A remote bluetooth speaker that actually has a risk of explosion and a series of child sweatshirts that have been on the market for four years highlight recent recalls reported on the Health Canada list of banned products.

The EcoxGear EcoBoulder Bluetooth Speakers are designed to provide “100w total power for booming sound.” The Heath Canada notice discusses a different booming sound, because “the speaker’s battery can overcharge and burst, posing fragmentation and injury hazards”. The manufacturer has posted a similar notice on its own web site. Health Canada indicated that about 670 units were sold in Canada, but does not list retailers.

The recall of drawstrings on children’s clothing remains one of the most common types of incidents. Drawstrings on outerwear are easily caught on playground equipment and result in strangulation or a child being dragged by a moving car. A suite of about 20 different Gongshow brand hoodies and sweatshirts were recently recalled, even though some products had been available for sale for up to four years. Only those sized “youth small” were included in the recall.

Among the other notable recent product recalls:

• Multiple USB wall chargers designed for use with cell phones and tablets were found to pose unacceptable risk of electric shock, burn or fire. One recalled product had sold more than 26,000 units. Part of a national compliance and enforcement project, the list of specific devices may grow.
• Bily Retractable Safety Gates with a surface coating that contains barium in excess of allowable limits. More than 25,000 units were sold between June and December 2019.
• Thompson’s WaterSeal voluntarily recalled one of its outdoor aerosol wood protection waterproofing sprays that had sold more than 22,000 units. Rust along the can seam could spread and result in pinhole leaks that could result in fire hazards if stored near sources of ignition.
• And even beloved children’s toys can pose a risk. An 8-inch Winnie the Pooh plush toy distributed by Imports Dragon which has sold more than 4,500 units was recalled because Pooh’s “hard plastic nose … may detach, posing a potential choking hazard to young children.”

Health Canada’s online database is searchable, which is important because there is no guarantee that a Health Canada recall notice will make products disappear from store shelves or web sites.

Health Canada also provides a number of Twitter feeds, email notifications and mobile apps to help consumers stay aware of recalls and warnings. There is a Consumer Product Incident Report Form for consumers who have experienced health or safety incidents.

Consumers who may be worried safety regulators are not giving product safety problems the attention they deserve can also share their experiences online at the Consumers Council of Canada homepage.