Most people do not spend a lot of time worrying about the potential safety risks associated with common household items. Yet, on average, more than 20 products are recalled by their manufacturer each month for safety defects. A few recent recalls that we wrote about involved a dishwasher that could catch fire and a bicycle car seat that was capable of amputating a child's fingers. These facts suggest that consumers need to keep an eye out for safety recalls or risk serious injury to themselves, their children or their property.

When safety recalls are issued, the manufacturer of the product may not always be able to get in touch with the consumers who may be affected. In an effort to help resolve this issue, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently launched an online service that alerts consumers via email when product recalls are issued. Consumers can sign up for the service by visiting the CPSC website.

Email alerts are not the only service provided by the CPSC. The government agency also maintains a large searchable database of past recalls. This service is especially helpful for consumers who purchase used items such as household appliances or vehicles. Within five minutes, a consumer will know if the product that she just purchased is safe for her and her family to use.

One final feature of the CPSC site is that it allows consumers to submit complaints and reviews for products that have not been recalled by the manufacturer yet. Assuming you were planning to buy a new kitchen appliance, you could perform a quick search on the site to see if there were any reported problems with the product. By using these simple tools, consumers have the power to make sure that the products they buy and use are safe for themselves and their families.

Source: ABC News, "Why You Should Pay Attention to Product Recalls," Elisabeth Leamy, April 16, 2012