Consumer Reports

The nailers could have a faulty feeder that can allow nails to be ejected sideways, posing a serious injury hazard to the user or bystanders. The coil nailers are used to project nails into drywall, wood or other materials. The model number is NV83A2 and can be found on the body of the product. Only those units manufactured between October 2002 and September 2005 are included in this recall. The manufacturing date can be identified by the serial number engraved at the end of the handle, the first digit representing the month (1 for January, 2 for February, 3 for March, 4 for April, 5 for May, 6 for June, 7 for July, 8 for August, 9 for September, O for October, N for November and D for December) and the second digit representing the year (2 for 2002, 3 for 2003, 4 for 2004 and 5 for 2005). Read more…

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is advising parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months of age. Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate. Read more…

This weekend, March 13 and 14, we will all be setting our clocks to Daylight Saving Time. The time change is a good reminder to check your smoke alarms. Read more…

Daylight Savings Time in the United States starts on the second Sunday in March of each year and the Federal Emergency Management Agency encourages all Americans to use the change to daylight savings time to update emergency preparedness plans. For years, firefighters and safety professionals at every level have asked the public to change smoke alarm batteries throughout their homes, as they move their clocks ahead. According to FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Dennis Hunsinger, the March ritual of making homes safer from fire is also a great opportunity to review disaster response plans and restock disaster kits. Read more…

The observance of Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve) dates back to the Celtic festival of Samhain thousands of years ago. Halloween is October 31. Visit the FAQ at USA.gov for more history and some Halloween safety tips.

Cars and deer can be a lethal combination. Deer migration and mating season generally runs from October through December, and causes a dramatic increase in the movement of the deer population. As a result, more deer-vehicle collisions occur in this period than at any other time of year, so drivers need to be especially cautious

It’s a Post Office on your phone. Customer convenience and product access are the focus of expanding the most popular online services onto web-enabled mobile devices. Some of the most popular functions currently available on usps.com are now available on cell phones and other mobile devices. The new features include Track & Confirm, Post Office locator, and the most popular application, ZIP Code lookup. Any mobile user with web access will be able to log on to the Postal Service mobile site no matter where they are, without having to use a personal computer.

The GreenGov Challenge–an online forum for federal employees to suggest clean energy ideas and vote on others–ends October 31. Be part of the challenge and help green our government!

Christopher Columbus landed in the New World at San Salvador Island (today part of the British Bahamas) on October 12, 1492. Visit the FAQ at USA.gov to learn more about the Italian explorer and the national holiday, held Monday, Oct. 12.

The President invites federal employees to share their innovative ideas on saving money and improving performance within the federal government. The winning idea will be included in the 2011 Budget, and the federal employee who submitted that idea will meet with the President. Submissions are due October 14.