CPSC Launches Quick-Loading Recall App

CPSC February 12 released a recall app for mobile devices. It is free. The agency made it available on its cpsc.gov/data page. When PSL accessed it (on Android), the download was nearly instantaneous. It shows recent recalls, and users can swipe through them in reverse chronological order.

Displayed information is minimal – title (sometimes partial), recall date, and product name – but tapping takes a user to press releases for full details.

Although the app showed only 15 recalls to mid-December, older ones are accessible. A search function opens four fields to search recall notice titles, product names, models, and date ranges. PSL randomly chose to search for LL Bean's April 2018 recall of Allagash knife sheaths. Results quickly appeared via three separate searches using Allagash, knife, or sheath.

The search-by-date function allows options to see results for the last three, six, nine, or 12 months. However, there also is an all dates option. When PSL chose that range and searched for bicycle, it got 344 hits back to 1976, including items like bicycle helmets and bicycle child carriers.

Last fall (PSL, 10/1/18), Commissioner Dana Baiocco noted that the app was under development and asked staff if it could aid in measuring recall response. That was during an operating plan hearing. The idea of such an app arose at CPSC's hearing on recall effectiveness (PSL, 2/26/18) and in stakeholders' follow-up comments (PSL, 9/10/18).