Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category
Do Bouncy Castles Pose a Health Risk (Other Than the Obvious Ones)
 |
|
|
My Dream Home
|
|
The next time you rent a Bouncy Castle for your kids party, you may be getting something a little extra… lead poisoning.
OK That’s a bit extreme.
The New York Times reports that the California Attorney General has filed a lawsuit that claims that some, if not all, of the rented inflatable houses, castles, and amusements contain unsafe levels of lead in the vinyl they are made from.
An investigation by the Center for Environmental Health, in Oakland, tested several dozen houses and found that they contained between 5,000 and 29,000 parts per million of lead. Those measurements are way above the federal limit of 90 to 300 parts per million.
Robert Field, a defendant in the suit, and senior vice president of Cutting Edge Creations argues that the suit could put thousands of small-business owners that rent the inflatable fun-houses out of business, hurting California’s economy.
OK. His argument is "let us continue to rent party toys that have thousands of times the legal limit of a harmful substance because the economy is bad and you should ignore the problem for financial reasons".
The suit and investigation did not include Bouncy Castles sold to consumers
What is a parent to do if you want to rent a Bouncy Castle? One spokesman for the Center for Environmental Health recommends that parents should have wet-wipes available and children should wipe their exposed body parts (hands, feet, face) after bouncing to reduce the risk.
Posted in 
UNcool Toy of the Day: Bazai Falls Original Water Slide
 |
|
|
Banzai Falls Original Water Slide
|
|
I’ve blogged previously about the Banzai Waterpark and their deceptive advertising.
Today I came across some reviews of the Banzai Falls Original Water Slide
First of all, let me say that the manufacturer’s images seem to me to be deceptive. I will let you decide, though. Check out their images and those of customers posted here.
It seems like this category of toys is notorious for at least somewhat deceptive photos of their products.
Customer reviews on Amazon and elsewhere bring up another problem with the slide… durability. Some customers had seams ripping out almost immediately, others found that by the second summer, the liner had crumbled and it would no longer hold air. One customer got about 2 hours of use out of the slide before it was shot. Reports include the water hose popping open at the seam, seams coming undone, footholds ripping around the edges,
 |
|
|
A more accurate photo of Banzai Water Slide
|
|
One customer pointed out that the splash-down pool at the bottom of the slide was far too short and that the kids keeps hitting the edge, sometimes going over it.
The slide carries a 200 lb. weight limit. Users must be careful that this limit is not per child, but overall, so that kids must climb and slide entirely one at a time to avoid going over the limit on the inflatable hilltop.
Reviews almost always said that it was a great item that the kids loved while it lasted. Even though it may not be quite as big as implied by their product shot, it certainly looks fun. But you would have to be prepared for the fact that it may only last a few days or weeks. One summer at the most.
Banzai Falls Original Water Slide lists for $379.00. Oddly enough, between the time I began writing this review and the time I posted it, Amazon no longer had this item available. It wasn’t sold-out, just gone along with all the bad reviews.
 |
 |
|
Two more user images of the slide
|
|
Wendy’s Pulls CD from Their Kids Meals Due to Racy Lyrics
 |
|
|
Banned Wendy’s Kids Meal CD
|
|
Wendy’s has been distributing several different CDs in their kids meals, but they’ve quietly pulled one from distribution afte they received complaints about racy lyrics.
The CD is the "Karaoke Disco Fever" version that was distributed with the meals. There are other CDs such as "Karaoke Motown for Kids". The song in question is Donna Summer’s "Last Dance". Apparently the song has been recorded with two versions of the lyrics. One version includes the words "I’m so so bad", which is what is written in the printed lyrics that come with the CD. But the song that was included on the CD had Donna singing "I’m so so horny". The CD was marked as being safe for children 3 years old and up (they offered an alternative Raggedy Ann & Andy book for kids under 3).
Wendy’s website currently has the statement "We are no longer offering this Karaoke Disco Fever CD. We’re sorry and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you.
Obviously, if you have one of these CDs, you might wish to refrain from playing it on car trips with the kids. A better place for it at this point might be eBay.
Can you hear this sound? Probably not if you’re over 20.
 |
|
|
Carl Fredericksen for hearing loss
|
|
I came across this interesting phenomenon the other day. It is a sound that only people under 20 can hear. The sound is a sine wave at 18,000 Hz. Dog whistles produce sounds at about 16,000-22,000 Hz.
Scroll down to the bottom to play the tone.
I downloaded the sound and played it very loud on my Mac and I can just barely make out a slight whine (I’m quite old, according to my son). My kids on the other hand heard it quite loudly and it hurt the oldest’s ears. (He’s 17, so he’s got a few more years to hear it).
Supposedly, some teens use this as a ring tone on their cell phones because they can use it in class and their teachers can’t heat it. Not sure why they wouldn’t just use "vibrate".
It has also been broadcast in areas that authorities don’t want teens to congregate because the sound is quite annoying to them, but adults can’t hear it.
 |
|
|
Damaged hairs in the inner ear.
|
|
As you age, you lose more and more of the fine hairs in your inner ear. Higher frequencies are the first casualty. As you experience true hearing loss, usually you can only hear very low frequencies. Exposure to loud sounds can hasten this process. Obviously, music played loud on an iPod or loud video games that are quite commoon with "kids these days" are taking thier toll on their generation’s hearing.
As I understand it, there are also some changes in the way frequencies are transmitted to the brain which occur naturally. It is this phenomenon that accounts for the way this tone works.
I also came across some interesting Audio Illusions (which include this phenomenon). Check them out here.
Play the sound here:
Toddler May Have Been Burned by USB cable
 |
|
|
Trinity Anderson
|
|
On January 4, in Denver, Co, Trinity Anderson was found by her mother, lying limp on the floor next to her chair. There was a USB cable lying next to her which was plugged into her mother’s iPod (or laptop, depending on which report you read). Burnt flesh was found on the prongs of the USB cable and she was hospitalized with third-degree burns on her tongue, palate and lip. She remains hospitalized and has had a traceotomy and administered sedatives and paralytics to keep her still and quiet while she recovers.
A technician spent the day friday at the infant’s home trying to determine what actually happened. A USB cable typically doesn’t carry more than 5 volts of power, far too low to do any damage (which you would know if you’ve ever put your tongue on a 9-volt battery). Apple’s USB cables can sometimes carry a bit more, but it’s not usually considered life-threatening. Life threatening voltage is usually considered over 50 volts.
It seems to me that something more than was going on here than a child putting a USB cable in her mouth. Especially when the other end was attached to an iPod (and not the outlet). Since nobody saw what happened, we may never know exactly what the child was doing when she was burned.
However, this story is a good reminder to parents to be careful about seemingly harmless cables and cords. With all the consumer electronics in most homes today, the amount of cables has expanded dramatically. Many are often left plugged into the wall when rechargeable electronics are in use. While they may seem harmless (and may be harmless) parents should consider taking some precautions with small children to be sure they are safe.
I found these USB Protective Covers
PLAY IT SAFE THIS 4TH OF JULY
Fireworks originated in China during the Sung dynasty, from 960 to 1279, when a cook discovered that a mixture of sulphur, saltpetre, and charcoal was highly flammable (I bet that was an interesting mealtime). Today’s fireworks are made colorful by combining potassium chlorate and various metallic salts which produce may colors. Strontium burns red, copper blue, barium glows green, and sodium produces yellow. Magnesium, aluminium, and titanium give off white sparkles or a flash.
As the Fourth of July holiday comes closer, most families will go to big community fireworks displays, which are performed by professionals that take many precautions to assure safety.
Some families will have their own backyard festivities with store-bought fireworks. Unfortunately, many will not take the safety precautions that the pros do.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 2004 (latest figures available) about 9,600 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for fireworks injuries. Over half were burns and most involved the hands, eyes, and head. About half of the victims were under 15 years of age.
Small children are especially vulnerable because they are attracted to the bright colors of fireworks, but don’t understand the danger. This includes “safe” fireworks such as sparklers, which burn at between 1832º – 3632º Fahrenheit. Yikes!
In 2005 fireworks caused an estimated 1,800 structure fires and 700 vehicle fires.
Following are some fireworks safety tips to keep kids safe this holiday and all summer
- Only adults should handle fireworks. Tell children that they should leave the area immediately if their friends are using fireworks.
- Sparklers, generally considered safe for the young, burn at very high temperatures and can easily ignite clothing.
- Older children should only be permitted to use fireworks under close adult supervision. Do not allow any running or horseplay.
- Discuss safety procedures with your children. Teach children “stop, drop and roll” if their clothes catch fire. Make sure they know how to call 9-1-1. Show them how to put out fireworks by using water or a fire extinguisher.
- Read labels and carefully follow directions. All fireworks must carry a warning label describing necessary safety precautions. If they don’t have the label, don’t use them.
- Never use fireworks indoors.
- Be sure spectators are out of range before lighting fireworks.
- Never aim or throw fireworks at another person.
- Never place your face or any other body part over fireworks (eye protection is recommended).
- Never try to re-ignite fireworks that malfunction. Throw them away.
- Keep a bucket of water nearby for emergencies and for pouring on fireworks that don’t go off.
- Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
- Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials.
- Check for drought conditions in your area. During those times, fireworks are usually banned completely.
- Keep unused fireworks away from firing areas.
- Store fireworks in a dry, cool place. Check instructions for special storage directions.
- Observe local laws.
- Don’t experiment with homemade fireworks.
- Be considerate of your neighbors and stop your celebrations by 10:00 p.m.
- Clean up all the sticks, wires, tubes, etc. that are left around after your fireworks. Put them in a bucket of water and let them soak overnight to be sure they are out.
- Many pets are terrorized by fireworks. Be sure your dogs and cats are in an area they feel secure in. Don’t take them to community fireworks displays.
- Use common sense.
- Even by following these tips, fireworks can still be quite dangerous. Use safe alternatives to fireworks such as Cap bombs, Sparklers, Party Poppers, Snappers, or Big-Bang Cannons (shameless plug).
This series of three images are from a Consumer Products Safety Commission fireworks safety demonstration using manequins illustrating a scene in an incident where a man and his nephew were killed as they removed powder from fireworks bought in New Hampshire to create larger, more powerful and illegal fireworks, in Washington, Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Big Bang Cannons are the only safe substitute for fireworks. They were originally created because the inventor was concerned about the large amounts of injuries from fireworks.
Big Bang Cannons create a loud “bang” by imploding, Once the gas in the cannon ignites, it draws air back into the cannon, creating a noise as loud as fireworks. This makes them very safe because you cannot place anything in the barrel and expel it (that would only inhibit the combustion). They also do not use gunpowder or matches, instead using Bangsite as fuel. Bangsite is not combustible and cannot be ignited by fire or concussion (you can see why they are so safe). Because of these safety features, Big Bang Cannons can be fired by older children with adult supervision (follow all safety precautions). They are also quite loud and are certainly a great substitute for fireworks. Perfect for your 4th of July celebration!