Authorities may soon be looking into existing consumer product safety inspections and regulations with the recent recalls of regular household items that pose safety risks for the public.
This, after a recent voluntary recall of about 2.8 million Samsung top-load washing machines which may cause harm to users operating it due to a faulty top that could detach while in use. This is the second massive recall by Samsung after it was reeling from the battery problem of their recently released best-selling smartphone model.
According to CNBC, there have already been 733 incidents reported of excessive vibration during operation and the top being detached from the main body. At least nine cases of injuries have been recorded ranging from impact injuries, broken jaw, and shoulder injuries.
Industry safety experts believe that authorities should review current practices and processes involving product safety inspections and testing. This could also mean having to review current policies and regulatory practices governing it.
The Unite States Consumer Product Safety Commission, in their website, indicates that aside from the washing machine recall, there are already four different consumer products that have already been highlighted for recall only this November. The list includes an off-road motorcycle due to crash hazards, an imported glass knob allegedly causing lacerations, several dehumidifiers due to burn and fire hazards and a bicycle model believed to cause fall hazards and injury to the rider.
But the questions currently being raised is how come these products were cleared for release to the market and could have avoided causing damage and injuries in the first place. Recently, law firm Lieff Cabraser filed a class- action suit seeking damage compensation against Samsung for the defective washing machines.
According to Statistics Brain, the most recalled products during the past 12 months are home products ranging from electrical to electronic household appliances, with the United States ranking second from China by having the most number of product recalls per country. The top reason for product recalls is fire and fire-related injuries, raising questions if product recalls are worth it instead of nipping it in the bud.
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