Table 1

Australian and US child-related recalls 2011–2017: leading hazards and injuries

RecallsLeading hazard count*Incidents and injuries
Australia
All child-related recalls 652 Choking (258), injuries (83), fire/burns (78) Insufficient data
Per leading product category:
Toys/games241 (37%)Choking (149), battery ingestion (35), damage to sight (29)
Furniture/furnishings112 (17%)Choking (36), entrapment (34), fall (24)
Sports equipment92 (14%)Fall (27), injuries (20), electric shock (19)
Clothing83 (13%)Fire/burns (44), choking (23), chemical (10)
Other 124 (19%)Choking (47), injuries (31), burns (16)
USA
Incidents Fatalities Injuries Leading injury mechanisms
All child-related recalls 668 Choking (159), fall (128), fire/burns (98)15 350 30 1301 Fall (48%), crushing and piercing (13%)
Per leading product category:
Toys/games176 (26%)Choking (74), laceration (25), fall (25)38231 381Fall (46%), struck (21%)
Clothing144 (22%)Fire/burns (51), strangulation (47), choking (41)1401Thermal effect
Furniture/furnishings121 (18%)Fall (41), entrapment (37), strangulation (28)189422311Crushing/struck (43%)§, fall (41%)
Sports equipment104 (16%)Fall (50), fire/burns (22), entrapment (10)40322452Fall (68%), crushing and piercing (17%)
Other 123 (18%)Choking (30), chemical (15), ingestion (15)54615156Unspecified (47%), crushing and piercing (22%)
  • *Represented as hazard count not percentage as 10% of US recalls and 20% of Australian recalls identified two hazards and 2% identified three hazards.

  • †Other represents 17 industry segments for Australian child-related recall data and 16 industry segments for US child-related recall data.

  • ‡Adult fatality using inflatable water slide.

  • §The narrative injury descriptions were not detailed enough to distinguish between the injury mechanisms of crushing, piercing or struck and hit by contact with object.