CPSC vs. personal freedom: BuckyBalls, actual exploding toilets, ... | Abnormal Use @OnSafety #SaveOurBalls

A  nice blog to bookmark, as it allows some insight into how our government attempts to protect us, and when it over-steps (often accidentally crushing your personal freedom with the best of intentions).  Samples:

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

CPSC aims to eradicate Buckyballs, outstretch its boundaries

The Consumer Product Safety Commission serves a necessary purpose.  According to its website, the CPSC is charged with the burdensome task of “protecting the public fromunreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction.” (emphasis added) An important job, sure.
In its recent suit against Buckyballs, however, it misses the mark and oversteps its boundaries.

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To make matters worse, the CPSC alleges that Buckyballs are defectively designed because they do not operate exclusively as intended.  Again, really?  Buckyballs are intended to be used by adults and “shaped, molded, and torn apart.”  Any unintended operations (i.e. swallowing) are not the result of a defective product, but, rather, poor parental supervision or bad choices.
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It is one thing for the CPSC to not want the product marketed to children.  It is another to call for its extinction.
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MONDAY, JULY 16, 2012

CPSC: Exploding Toilets Not Just an Urban Legend

Independence Day may have passed, but for millions, the fireworks are still ongoing – in their bathrooms.  And, no, this is not a cheap excuse for potty humor.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall of the Sloan Flushmate III Pressure-Assist Flushing System after receiving over 300 reports of exploding toilets.  According to the CPSC, the flushing system installed in approximately 2.3 million toilets nationwide can burst under increased pressure, shattering the tank.  At least 14 people have reported impact and laceration injuries from pieces of exploding porcelain. Ouch.
The recall comes in light of several news reports over the past year of unexplained toilet explosions.  Last September, two federal employees were injured by shards of porcelain when two toilets exploded in the General Services Administration building in Washington D.C.  In March, students from the University of Chicago reported that toilets were exploding in their dormitory.  It is unknown whether these incidents are related to the Flushmate, but we imagine it may become the scapegoat for government bureaucracy and inhumane freshman living conditions.

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it is difficult to foresee many inherent defects in the product’s design given the relatively few complaints compared to the millions of products sold over a decade.   And, as for failure to warn? We can only imagine the allegations of the well-drafted complaint:

Manufacturer failed to adequately warn that toilet may become explosive with use.

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OK, I admit I showed the second article partly because it's funny (and true) ...   :-)   Sorry...   Connie

CPSC | Abnormal Use

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