CPSC: Aqua-Leisure To Recall 4 Million Baby Floats

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday that Aqua-Leisure Industries would recall about four million floating baby pool toys that pose a drowning risk.

The commission said consumers should immediately stop using the floats.

Leg straps in the seat of the float are prone to tearing, which can cause children to fall into or under the water. So far, the commission has received 31 reports of torn seats. No injuries have been reported.

The floats, which were made in China, were sold at Target, Toys "R'' Us, Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware and Bed Bath & Beyond from December 2002 to June 2009. They cost between $8 and $15.

Some are shaped like boats, crabs, turtles or cars.

The company is based in Avon, Mass.

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Just one more reason 7/3/2009 2:38:00 PM One more reason to NOT buy junk from China! It is becoming more and more apparent that quality control is zero on most consumer products! It is especially disturbing to see this on products manufactured strictly for use by children. With Chinese government limits of only one child per family, you would think they would have a sense of protection for children that is greater than what it appears to be. In the case of this particular product line, it appears to be a combination of materials with too little strength, coupled with poor fabrication and design. From the range of retail prices given, the traditional cost vs value cannot be applied in all cases, as you don't "get what you pay for". Aqua Leisure in this case will have to learn the hard lesson (as they should) that selling products they probably never even see, for the sake of immediate profits will indeed bite them in the wallet, like it ought to! Looking back at the lead paint fiasco can give insight into the frivolity of making good specifications, and expecting the product to meet them in any way. The toy maker in that case even supplied the paint that was supposed to be used, and was not, in order for the manufacturer to increase their own profits, and sell the premium quality coatings to someone else. We really need to wean ourselves from the addictive low prices of crap from China! Real value just isn't there, and jobs for domestic production are gone, lowering our Nation's standard of living, probably forever if we don't make major moves RIGHT NOW. This isn't the kind of "Change" I voted for!
Reply to "just one more reason" 7/11/2009 1:49:00 PM In defense of Aqua Leisure, I am an experienced product designer/product manager experienced in working with Chinese mfgrs., making many types of product. Let it be known that the preproduction and early first production product samples I approved (after safety chks) WERE OFTEN compromised by (possibly?)a lack of continuous quality control; OR DELIBERATE cost cutting for higher profits; OR SHORTCUTS (i.e. lead paint dries faster) to speed up production in order to meet often IMPOSSIBLE schedules set by retail advertising/seasonal promotions. I would discover this by conducting spot checks of shipments IF I HAD ACCESS, since often there are direct shipments that go straight to large or mass retailers. If the latter is the case, you have to spot check what is displayed locally at one of the retailer's chain outlets. I personally had to have one huge shipment returned at the mfgr's. expense due to a 50% drop in product quality. And the frightening lack of moral restraint in using lethal ingredients in foods & medicines has occurred internationally since mass retail production emerged. Only tough laws and punishments curtailed these events in Western countries. IT'S A TOUGH PROBLEM all around, will never go away from any country. That recognized, product safety is a on-going process. We had all the necessary procedures in place in the USA. I believe there was a lack of discipline on many levels and maybe a reluctance to interfere with international business flows and relationships with China that allowed less scrutiny of products. OR it could be the federal and state officials are too few and overwhelmed. At any rate, the newest crackdown on product testing was a severe, kneejerk reaction on part of Congress, punishing the larger group of small American manufacturers. China, too, in the long run is suffering as toy plants close, orders dropped and workers are laid off. This wouldn't have occurred if we have been supporting the processes already in place.

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