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Paper shredders can cause serious injuries, amuptations As more families buy paper shredders to keep their personal information out of the hands of strangers, they also need to make sure their toddlers' hands are safely out of the way of the shredders. An article in the February issue of Pediatrics tells the story of a 2-year-old who sustained severe injuries to two fingers when she placed her hand on top of a shredder while it was operating. Her fingers were drawn into the shredder opening, and though the girl's father unplugged the machine immediately, he had difficulty prying the blades apart to release his daughter's fingers. She was treated in the emergency department and admitted to the hospital. In this case, the authors reported, even if amputation is avoided, her fingertips "will never be functionally or cosmetically normal." The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reported that from January 2000 through September 2005, it received 50 reports of incidents involving finger amputation, lacerations and other finger injuries due to paper shredders, mostly to children younger than 5 years old. The design of the typical home paper shredder poses various hazards: the height of most shredders allows easy access for the average 15-month-old; many machines do not include a separate "off" position; the switch positions usually are not marked in contrasting colors; and the lack of a release mechanism means it can be difficult even for emergency personnel to remove a child's fingers caught in the blades. Some children have been taken to the hospital with the mechanism still attached. As sales of home paper shredders continue to grow, families should heed the following safety tips:
The CPSC Safety Alert is posted at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5127.html. -Alyson Sulaski Wyckoff
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