Snorkels that can choke you and razors that slice through the skin highlight the most recent recall and safety alerts issued by Health Canada.
Snorkels are designed to help you breath underwater, but the recently recalled Arena Swim Snorkel Pro II and Swim Snorkel II had excess material inside the tube and mouthpiece that could detach from the inside of the tube during use, and pose a choking hazard. More than 3,500 units of the affected products were sold in Canada between February 2018 and May 2020. Consumers should contact the manufacturer for a replacement tube or mouthpiece.
Razors are designed to cut close to the skin, but not through it. However, the recently recalled Ditto Razors and refill cartridges were reported to cut the skin during use and recalled because of the laceration hazard. More than 8,500 units were sold in Canada between May and July of 2020. Consumers are instructed to contact the retailer Giant Tiger for refunds.
The whole point of plant hangers is to keep plants suspended in the air. Elho BV Greenville Plant Hangers are recalled because they may fail to do that in high temperatures. Heat may deform the plastic and cause the hangers to “fall from balcony railings, posing an injury risk,” noted the Health Canada recall release. These items should be returned to the retailer for a refund.
Two other household items have been recalled because of fire hazards. The Merkury 4-Port Charger with Wireless Pads can overheat, as noted by five incidents in Canada. The Monoprice Category 6 Ethernet Bulk CMR Communications Cable was similarly recalled due to a fire hazard. The release noted this cable does not meet the flammability requirements of the UL 1666 safety standard.
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.