This is a special reminder from Appliance Life during the biggest remodeling season of the year. If you are getting new appliances - please take note to discard your old appliances safely. The lives of children are at stake.

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The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC) has received reports of numerous suffocation deaths involving children who crawled inside latch freezers, clothes dryers, combination washer/dryer units, picnic coolers, ice boxes in campers, and oldstyle latch type refrigerators.

Most of the victims were four to seven years old. In all cases, the doors could not be easily pushed open from the inside. In some the incidents associated with clothes dryers, the appliance was accidentally turned on while the child inside. Frequently, the children were playing “hide-and-seek” and the appliance or chest provided a deceptively good place to hide.

When the door slammed shut, tight fitting gasket on most of the appliances cut off air to the child. This, along with the insulated construction of the appliance, also prevented the child’s screams from being heard.

But abandoned appliances are the only items involved with accidents like these. Entrapment deaths have been reported in products use or stored in the kitchen, laundry room, basement, or garage.

Deaths also have occurred in ice boxes located in campers parked outside the home.

Take care to remove the door from refrigerators, dryers, washing machines and other appliances when discarding them.

Keep the door to your laundry room locked shut if you have small children OR you will have small children visiting your home.

Parents - please remind all children of all ages to never crawl inside an appliance.

Labels: Appliance Safety