Consumer Product Safety Program annual surveillance report: 2019
On this page
- Introduction
- Consumer products
- Cosmetics
- Conclusion
- How to report an incident involving a consumer product or cosmetic
- Contact us
Introduction
This report describes the surveillance findings gathered by the Consumer Product Safety Program (CPSP) within Health Canada. The CPSP is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) and its regulations, as well as cosmetic-related provisions of the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and the Cosmetic Regulations. The purpose of the CCPSA is to protect the public by addressing or preventing dangers to human health or safety that are posed by consumer products in Canada, including those that circulate within Canada as well as those that are imported.
Within Health Canada, the CPSP promotes, monitors, verifies, and enforces compliance with the CCPSA and the FDA. It reviews reports submitted by industry and consumers and regularly monitors the marketplace to identify potentially dangerous products. The CPSP also gathers information domestically and internationally about injuries, emerging issues and new science related to consumer product and cosmetic safety. This information is then used to help conduct routine sampling and testing of products in the marketplace and support partnerships with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and other domestic and international regulators to verify the compliance of products being imported into Canada.
The CPSP also uses this information to evaluate risks to Canadians posed by consumer products and cosmetics. For example, it conducts assessments to identify issues that are a risk. This allows the strategic assignment of program resources towards products that pose the greatest risk to Canadians. When reviewing incoming incident and injury reports, the CPSP uses a triage-based approach to identify product-related health and safety issues for follow-up risk assessment and possible compliance and enforcement activity. It carefully monitors issues that do not require immediate attention so that it is prepared to take action if the risk changes over time. Finally, the CPSP provides credible information to consumers and provides tools to help guide informed decision-making by the public.
This is the third publicly available Annual Surveillance Report. This report presents a summary of all incident data reported to the CPSP between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019, that meet the definitions of a consumer product or cosmetic set out in legislation administered by Health Canada:
- A consumer product is a product, including its components, parts or accessories, that may reasonably be expected to be obtained by an individual to be used for non-commercial purposes, including for domestic, recreational and sports purposes, and includes its packaging; and
- A cosmetic includes any substance or mixture of substances manufactured, sold or represented for use in cleansing, improving or altering the complexion, skin, hair or teeth, and includes deodorants and perfumes.
This Annual Surveillance Report includes all incident reports for products that are sold within the Canadian marketplace, regardless of whether or not the incidents and injuries described in those reports happened domestically (67%) or internationally (33%) Footnote 1.
The data has been divided by incidents Footnote 2 pertaining to consumer products, regulated under the CCPSA and its regulations, and cosmetics, which are regulated under the FDA and the Cosmetic Regulations. Under the CCPSA, industry must report health or safety incidents involving consumer products to Health Canada. This mandatory reporting provides Health Canada with a broad understanding of health- or safety-related incidents that occur with consumer products. There are no mandatory incident reporting requirements for cosmetics under the FDA or the Cosmetic Regulations. Finally, each subdivided section provides a table to illustrate the top 10 products reported overall as well as those associated with incident reports of injuries and deaths, with information concerning the hazards and injuries mentioned in the incident report for those products. All of the injuries reported are grouped into different levels of severity (unknown, minor, or life threatening for example). These levels correspond to the overall risk that was reported and relies on factors such as: whether medical treatment was sought, whether the injury was described as being sustained by a vulnerable population, and whether that injury was reversible.
The categorization of consumer products was carried out using the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) coding manual. The categorization of cosmetic products was based on the function of the product using CPSP's Notification of Cosmetics guidelines.
The information provided in this Annual Surveillance Report reflects information as it was described in the incident reports submitted to the CPSP by industry and consumers (including media articles, governmental organizations, fire services, police, coroners, etc.) and does not capture all incidents in Canada. Reports submitted to the CPSP express opinions or observations of the individuals who wrote them. They might not always identify a health or safety concern with a particular consumer product or cosmetic or include a thorough description of the incident. CPSP acknowledges that a given event may be due to an underlying condition, product misuse or coincidental factors. The CPSP takes a risk-based approach and does not validate the claims of every report received. Information reported to the CPSP may concern incidents that occurred outside of Canada.
The CPSP receives reports on an ongoing basis thus the statistics in this Annual Surveillance Report should be considered dynamic and subject to change.
Consumer products
Total reports received in 2019 from consumers and industry
Figure 1 - Text description
| Month and Year Report Received |
Number of Incident Reports Received | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Incident Reported by Consumer | Incident Reported by Industry | Grand Total | |
| Jan | 87 | 153 | 240 |
| Feb | 75 | 124 | 199 |
| Mar | 65 | 183 | 248 |
| Apr | 67 | 124 | 191 |
| May | 84 | 140 | 224 |
| Jun | 56 | 126 | 182 |
| Jul | 74 | 101 | 175 |
| Aug | 60 | 84 | 144 |
| Sep | 67 | 100 | 167 |
| Oct | 68 | 139 | 207 |
| Nov | 74 | 105 | 179 |
| Dec | 71 | 116 | 187 |
| Grand Total | 848 | 1495 | 2343 |
In 2019, we had an average of 195 reports received per month. The number of reports received from month to month varies, and can be impacted by seasonal use and media attention. Some of the products that contributed to the increase in reports received in 2019 are highlighted below.
March and October saw a higher than average number of reports received for the year due to reporting from industry for incidents that occurred prior to 2019 related to power saws, portable electric heaters, and air compressors.
Top 10 consumer products reported
The CPSP received a total of 2,343 consumer product incident reports in 2019, covering more than 300 different product types. 85% of these product types had 10 or less incident reports submitted per product type, accounting for 33% of the total number of cases received. This means that the remaining 15% of product types account for the majority (67%) of the total number of cases received, including the 10 most reported product types seen here.
Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Toys
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 64
From industry: 119
Total: 183
The following information is presented in a slightly different format than other products. In order to accurately and easily communicate the large variety of toys available in the Canadian market (including more than 30 different NEISS product types), all toys were grouped together here, including:
- baby walkers or jumpers;
- balloons;
- blocks, stacking toys or pull toys;
- building sets;
- dolls, plush toys, and action figures;
- moulding compounds;
- non-riding toy vehicles;
- powered riding vehicles;
- pretend electronics, tools, housewares and appliances;
- squeeze or squeaker toys; and
- teething rings.
The top hazards reported included:
- 27% (50 of 183) small part,
- 20% (37 of 183) toxicological, and
- 15% (27 of 183) sharp edge or point.
49% (90 of 183) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 51% (93 of 183) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 56% (52 of 93) were minor,
- 29% (27 of 93) were moderate,
- 10% (9 of 93) were severe,
- 2% (2 of 93) were fatal,
- 2% (2 of 93) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, and
- 1% (1 of 93) was life threatening or disabling.
The most common injuries reported were cuts, asphyxia, bruises, and irritation or allergic reactions.
Electric ranges or ovens
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 50
From industry: 91
Total: 141
The top hazards reported included:
- 36% (51 of 141) excessive heat/overheating,
- 21% (29 of 141) sharp edge or point, and
- 12% (17 of 141) fire.
91% (128 of 141) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 9% (13 of 141) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 46% (6 of 13) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown,
- 38% (5 of 13) were minor, and
- 15% (2 of 13) were moderate.
The most common injuries reported were burns, and irritation or allergic reactions.
Telephones or accessories
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 16
From industry: 62
Total: 78
The top hazards reported included:
- 29% (23 of 78) excessive heat/overheating,
- 26% (20 of 78) fire, and
- 21% (16 of 78) smoke.
65% (51 of 78) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 35% (27 of 78) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 56% (15 of 27) were minor,
- 26% (7 of 27) were moderate, and
- 19% (5 of 27) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
The most common injuries reported were burns, cuts and sprains or strains.
Power saws
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 0
From industry: 76
Total: 76
The top hazards reported included:
- 62% (47 of 76) moving part,
- 16% (12 of 76) smoke, and
- 13% (10 of 76) sharp edge or point.
97% (74 of 76) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 2% (2 of 76) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 1% (1 of 2) was moderate, and
- 1% (1 of 2) did not have sufficient detail and was classified as unknown.
The only known reported injury was a cut.
Diapers
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 2
From industry: 65
Total: 67
All hazards reported were toxicologicalFootnote *.
All 67 reports mentioned an injury, of which:
- 45% (30 of 67) were severe,
- 43% (29 of 67) were moderate, and
- 12% (8 of 67) were minor.
The most common injuries reported were irritations or allergic reactions to the product.
Portable electric heaters
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 12
From industry: 40
Total: 52
The top hazards reported included:
- 40% (21 of 52) fire,
- 29% (15 of 52) arcing or sparking, and
- 10% (5 of 52) excessive heat/overheating.
96% (50 of 52) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 2% (2 of 50) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 50% (1 of 2) was fatal, and
- 50% (1 of 2) was minor.
The known reported injuries were burns.
Vaping device
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 43
From industry: 7
Total: 50
The top hazards reported included:
- 80% (40 of 50) toxicological,
- 12% (6 of 50) explosion, and
- 4% (2 of 50) fire.
36% (18 of 50) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 64% (32 of 50) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 56% (18 of 32) were severe,
- 22% (7 of 32) were moderate,
- 13% (4 of 32) were minor, and
- 9% (3 of 32) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
The most common injuries reported were poisonings, burns, and fractures.
Thermostats
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 30
From industry: 17
Total: 47
The top hazards reported included:
- 38% (18 of 47) excessive heat/overheating,
- 28% (13 of 47) combustion, and
- 21% (10 of 47) fire.
All 100% (47 of 47) of the reports did not mention an injury.
Riding power lawn mowers and garden tractors
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 1
From industry: 42
Total: 43
The top hazards reported included:
- 35% (15 of 43) other mechanical and physical (user error, ex: consumer confused gas and brake, or fall from tractor),
- 16% (7 of 43) struck by or against,
- 7% (3 of 43) tip over,
- 7% (3 of 43) sharp edge or point, and
- 7% (3 of 43) toxicological.
14% (6 of 43) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 86% (37 of 43) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 46% (17 of 37) were severe,
- 24% (9 of 37) were moderate,
- 19% (7 of 37) were fatal,
- 5% (2 of 37) were minor,
- 3% (1 of 37) were life threatening or disabling, and
- 3% (1 of 37) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
The most common injuries reported were fractures, brain injuries, and poisonings.
Computers
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 13
From industry: 26
Total: 39
The top hazards reported included:
- 38% (15 of 39) fire,
- 26% (10 of 39) excessive heat, and
- 15% (6 of 39) smoke.
77% (30 of 39) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 23% (9 of 39) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 89% (8 of 9) were minor, and
- 11% (1 of 9) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
The most common injuries were burns and electric shock.
All consumer products reported that mentioned a death
For the 2019 year, 15 different product types had an incident report that mentioned at least 1 death.
Riding power lawn mowers and garden tractors
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 7
Total: 7
Of the reported deaths:
- 3 were described as overturning/roll overs of the products that pinned or crushed the consumers;
- 2 involved collisions with motor vehicles;
- 1 involved carbon monoxide poisoning from the tractor being left on in an enclosed space, and
- 1 involved the product falling and crushing the consumer during maintenance.
Laundry soaps or detergents
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 2
Total: 2
The 2 reported deaths were described as being due to poisonings from ingestion of the product.
Toys
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 1
Total: 2
Of the reported deaths:
- 1 was described as being due to choking from ingestion of a small toy;
- 1 was described as being crushed by a swing set when the product collapsed.
Baby bouncer seats
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported event, which included a link to a CTV news article, spoke of several infant deaths related to this style of product.
Chemical detergents (unknown stain remover)
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to poisoning from ingestion of the product.
Cribs
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 1
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to entrapment between the wall and the crib, causing lack of oxygen.
Desks, dressers, chests, bureaus, or buffets
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 1
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to asphyxia caused by tip over of the product.
Fuel-burning lighting equipment
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to fatal burns from a fire.
Generators or power plants
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to poisoning from carbon monoxide.
Outdoor awnings or shutters
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 1
Total: 1
The reported death was described as a fall resulting from the consumer being struck by the unexpected opening of the product while on a ladder.
Outerwear
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to positional asphyxia while sleeping in a one-piece snow suit.
Personal protection devices (i.e., wearable medical alert devices)
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
There was insufficient information to determine the injury. A malfunction of the device was reported.
Portable baby swings
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 1
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to asphyxia caused by the infant rolling over while sleeping.
Portable electric heaters
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to a fire, causing an unknown injury.
Portable gas or LP heaters
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to poisoning from carbon monoxide.
Top 10 consumer products reported that mentioned a non-fatal injury
Of the 2,343 reports received by CPSP over the course of 2019, 794 mention an injury. This table displays the top 10 consumer products that contributed to the majority of those injuries.
Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Toys
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 24
From industry: 67
Total: 91
The following information is presented in a slightly different format than other products. In order to accurately and easily communicate the large variety of toys available in the Canadian market (including more than 30 different NEISS product types), all toys were grouped together here, including:
- blocks, stacking toys or pull toys;
- building sets;
- dolls, plush toys, and action figures;
- squeeze or squeaker toys;
- toy guns with projectiles; and
- teething rings.
31% (28 of 91) of the injuries reported were described as cuts:
- 54% (15 of 28) were minor,
- 43% (12 of 28) were moderate, and
- 4% (1 of 28) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
23% (21 of 91) of the injuries reported were described as asphyxia:
- 76% (16 of 21) were minor,
- 19% (4 of 21) were moderate, and
- 5% (1 of 21) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
13% (12 of 91) of the injuries reported were described as bruises:
- 92% (11 of 12) were minor, and
- 8% (1 of 12) were moderate.
11% (10 of 91) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 50% (5 of 10) were moderate,
- 40% (4 of 10) were minor, and
- 10% (1 of 10) were severe.
7% (6 of 91) of the injuries reported were described as fractures:
- 50% (3 of 6) were severe, and
- 50% (3 of 6) were moderate.
7% (6 of 91) of the injuries reported were described as presence of foreign object:
- 33% (2 of 6) were severe,
- 33% (2 of 6) were minor, and
- 17% (1 of 6) were life threatening or disabling, and
- 17% (1 of 6) were moderate.
Of the remaining 8% (8 of 91) of injuries:
- 50% (4 of 8) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown; however, 3 were generally reported as severe,
- 25% (2 of 8) were described as minor poisonings, and
- 25% (2 of 8) were described as minor burns.
The most common hazards reported include small part, sharp edge or point, toxicologicalFootnote *, entrapment, struck by or against, and pinch or shear.
Diapers
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 2
From industry: 65
Total: 67
96% (64 of 67) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 45% (29 of 64) were moderate,
- 42% (27 of 64) were severe, and
- 13% (8 of 64) were minor.
The remaining 4% (3 of 67) of injuries reported did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown; however, they were all generally reported as severe injuries.
The most common hazard reported was toxicologicalFootnote *.
Vaping devices
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 26
From industry: 6
Total: 32
47% (15 of 32) of the injuries reported were described as poisoning by ingestion of the e-liquid:
- 93% (14 of 15) were severe, and
- 7% (1 of 15) were minor.
28% (9 of 32) of the injuries reported did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown; however, 3 were reported generally as being severe.
13% (4 of 32) of the injuries reported were described as burns:
- 50% (2 of 4) were moderate,
- 25% (1 of 4) were severe, and
- 25% (1 of 4) were minor.
Of the remaining 14% (4 of 15) of injuries:
- 50% (2 of 4) were described as moderate fractures,
- 25% (1 of 4) were described as moderate asphyxia, and
- 25% (1 of 4) were described as minor irritation or allergic reaction.
The most common hazards reported were toxicologicalFootnote *, explosion, and overheating.
Laundry soaps or detergents
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 2
From industry: 28
Total: 30
67% (20 of 30) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 45% (9 of 20) were severe,
- 35% (7 of 20) were moderate,
- 10% (2 of 20) were minor,
- 5% (1 of 20) were life threatening or disabling and
- 5% (1 of 20) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
30% (9 of 30) of the injuries reported were described as poisoning by ingestion of the product:
- 67% (6 of 9) were moderate,
- 22% (2 of 9) were severe, and
- 11% (1 of 9) were life threatening or disabling.
3% (1 of 30) of the injuries reported were described as moderate burns.
The most common hazard reported was toxicologicalFootnote *.
Riding power lawn mowers and garden tractors
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 1
From industry: 29
Total: 30
27% (8 of 30) of the injuries did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown; however, 1 was generally reported as a life threatening or disabling injury and 4 others were generally reported as severe injuries.
27% (8 of 30) of the injuries were described as fractures:
- 75% (6 of 8) were severe, and
- 25% (2 of 8) were moderate.
10% (3 of 30) of the described injuries were severe brain injuries.
7% (2 of 30) of the described injuries were burns:
- 50% (1 of 2) were severe, and
- 50% (1 of 2) were moderate.
7% (2 of 30) of the described injuries were severe cuts.
3% (1 of 30) of the described injuries were severe amputations.
The remaining 20% (6 of 30) of injuries were described as being minor or moderate bruising, sprains or strains, poisoning, and irritation or allergic reaction.
The most common hazard types reported were struck by or against, and tip over.
Telephones or accessories
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 2
From industry: 25
Total: 27
85% (23 of 27) of the injuries reported were described as burns:
- 48% (11 of 23) were minor,
- 30% (7 of 23) were moderate, and
- 22% (5 of 23) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
7% (2 of 27) of the injuries reported were described as minor cuts.
4% (1 of 27) of the injuries reported were described as minor sprain or strains.
4% (1 of 27) of the injuries reported were described as minor irritation or allergic reactions.
The most commons hazards reported were excessive heat, fire, and smoke.
Pictures, picture frames or wall decorations
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 0
From industry: 15
Total: 15
100% (15 of 15) of the injuries reported were described as cuts:
- 53% (8 of 15) were minor,
- 33% (5 of 15) were moderate,
- 7% (1 of 15) were severe, and
- 7% (1 of 15) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
All hazards reported were sharp edge or point.
Drinking glasses
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 3
From industry: 11
Total: 14
71% (10 of 14) of the injuries were described as cuts:
- 40% (4 of 10) were minor, and
- 30% (3 of 10) were moderate, and
- 30% (3 of 10) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
21% (3 of 14) of the injuries were described as burns
- 67% (2 of 3) were minor, and
- 33% (1 of 3) were severe.
7% (1 of 14) of the described injuries were minor poisoning.
The most common hazard reported was sharp edge or point.
Laundry treatment products
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 0
From industry: 13
Total: 13
100% (13 of 13) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 54% (7 of 13) were severe,
- 23% (3 of 13) were life threatening or disabling, and
- 23% (3 of 23) were moderate.
The most common hazard reported was toxicologicalFootnote *.
Clothing accessories (incl. pads, panty liners, bibs)
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 3
From industry: 10
Total: 13
69% (9 of 13) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 33% (3 of 9) were minor,
- 33% (3 of 9) were moderate, and
- 33% (3 of 9) were severe.
23% (3 of 13) of the injuries reported were described as minor asphyxia, burns or cuts.
The remaining 8% (1 of 13) of the injuries did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown; however, all were generally reported as severe.
The most common hazard reported was toxicological.
Electric ranges or ovens
Number of reports received in 2019 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 5
From industry: 8
Total: 13
46% (6 of 13) of the injuries were described as burns:
- 50% (3 of 6) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown,
- 33% (2 of 6) were moderate, and
- 17% (1 of 6) were minor.
23% (3 of 13) of the injuries were described as minor irritation or allergic reactions.
8% (1 of 28) of the injuries were described as a minor cut.
8% (1 of 28) of the injuries were described as electric shock with an unknown injury severity.
The remaining 15% (2 of 13) of the injuries did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
The most common hazards reported were, excessive heat/overheating, and toxicologicalFootnote *.
Find out more about consumer products .
Cosmetics
Total reports received in 2019 from consumers and industry
Cosmetics do not have any mandatory incident reporting requirements for industry under either the Food and Drugs Act or the Cosmetics Regulations. All reports received by industry are voluntary.
Figure 2 - Text description
| Month and Year Report Received |
Number of Incident Reports Received | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Incident Reported by Consumer | Incident Reported by Industry | Grand Total | |
| Jan | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Feb | 12 | 3 | 16 |
| Mar | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| Apr | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| May | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| June | 11 | 1 | 12 |
| Jul | 16 | 1 | 17 |
| Aug | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Sep | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Oct | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Nov | 14 | 3 | 17 |
| Dec | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Grand Total | 145 | 16 | 161 |
Top 10 cosmetic products reported
Forty-eight percent (77 of 161) of the cosmetic reports received between January 2019, and December 2019, mentioned injuries, and 86% (139 of 161) of the reports received were concerning toxicologicalFootnote * hazards. The top 10 products reported here are also the top 10 products associated with the description of an injury.
Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Moisturizers
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 34
From industry: 4
Total: 38
Of the 38 reports, 42% (16 of 38) mentioned an injury.
All 16 (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 39% (6 of 16) were moderate,
- 31% (5 of 16) were minor, and
- 31% (5 of 16) were severe.
The moisturizing products included:
- 50% (19 of 38) facial moisturizers (including eyes),
- 47% (18 of 38) body moisturizers, and
- 3% (1 of 38) genital moisturizers.
Cleansers
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 22
From industry: 3
Total: 25
Of the 25 reports, 60% (15 of 25) mentioned an injury.
All 15 (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 53% (8 of 15) were minor,
- 40% (6 of 15) were moderate, and
- 7% (1 of 15) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
The cleanser products included:
- 56% (14 of 25) body cleansers
- 40% (10 of 25) face cleansers (including eyes), and
- 4% (1 of 25) genital cleansers.
Makeup (non-permanent, incl. henna tattoo)
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 13
From industry: 1
Total: 14
Of the 14 reports, 43% (6 of 14) mentioned an injury.
All 6 (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 67% (4 of 6) were moderate, and
- 33% (2 of 6) were minor.
The non-permanent makeup products were for:
- 43% (6 of 14) the face,
- 36% (5 of 14) the body,
- 14% (2 of 14) the eyes, and
- 7% (1 of 14) the lips.
Shampoo
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers:10
From industry: 1
Total: 11
Of the 11 reports, 73% (8 of 11) mentioned an injury.
All 8 (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 50% (4 of 8) were minor, and
- 50% (4 of 8) were moderate.
Cosmetic adhesives
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 10
From industry: 0
Total: 10
Of the 10 reports, 20% (2 of 10) mentioned an injury.
Both (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 100% (2 of 2) were minor.
The adhesive products included:
- 80% (8 of 10) eyelash adhesives, and
- 20% (2 of 10) nail adhesives.
Hair colour - permanent
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 5
From industry: 1
Total: 6
Of the 6 reports, 100% (6 of 6) mentioned an injury.
All 6 (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 67% (4 of 6) were moderate, and
- 33% (2 of 6) were minor.
Chemical exfoliant
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 6
From industry: 0
Total: 6
Of the 6 reports, 17% (1 of 6) mentioned an injury.
The 1 (100%) injury was described as an irritation or allergic reaction.
The chemical exfoliant products included:
- 67% (4 of 6) for the body, and
- 33% (2 of 6) for the face.
Bath Products (incl. bath bombs, salts and oils)
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 4
From industry: 2
Total: 6
Of the 6 reports, 50% (3 of 6) mentioned an injury.
All 3 (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 67% (2 of 3) were minor,
- 33% (1 of 3) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
Straightening, waving and curling products (permanent/semi-permanent)
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 5
From industry: 0
Total: 5
Of the 5 reports, 40% (2 of 5) mentioned an injury.
Both (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 50% (1 of 2) were moderate, and
- 50% (1 of 2) were minor.
Conditioners
Number of reports received in 2019
From consumers: 5
From industry: 0
Total: 5
Of the 5 reports, 40% (2 of 5) mentioned an injury.
Both (100%) of the injuries were described as irritations or allergic reactions.
Injury severity:
- 50% (1 of 2) were moderate, and
- 50% (1 of 2) were minor.
Find out more about cosmetics.
Conclusion
Within the 2019 calendar year, the CPSP received a total of 2,504 consumer product and cosmetic reports (2,343 and 161 reports respectively) from industry and consumers. This is similar to the number of reports received in 2018. The 10 most reported consumer products account for 33% of the total number of incident reports received by the CPSP for 2019.
The top reported product in 2019 was Toys, with 179 reports received, which is an increase of 14% from 2018. Half of the incident reports received for toys mentioned an injury, which is higher than the 38% seen in 2018.
2019 also saw a 41% increase in the number of reports received for 'Electric ranges or ovens' compared to 2018. The increase in reported incidents from industry (up from 47 in 2018) is likely due to compliance & enforcement activities that the Department took over the course of 2018 and 2019 related to industry's mandatory reporting obligations under the CCPSA.
Over the last 3 years, Telephones and accessories has continued to see a decline in the number of reported incidents, with a 70% decrease in reports received from 2017 to 2019. The CPSP addressed issues with USB charging cables through a compliance and enforcement project in 2018 as well as ongoing recalls, which has likely led to a continued decrease on reported incidents.
All 76 of the incident reports pertaining to power saws, and 77% (40 of 52) of the portable electric heater incident reports were reported by industry. Most of the cases reported were for incidents that occurred prior to 2019.
Additionally, 2019 saw 3 times the number of vaping device incident reports received. This is likely in part due to the increase in use of these products (Health Canadas's 2018/2019 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Survey showed a sharp increase in vaping usage among students). This increase in reporting (mostly from consumers) is also likely due to media coverage and the prevalence of these products on the marketplace since the publication and coming into force of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act.
Finally, the CPSP saw a consistent number of reports received for cosmetic products, which are voluntarily reported, between 2018 and 2019.
How to report an incident involving a consumer product or cosmetic
Industry must report health or safety concerns involving a consumer product and are encouraged to voluntarily report health or safety issues involving a cosmetic.
Consumers are encouraged to report any health or safety issues directly to the CPSP involving either a consumer product or cosmetic and can also send a report to the manufacturer, importer or retailer of the consumer product or cosmetic.
Contact us
Any questions or comments on this report, including any requests for the data used to support this report, should be directed to cps-spc@hc-sc.gc.ca.
Footnotes
- Footnote 1
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‘International’ includes locations that were unknown or not specified.
- Footnote 2
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For the purposes of this report, an 'incident' is an event that occurs where a consumer is, or could have been, injured by a product. The full definition of an 'incident' under the CCPSA is available under subsection 14(1) of that Act.
- Footnote *
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Toxicological hazards include the presence of bacteria, mould, toxins, or harmful chemical agents in the consumer product.
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