The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "consumer product safety" ...
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Shattered Bakeware
Consumer Reports conducted a year-long fight to win three Freedom of Information requests and uncover product safety information about a common kitchen item, glass bakeware, which had been reported to shatter violently in consumers' kitchens. As a result of the story, we unearthed information, which companies fought fiercely to keep secret, that showed there was real cause for concern. We also did real-life testing in our labs. And now the CPSC is investigating.
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"Crib Recall"
A child is supposed to be safe in his or her own crib; however, cribs with drop down sides proved to be dangerous, even life-threatening to children. In 2009, CBS correspondent Susan Koeppen revealed the nation's largest crib recall ever recorded. It involved two million cribs. In the past two years, the "government has recalled nearly 5 million cribs."
Tags: Consumer Product Safety Commission; Stork Craft; drop down side crib
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A Sudden Explosion
Millions of red, consumer gas cans are sold each year and stored in homes across America. Most people know that gas can be dangerous, but they don't think of the cans as ticking time bombs. The report looks at several gas can explosion and the children who were severely burned.
Tags: gas can; Wal-Mart; explosion; manufacturer; vapor; flame arrester; flammability; Consumer Product Safety Commission
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Nail Gun Safety Under Fire
There were years of warnings about dangerous nail gun models that went ignored as injuries using the tool soared, especially when using the automatic firing mode.
Tags: construction; forensic engineer; trigger; projectile; rapid-fire; building homes; consumer product safety
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Undetected Danger
Four brands of carbon monoxide alarms have been recalled since 1999, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Research published in 2002 claimed six of 10 brands performed inconsistently, while only three met the standards set by Underwriters Laboratories, the certification firm that ensures their reliability.
Tags: poison; detection; smoke alarm; bullfrog; marina; gas;
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Toxic Trinkets
After national coverage of toy recalls in the United States, KVOA wanted to localize the story. Using an X-ray gun to examine toys, they found some with lead content over 600 parts per million. They then took all the toys back and did lab testing. "By using lab testing, the entire toy's paint is scraped off and dissolved in acid- then an overall reading is obtained." This resulted in some toys having different lead levels. They found that for some toys, certain parts had over the 600 ppm, but overall the toy was under the amount.
Tags: consumer reports; consumer safety; toy recall; lead content; health; children; lab testing; testing; Consumer Product Safety Commission; Gabrielle Giffords
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Hidden Hazards
This investigation exposed how the Consumer Product Safety Commission fails to protect American children from injury and death. This series examines the dangers of certain kinds of products such as cribs, magnetic toys and jewelry and spinning tops to show what specific dangers they might cause and why they are still on the market. The seriest also examined the production chain of Chinese jewelry that had been recalled, and showed how some products slip through gaps and are still on the market.
Tags: child health; product safety; consumer health; FOIA; federal government; imports; government recalls
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CR Investigates New Worries Over Lead
This investigation tested dozens of products and found that many, especially those for children, contained unsafe levels of lead. Many of the toys tested had never been recalled before; the findings reported in this investigation exposed big gaps in federal guidelines, which allowed all of these dangerous products to stay on the shelf.
Tags: consumer safety; child health; lead; poisoning; federal goverment
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Burning Laptops
Dallas' KVTV investigates overheating laptop batteries, eventually leading to a Consumer Product Safety Commission recall of nearly 10 million batteries due to fire hazards. The station received a tip after a consumer's laptop burst into flames, and the subsequent investigation found that lithium ion laptop batteries were susceptible. Experts asserted that the attempt to pack too much power into such a small device was leading to the overheating. Because there had been relatively few fires, this issue was not widely known, nor were the manufacturers taking steps to improve it. The story is ongoing, as technology continues to evolve.
Tags: Laptop; fire; combustible; overheat; computer; battery; consumer; danger
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Recalled Products at Daycare
This investigation found that many states do not require daycares to check and see if they're using recalled products. As a result, several children have died because of recalled products -- like cribs, playpens and toys -- at their daycares.
Tags: Consumer Product Safety Commission; daycare; preschool; injury; parents