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YOU may think of a hair dryer as a safe gadget, but in the US, they were responsible for as many as 18 electrocutions every year. In most cases, electrocution was the result of the hair dryer falling into the bathtub, or coming in contact with water while being used. This was in the early 1980s, and the number dropped to four deaths in a year, following additional safety features introduced in 1991 at the instance of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Similarly, the CPSC found that children (under the age of 5) playing with lighters caused 5000 residential fires in a year, leading to 150 deaths and injuries to at least 1000 persons. Such deaths came down dramatically after the CPSC brought in mandatory safety standards requiring lighters to be child resistant. Again, the CPSC found that nightlights located close to beds were the cause of at least 10 home fires every year. In most of these cases, the falling of blankets or pillows touched the heated light and caught fire. A public awareness campaign not only prompted consumers to relocate the nightlights, but also use cooler bulbs instead of four or seven watt bulbs. Likewise, when it was found that generators were responsible for a large number of deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, the CPSC mandated that every generator should carry a bold label, warning people of the dangers inherent in keeping them indoors, or even when kept outside, near windows or doors from which the deadly gas could enter the house. I quote these cases to highlight the importance of such safety campaigns to put a stop to injuries and deaths from unsafe products. In the US, the CPSC, which is an independent federal regulatory agency entrusted with the responsibility of reducing unreasonable risks of injury associated with consumer products, does this successfully. On the basis of investigations into product-related accidents, it decides to either order complete withdrawal of a product from the market, or order modifications to render it safe, and where necessary, mandates adequate safety labelling and education to ensure safe usage of the product. In India, even though the Consumer Protection Act gives the customer the right to be protected against unsafe products, there is no machinery to enforce this and protect people. As a result, first of all, we do not even get to know of such product-related accidents and deaths, unless the media reports on it. Even after the media reports, there is hardly any response from the government. A typical example is that of gas geysers. These have been responsible for a number of deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Yet, even after such reports, there has been no action on the part of the government to either ban such geysers or ensure that they come with adequate safety features such as carbon monoxide alarms and warning labels on their safe installation and usage. As a result, deaths caused by these geysers continue to be reported from around the country during winter every year and this year may not be an exception, unless consumers put pressure on the government to act. Also, in future, when
customers file complaints about unsafe products, they should not only
demand compensation from manufacturers and retailers, but also from
the government for failing to ensure the safety of these items. When I
say the government, I refer particularly to the consumer affairs
departments in the state governments and at the Centre.
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