In creating the CPSC in 1973, Congress emphasized the importance of widespread sharing of information by the agency.
The Clearinghouse provides injury data from electronic data sources and distributes publications including hazard analyses, special studies, and data summaries.
The Clearinghouse disseminates statistics and information relating to the prevention of death and injury associated with consumer products. Each year the Clearinghouse responds to 6,000 requests for information from the American public. Information specialists search agency data bases to tailor responses to each customer's needs.
The system is comprised of a sample of hospitals that are statistically representative of hospital emergency rooms nationwide. From the data collected, estimates can be made of the numbers of injuries associated with consumer products and treated in hospital emergency departments. Data is collected on a broad range of injury-related issues, covering hundreds of product categories, and provides national estimates of the number and severity of product-related injuries.
Death certificates where consumer products are involved are provided to CPSC through state health departments. The Clearinghouse provides summaries of these, with victim information removed.
This file contains summaries of reports of investigations into events surrounding product-related injuries or incidents. Based on victim/witness interviews, the reports provide details about incident sequence, human behavior, and product involvement.
Injury/Potential Injury Incident File
(IPII)
This file contains summaries, indexed by consumer product, of Hotline reports, product-related newspaper accounts, reports from medical examiners, and letters to CPSC.
In 1996, CPSC introduced the Consumer Product Safety Review. Included is national injury data from NEISS hospitals; studies of emerging and continuing hazards; technical articles on injury/death topics; and important recall and corrective action activities. Annual subscriptions are available for $18.00 ($25.20 foreign) from the Government Printing Office. Phone (202)512-1800. Copies may also be obtained through CPSC's World Wide Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/cpsr.html.
When you request information you can expect:
You can contact CPSC any time, day or night, via the Internet to get product recall information. Just visit our World Wide Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.
You can have copies of product recall and safety information automatically sent to you.
You may contact Clearinghouse staff to request information or report a product-related injury or incident by E-Mail:
Because the information requested might not be available electronically, be sure to include your postal mailing address.
The Clearinghouse works closely with the agency's Hotline to assist consumers in reporting product-related incidents. If you have a product complaint or want to report a product-related injury, Hotline staff who speak both English and Spanish are available to assist you.
Within 48 hours of receiving your complaint, the Clearinghouse will send you a copy of your complaint for verification.
You may also telephone CPSC's Hotline 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to:
Hotline staff are available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except holidays.