* SAFETY BULLETIN *  
                Thursday, September 29, 2005  

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Dear Friends,  

the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns  
residents who may lose power in Hurricane Rita, NEVER to use  
portable generators inside their homes or attached garages.  
The exhaust from generators contains high levels of carbon  
monoxide (CO) which can quickly incapacitate and kill.  

Stay Safe,  
Pam  

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                   @ PRODUCT RECALL @  


      SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS RECALLS WASHING MACHINES  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., of South Korea, recalls about  
5,000 Maytag Front-Loading Washing Machines. If the front-  
load washer is operated at maximum load capacity, the spinner  
could malfunction and break apart, posing a safety risk to  
consumers. The recall involves white Maytag front-load  
washers with model number MAH9700 and a serial number from  
10188468GA through 11683946GJ. The model and serial numbers  
are located inside the door opening and below the rubber  
boot. Major department and appliance stores nationwide sold  
the washing machines from April 2005 through May 2005 for  
about $1,300. Consumers should use care not to exceed the  
listed capacity of their machines, and should contact Maytag  
for a free in-home service call to replace the washer's  
control board. Contact Maytag at (800) 462-9267 anytime, or  
visit the company's Web site at www.maytag.com.  


  DOLLAR GENERAL CORP RECALLS NECKLACE AND EARRING SETS  

Dollar General Corp., of Goodlettsville, Tenn., is recalling  
about 455,000 Necklace and Earring Sets. The recalled jewelry  
contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by  
young children and can cause adverse health effects. The  
flower necklace and earring set features a floral design in  
four color variations: yellow, orange, pink and purple. The  
purse necklace and earring set features a dangling purse  
charm in black, red, blue, orange, pink or purple. The  
corded swirl necklace and earring set features a twisted  
metal swirl pattern hanging from a black, blue or purple  
cord. The faux amber necklace and earring set features a  
large faux amber gem cut in a heart or cross shape. Dollar  
General Stores nationwide sold the jewelry sets from May  
2005 through August 2005 for between $1 and $3. Consumers  
should take the recalled jewelry away from children  
immediately and return to Dollar General stores for a refund.  
Contact Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 between 9 a.m. and  
6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web  
site at www.dollargeneral.com.   

  
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                     @ HEALTH SAFETY @  


          How to avoid visually induced seizures  

LANDOVER, Md., -- The Epilepsy Foundation revised its guide-  
lines to limit the risk of seizures triggered by flashing  
images and some patterns on computers, TVs and videogames.  
The guidelines, based on standards in place in Britain and  
Japan, are based on research into photosensitivity- - or  
susceptibility to visual stimulation. Children and young  
adults from age 7 to 19 are five times as susceptible as  
the general public to visually stimulated epileptic seizures.  
Such seizures gained worldwide attention in 1997 when nearly  
700 children were hospitalized in Japan while watching a  
Pokemon cartoon episode, the foundation said. The Epilepsy  
Foundation recommends that people sit at least 2 feet away  
from game, computer or TV screens; keep rooms well lit; and  
take frequent breaks to look away from the screens.  


        More infections with long-term antibiotics  

PHILADELPHIA, -- A Philadelphia researcher has found that  
long treatment with antibiotics for acne greatly increases  
the risk of respiratory infection. Dr. David Margolis of  
the University of Pennsylvania Medical School used a  
British data base to get information on patients who were  
treated with antibiotics for more than six weeks and those  
who were not. He found that the group who had gotten anti-  
biotics were more than twice as likely to get an upper  
respiratory tract infection in the next year. "The true  
clinical importance of our findings, in which patients and  
practitioners need to balance the risk of these infections  
with the benefits that patients with acne receive from  
this therapy, will require further investigation," Margolis  
said. "However, patients with acne represent an ideal model  
in which to study the long-term effects of antibiotic  
therapy, the risks associated with colonization, and the  
risks of increasing resistance among bacterial pathogens  
exposed to antibiotics during treatment." Margolis said that  
in spite of recent concern about antibiotic-resistant bac-  
teria there have been few studies of patients who have  
received long-term antibiotic treatment. The study was pub-  
lished in the Archives of Dermatology.  


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                   @ SAFETY NEWS @  


Survival Tips After Hurricane Rita Strikes CPSC Warns Gulf  
Coast Residents of Deadly Carbon Monoxide from Generators  

The Commission provided these important life-saving tips:  

* Never use a portable generator indoors - including garages,  
basements, crawlspaces and sheds. Opening doors and windows  
or using fans will not prevent CO buildup in the home.  

* During use, keep portable generators outdoors and far away  
from open doors, windows and vents, which can allow CO to  
build up indoors.  

* If you start to feel sick, dizzy or weak while using a  
generator, get to fresh air right away. The CO from  
generators can readily lead to full incapacitation and death.  

* Keep generators dry and wait for the rain to pass before  
using a generator. Consumer-grade generators are not weather-  
proof and can pose the risk of electrocution and shock when  
used in wet conditions.  

* Do not connect the generator directly into your home's  
electrical system through a receptacle outlet - this is an  
extremely dangerous practice that poses a fire hazard and  
an electrocution hazard to utility workers and neighbors  
served by the same transformer.  

* If using a generator, plug individual appliances into  
heavy duty, outdoor-rated extension cords and plug cords  
into the generator.  

* Check that the extension cords have a wire gauge adequate  
for the appliance loads and have all three prongs, including  
a grounding pin.  

* Keep charcoal grills outside. Never use them indoors. Burn-  
ing charcoal in an enclosed space can produce lethal levels  
of carbon monoxide poisoning.  

* Check to make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide  
alarms have batteries and are working.  

Wet Carpets and Furniture Are Dangerous to your Health  

* Discard water-damaged mattresses, wicker furniture, straw  
baskets and the like that have been water damaged. These  
cannot be recovered.  

* Throw out wet room-size carpets, drapes, upholstered  
furniture, stuffed toys, ceiling tiles and anything that  
can't be picked up and cleaned by dry cleaning, steam clean-  
ing or put in a washing machine or dryer.  

* Remove and replace wet insulation.  


Avoid Electrical and Gas Hazards  

* Look for signs that your appliances have gotten wet.  
Discard electrical or gas appliances that have been wet  
because they pose electric shock and fire hazards.  

* Before using your appliances, have a professional or your  
gas or electric company evaluate your home and replace all  
gas control valves, circuit breakers, and fuses that have  
been under water.  

Dangers to Children  

* Medicines and chemicals should be thrown away. Water may  
have infected the integrity of the medicine. The U.S.  
Department of Health and Human Services offers additional  
safety tips. 


* Young children and water don't mix. Watch children around  
buckets, tubs and standing water in and around the home.  
Even small amounts of water can be a drowning hazard.