Despite no official warning from the federal government, Canadian retailers have begun pulling a popular stroller brand from store shelves following a major product recall in the United States.
Safety experts and consumer advocates say the lack of action from federal officials exposes major gaps in Canada's product safety system and is the latest evidence demonstrating the critical need for a massive overhaul in order to better protect consumers.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of about one million Maclaren brand strollers in the wake of reports 12 children had their fingertips amputated after putting their fingers in the stroller's hinge mechanisms. U.S. consumers are being told to immediately stop using the strollers and contact the company for a repair kit to cover the mechanism.
But the injuries may be more widespread than in the United States. The BBC reported yesterday that it had received claims from a number of British parents who said their child's fingers had been injured by a Maclaren stroller.
Health Canada spokesman Philippe Laroche said in an e-mail yesterday that the federal agency hasn't received any reports of injuries and is still trying to determine whether the strollers involved in the U.S. recall were sold in Canada.
But many retailers aren't waiting for that confirmation and have decided to take matters into their own hands.
Toys “R” Us Canada said yesterday it has removed all Maclaren strollers from stores until they can be retrofitted with hinge covers.
“I think we want to err on the side of safety,” said Liz MacDonald, the company's vice-president of marketing.
Specialty retailers that carry Maclaren strollers, such as Vancouver-based Crocodile Baby Store Ltd., have also pulled products until they can be repaired, while the brand's Canadian distributor is being inundated with calls from concerned parents.
“Our phone's been ringing off the hook,” said Sam Perez, president and chief executive officer of Kushies Baby Products.
Canadian consumers that own Maclaren strollers are eligible for the free repair kit if they contact the company.
But some experts are questioning why the government hasn't asked the company to remove the unsafe products from the market and warn consumers about using them.
“It is a systemic problem and it's got to be corrected,” said Bruce Cran, president of the Consumers' Association of Canada.
The federal government has been promising to upgrade the country's consumer product safety system for the past few years, but legislation was stalled by last year's federal election. The legislation, reintroduced as Bill C-6, was passed by the House of Commons and is now being considered by the Senate.
The proposed changes would give officials power to recall products from the marketplace without a company's permission, impose large fines on those who break the rules and conduct more inspections. It would also require manufacturers to take more responsibility for the safety and integrity of their products before they reach store shelves in Canada.
But until it becomes law, Canadians don't have enough assurance that many consumer goods on store shelves have been inspected for safety and meet government regulations, said Pamela Fuselli, executive director of Safe Kids Canada.
“They're assuming [products] are safe because they're being sold in the Canadian marketplace and that isn't always the case right now,” Ms. Fuselli said.
The problem with Maclaren strollers is just the latest in a long string of safety hazards involving children's products that prove why Canada needs tough rules to keep dangerous goods off of store shelves, she said.
For instance, earlier this month, nearly 7,000 wooden play sets sold by Adventure Playsets in Canada were recalled following reports that the set's wooden ladder rotted, sending several U.S. children to hospital.
Last month, more than 3,000 toy rattles imported by Tendertyme Ltd. were recalled over fears infants could choke on small pieces. In August, about 21,000 baby flotation devices sold by Aqua-Leisure Industries were recalled over fears the product's leg straps could tear and cause a child to fall out and drown.
“I think that by updating the legislation, we could be increasing the consumers' comfort level,” Ms. Fuselli said.
