Letter to Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) follows reports of an alarming increase in incidents of children from drowning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a letter with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Manufacturing and Consumer Protection, and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Security, urging the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ensure children are safe from drowning in pools and spas following reports that incidents of child drowning have increased during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In the letter, the Senators urged the CPSC to take action and work to distribute information to families regarding how to prevent children from drowning.
“Before the pandemic, drowning was the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-9, and most children drownings take place at home during the summer months. This year, as many camps and community pools are closed, schools have moved summer classes online, and many parents are stretched thin trying to supervise their children while working full time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that children may be at a heightened risk of drowning due to increased access to private pools and other sources of water,” the senators wrote.
“The CPSC plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of our children—and that includes educating families about pool and spa safety. The loss of one child due to drowning is too many, and it is for that reason that we believe that additional measures must be taken to keep children safe during the current pandemic,” they continued.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Klobuchar has been a leader in protecting consumer safety. In December 2019, Klobuchar sent a letter to the CPSC expressing her serious concerns about the significant increase in injuries to children who have ingested small rare-earth magnets and requesting that the agency investigate this matter and take steps to ensure that children are kept safe from these dangerous products.
Also in December, Klobuchar led a letter to the CPSC urging the agency to open an investigation into contaminated toys following reports that a child from Minnesota was found to have toxic blood levels of lead after playing with an off-brand spin toy that was purchased online. In January 2019, Klobuchar led a letter to the CPSC expressing concern that unsafe products may have entered the U.S. during the government shutdown and requesting information regarding what steps the CPSC would take to protect consumers. In 2016, Klobuchar led the push to implement stronger warnings against the dangers of ingesting laundry detergents like Tide Pods. After efforts by Klobuchar, including support of the Detergent Poisoning and Child Safety Act, manufacturers, the CPSC, and consumer advocates worked together to create the new voluntary safety standard to reduce the risk of accidental exposure.
Also in 2016, after urging from Klobuchar following reports of IKEA Malm dressers falling and killing children, the CPSC and IKEA announced a recall of all Malm dressers and a stop to their sale until safety precautions had been put in place. Klobuchar also introduced legislation to protect children from tipping furniture. Additionally, Klobuchar has advocated for consumer safety through supporting the installation of smartphone ‘kill switches.’ In 2008, Klobuchar was also a cosponsor of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which gave CPSC the additional authority, resources, and staff to enforce consumer protection laws, which included a Klobuchar provision to ban the use of lead in children’s products.
Klobuchar has worked to ensure children are protected from unsafe swimming pools. Klobuchar was a cosponsor of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act to require public pools and spas to incorporate anti-entrapment drain covers and establish a voluntary grant program for states to promote pool and spa safety--which was signed into law in 2007. She also won passage of two amendments that improved the bill, including one that made the new safety standards retroactive to existing pools that were intended for public use and one that required public pools with single drains to install the latest drain safety technology.
The full text of today’s letter to Robert S. Adler, Acting CPSC Chairman, can be found HERE and below:
Dear Acting Chairman Adler:
We write to express our serious concern regarding recent reports that incidents of child drowning have increased during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and to request information as to what measures the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is taking to ensure children are safe during this public health crisis.
Before the pandemic, drowning was the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-9, and most child drownings take place at home during the summer months. This year, as many camps and community pools are closed, schools have moved summer classes online, and many parents are stretched thin trying to supervise their children while working full time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that children may be at a heightened risk of drowning due to increased access to private pools and other sources of water. Both Florida and Texas — the states with the most child drownings in pools and spas — have already seen higher numbers than last year. As it remains unclear when effective treatment or a vaccine will be widely available, keeping children safe while they remain at home during this public health crisis is critical.
The CPSC plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of our children—and that includes educating families about pool and spa safety. The loss of one child due to drowning is too many, and it is for that reason that we believe that additional measures must be taken to keep children safe during the current pandemic. We urge the CPSC to take action and work to distribute information to families regarding how to prevent child drownings. We also respectfully request that you respond to the following questions:
- What is the CPSC currently doing to prevent child drownings and help educate families on pool and spa safety during the coronavirus pandemic?
- What data has the CPSC collected on the number of child drowning fatalities since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic?
- What additional resources and authorities does the CPSC need to support its work to prevent child drownings?
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
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