NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2009
Release #09-346

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

‘CPSC 2.0’ Launches Product Safety Agency into Social Media
Consumers to Be Informed of Important Safety Issues Faster and More Frequently

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In keeping with its commitment to protect the lives of children and families, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is launching “CPSC 2.0,” a comprehensive social networking initiative that will make lifesaving and other safety information more accessible to consumers. Utilizing a variety of technologies and social media sites, CPSC will rapidly expand its reach to millions of consumers.

“Through social media, CPSC can directly reach millions of the moms, dads and others who need our safety information the most,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum.

Today’s launch coincides with CPSC’s Furniture and TV Tip-over Education Campaign. By educating parents and caregivers about the dangers of unstable furniture through dramatic video, blogging and podcasting, CPSC hopes to raise the public’s awareness of tip-over dangers in the home.

Future CPSC 2.0 content will address other safety issues in and around the home in engaging, consumer-friendly ways.

Chairman Tenenbaum added, “Safety can often be achieved through education, and we plan to use every available technology to keep Americans informed.”

Consumers can find CPSC on its “OnSafety” blog, which has messages, articles, videos, podcasts and other information. The site also has a ‘Recall Widget’ tool that anyone can easily add to their Web site. CPSC will also have an official presence on a YouTube channel, a Twitter page, and a FlickR page.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site atwww.cpsc.gov.