Fingertip amputations prompt Graco stroller recall

[mscriv]

WASHINGTON – About 1.5 million Graco strollers sold at Wal-Mart, Target and other major retailers are being recalled after some children's fingertips were amputated by hinges on the products.

The recall by Graco Children's Products Inc. includes certain model numbers of its Passage, Alano and Spree Strollers and Travel Systems. The Exton, Pa., company received seven reports of children placing their fingers in a stroller's canopy hinge as the canopy was being opened or closed. Five children had their fingertips severed and two children received cuts on their fingertips.

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This just in, parents who close hinges on their children's fingers could harm their child's fingers. In other news, parents who get shampoo in their children's eyes could burn their child's eyes. A possible shampoo recall is pending.

 

[Disc Golfer]

They've had babyproof shampoo since before I was born, why not babyproof strollers?

 

[Mousse]

They've had babyproof shampoo since before I was born, why not babyproof strollers?

They can try, but nothing can be idiot proofed. No matter how well designed something is to be idiot proofed, some idiot somewhere will find a way to defeat the design.

I agree with mscriv's assessment. The onus of safety lies mainly (if not entirely) with us parents.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Full Story

* Bold Emphasis mine*

This just in, parents who close hinges on their children's fingers could harm their child's fingers. In other news, parents who get shampoo in their children's eyes could burn their child's eyes. A possible shampoo recall is pending.

I can under stand the problem with the design. Kids put there hands in it what happens if some one trips and hit the campy and it closes. Or another kid runs up and moves it really quickly.

It is a pretty bad design flaw.

 

[velocityg4]

It's amazing that the human race survived at all. Considering that baby safe products are a recent creation.

I guess the ole idea of a parent paying attention and watching the kid is a no go.

 

[Disc Golfer]

I guess the ole idea of a parent paying attention and watching the kid is a no go.

As proved by parents, time and time again.

 

[notjustjay]

I suppose it really depends on the exact design in question.

If your fingertips got amputated because you were partially exiting your car at the time of a collision, while your fingers were wrapped around the edge of the open door, I'd say, that's either your own fault, or at least certainly not the fault of the car designer. There's no reasonable expectation that your fingers would be there. But if there were some way that your fingers got cut off while they were wrapped around the steering wheel, then I'd say the car maker was negligent because there is every expectation that this is where your fingers would be.

 

[blaster_boy]

I fail to see where this is the parents fault. The stroller is badly constructed, allowing children to be hurt. The mechanism should be protected from prying childrens hands.

There are safety rules to follow when creating these strollers, just as there are for cars.

Also, as a parent pushing a stroller, lots of times you are *behind* the stroller - when closing the canopy you won't necessarily see what is happening inside the stroller.

 

[Abstract]

It's amazing that the human race survived at all. Considering that baby safe products are a recent creation.

I guess the ole idea of a parent paying attention and watching the kid is a no go.

Generally, I'd agree with you. However, it really depends on the design flaw. If the canopy open-close mechanism is designed well, this wouldn't happen. Nobody is saying that if a kid gets hurt, they should blame a company. I'm sure what is meant is that the design of certain products of this particular company are designed with an open-close mechanism that's poorer and far less safe than competitor's products.

In other words, they're being punished not because they couldn't guarantee 100% safety. They're doing the recall because their product isn't even providing the level of safety expected in our societybfrom such a product, and it's due to a very specific design miscue that's leading to serious injury.

 

[mscriv]

I fail to see where this is the parents fault. .... Also, as a parent pushing a stroller, lots of times you are *behind* the stroller - when closing the canopy you won't necessarily see what is happening inside the stroller.

The only way you won't see what is going on is if you aren't looking. C'mon people, accidents happen, especially when we are not paying attention. Some of you act as if you've never pinched, cut, or pricked yourself on something. Ever slammed your hand or finger in a door or a drawer? Is it the door makers fault? The point is the world is a dangerous place and it's easy to get hurt if your not careful. A parent's job is to protect their children.

Additionally, is this even statistically significant. We're talking about 7 cases out of 1.5 million strollers sold. I'm not against safety. I'm just an advocate of common sense and personal responsibility and think stories like this are silly.

 

[RedTomato]

If i read the article correctly, this is not about opening and closing the stroller.

It's about opening and closing the *canopy* i.e. the sun / rain cover. You'd do this many times on a single outing, e.g. going from shadow into sun, into and out of buildings etc.

Also, as mentioned above, it is apparently something that most other stroller manufacturers have been able to make a safe design, and not chop kids fingers off.

So basically this design is 'worst in class'. If it was a danger present on all strollers, ok we parents have to deal with it. But this danger is apparently present on this stroller, and not on others. And there's little or no visible warning on this stroller.

Most people who are not young first-time parents have used a variety of strollers and become used to their ways, so this design is even more dangerous as it's an unusual and unexpected danger.

Let's try a feeble car analogy. You've adjusted your seat on many cars right? Now suppose on one car, if you put your hand in slightly the wrong place under your seat, and push back with your legs, it has a chance of cutting your fingers off?

Is that acceptable on just this one model of mass produced car, when every other car manufacturer has made their car seats safe to adjust?

Oh don't whine, be a man. You've got 10 fingers, who needs all of them?

 

[mscriv]

I see your point, but I think notjustjay addressed that pretty well in post #7 above.

 

[theBB]

But if there were some way that your fingers got cut off while they were wrapped around the steering wheel, then I'd say the car maker was negligent because there is every expectation that this is where your fingers would be.

A baby stroller manufacturer should expect the fingers of that baby to be everywhere she can reach. If a car hits the stroller just when the visor is being operated, sure, it is not the fault of the company, but in regular operation not so much, especially if other manufacturers are able to prevent such a problem already. Sometimes design is deficient, actually if more than just a few reasonable users are having a problem, it is almost always the design that is deficient. A designer should anticipate distracted users as much as very attentive ones.