. And I will go to bed with that every night."

WRAP THREE Length :04
COMING UP…WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATING PRODUCT RECALLS.

#2 Length :45

ACT : Length :04
"Good afternoon, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Miss Wellington speaking, how may I help you?"

WRAP FOUR Length :10
HALF OF THE MOST SERIOUS PRODUCT HAZARDS EACH YEAR ARE DISCOVERED BY CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY INVESTIGATORS…NOT REPORTED BY COMPANIES. THIS ANGERS PRODUCT LIABILITY ATTORNEY LEO BOYLE.

ACT :Leo BoyleProduct Liability Attorney, length :13
"If more companies were…as aggressive about sending out recalls about their products as they are about advertising their new and snazzy products, we could prevent deaths."

WRAP FIVE Length :19
COMPANIES GENERALLY PUBLICIZE RECALLS USING LOW-COST OR FREE MEDIA…INCLUDING RECALL HOT LINES… FLIERS TO PEDIATRICIANS AND DAYCARE CENTERS... AND NEWS CONFERENCES. SAFETY ADVOCATES WANT COMPANIES TO PAY FOR ADS…BUT THEY ARGUE THEY'LL BE FORCED TO INCREASE PRODUCT PRICES. ARE PEOPLE IGNORING PRODUCT RECALLS? MORE ON THAT IN A MOMENT.

#3 Length :42

ACT :Mel Landis, Manufacturer's Consultant Length :05
"They know when there's a problem with those products generally. I think it's a lack of interest."

WRAP SEVEN Length :15
MEL LANDIS IS A MANUFACTURERS CONSULTANT. HE BLAMES LOW RECALL COMPLIANCE ON UNRESPONSIVE PARENTS WHO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO AUTO RECALL NOTICES THAN TO RECALLS AFFECTING THEIR CHILDREN'S SAFETY. BUT PARENT MOLLY KUEHN PAYS ATTENTION…AND THINKS MANUFACTURERS SHOULD BE MORE VIGILANT.

ACT :Molly Kuehn,Mother Length :06
"I think the first time it even slightly injures a child they should take 100 percent responsibility."

WRAP EIGHT Length :15
IN A SURVEY OF THRIFT SHOPS, 69 PERCENT WERE SELLING AT LEAST ONE HAZARDOUS PRODUCT. THE MOST COMMON ONES WERE CHILDREN'S GARMENTS WITH DRAWSTRINGS, HAIR DRYERS WITHOUT ELECTROCUTION PROTECTION AND CRIBS THAT DON'T MEET CURRENT SAFETY STANDARDS. THRIFT STORE OWNERS ARE BEING URGED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THEY SELL.

WRAP NINE Length :
Local talent wrap

LOCAL ANCHOR LOCKOUT

THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION NOW HAS A FASTRACK RECALLS PROGRAM WHERE COMPANIES CAN REPORT PRODUCT DEFECTS AND THE ACTION THEY PROPOSE. THE CPSC WILL RESPOND WITHIN THREE WEEKS, ELIMINATING DANGEROUS DELAYS. YOU CAN REPORT UNSAFE PRODUCTS OR SEARCH A DATABASE OF ALL PRODUCT RECALLS SINCE 1984, BY LOGGING ONTO THEIR WEB SITE AT www.cpsc.gov.

TITLE: HAZARDS AT HOME 8-00-04A (Single Part Version)

ANCHOR LEAD

WRAP ONE Length :10
WHERE DO RECALLED PRODUCTS GO? THEY SHOULD BE GOING BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER, BUT KEN GILES OF THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION SAYS THEY OFTEN END UP IN THRIFT STORES.

ACT :Ken Giles, Consumer Product Safety Commission Length :07
"We do a good job getting the products off the store shelves. It's much harder to get recalled products out of the homes."

WRAP TWO Length :14
OFTEN PRODUCT RECALLS COME ONLY AFTER REPORTS OF DEATH AND INJURY. LYNN STARKS KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE ANGUISH HAZARDOUS PRODUCTS CAUSE. HER THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHITNEY WAS ONE OF 54 CHILDREN WHO DIED OF STRANGULATION BEFORE A BRAND OF DEFECTIVE BUNKBEDS WAS RECALLED.

ACT :Lynn Starks, Mother of Victim Length :05
"I know they don't want to go through what I went through that morning. And I will go to bed with that every night."

WRAP THREE Length :17
IN A SURVEY OF 300 THRIFT STORES, 69 PERCENT WERE FOUND TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE HAZARDOUS PRODUCT. THE MOST COMMON…KID'S CLOTHING WITH DRAWSTRINGS, HAIR DRYERS WITHOUT ELECTROCUTION PROTECTION AND CRIBS THAT DON'T MEET SAFETY STANDARDS. THRIFT STORE OWNERS ARE BEING URGED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THEY SELL.

WRAP FOUR Length :
Local Talent Wrap

LOCAL ANCHOR LOCKOUT

SAFETY ADVOCATES WANT COMPANIES TO ADVERTISE RECALLS. MANUFACTURERS ARGUE THIS COULD RAISE THE COST OF THEIR MERCHANDISE. BUT MOST CONSUMERS WOULD GLADLY PAY MORE FOR SAFETY. YOU CAN REPORT UNSAFE PRODUCTS OR SEARCH A DATABASE OF ALL PRODUCT RECALLS SINCE 1984, BY LOGGING ONTO THE THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION YOU WEB SITE AT www.cpsc.gov

Contacts:

Ken Giles
Public Affairs Product Safety Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Washington, DC 20201
301-504-5800 Ext. 1184

Ken Giles helps oversee the "Recall Roundup" a program designed to get information on recalled products back to the media.

Leo Boyle
Product Liability Attorney
2 Center Plaza
Boston, MA 02214
617-523-8300

Leo Boyle is one of the top product liability lawyers in New England. He has handled many national cases.

Mel Landis, Jr.
Eclipse Group, Inc.
84 West Santa Clara Street Suite 440
San Jose, CA95113
408-938-9555

Mel Landis has worked fo nearly 40 years in the fields of logistics, manufacturing, finance and information systems. He was in management at IBM for 27 years. He is now a consultant to manufacturing firms all over the country. His job is to be at the table when a company is faced with a potential recall, in order to weigh recall costs against profit margin.

Localization Tips:

Call product liability lawyers (for plaintiffs) in your area and have them find you a local victim…one of their clients.
See if there are any manufacturers in your area and if they'll talk.
Call product liability lawyers (for defendants) in your area and see what they say.
Visit a local thrift shop or consignment store and see how many recalled products you find.