Consumer Product Safety Program Annual Surveillance Report: 2022
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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. Similarly, the purpose of the Cosmetic Regulations and the associated portions of the FDA are to protect people in Canada from risks that may be posed by cosmetics.
Within Health Canada, the CPSP promotes, monitors, verifies, and enforces compliance with the CCPSA and the FDA. It reviews incident reportsFootnote 1 submitted by industryFootnote 2 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 people in Canada posed by consumer products and cosmetics. For example, it conducts assessments to understand and highlight the relative level of risk posed by a consumer product or cosmetic. This allows for the strategic assignment of program resources towards products that pose the greatest risk to people in Canada. When reviewing incoming incident reports, the CPSP uses a triage-based approach to identify product-related health and safety concerns 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 sixth publicly available Annual Surveillance Report. This report presents a summary of all product incident data reported to the CPSP between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, that meet either of the below definitions:
- 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 (Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, Section 2); 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 (Food and Drugs Act, Section 2).
All of the reported incidents include products that are sold within the Canadian marketplace, whether the incidents occurred domestically (71%) or internationally (29%)Footnote 3.
The data has been divided by incidents pertaining to consumer products and cosmetics. 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. 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 described was sustained by a priority population (for example young children) 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 in this Annual Surveillance Report reflects the information provided in the incident reports submitted to the CPSP by industry and consumers (including media articles, governmental organizations, fire services, police, coroners, etc.); it does not capture all incidents in Canada. Reports submitted to the CPSP express opinions or observations of the individuals who wrote them and may not always identify a health or safety concern with a particular product 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.
The CPSP reviews 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 2022 from consumers and industry
2,280 consumer product reports were received between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, of which 24 mentioned a death and 743 mentioned a non-fatal injury.
Figure 1: Text Description
| Month reports received | Number of Incident Reports Received | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Incident reported by consumer | Incident reported by industry | Grand total | |
| January | 81 | 100 | 181 |
| February | 56 | 124 | 180 |
| March | 98 | 205 | 303 |
| April | 63 | 69 | 132 |
| May | 89 | 157 | 246 |
| June | 71 | 108 | 179 |
| July | 71 | 79 | 150 |
| August | 95 | 66 | 161 |
| September | 99 | 110 | 209 |
| October | 69 | 102 | 171 |
| November | 87 | 102 | 189 |
| December | 107 | 72 | 179 |
| Grand total | 986 | 1294 | 2280 |
In 2022, the CPSP had an average of 190 reports received per month. There was a 27% decrease in the number of industry reports received compared to 2021, and an overall decrease of 18% in the total number of consumer product and cosmetic reports received by the CPSP in 2022.
March and May saw the largest increase in industry reports, which can be explained by batch reporting of the following product types:
- Beds or bedframes, and
- Convertible beds, hideaway beds or sofa beds.
Batch reporting is when industry submits multiple reports pertaining to one product type at a single time. These multiple reports may or may not be related and may have occurred in previous years.
Top 10 consumer products reported
The CPSP received a total of 2,280 consumer product incident reports in 2022, covering 295 different product types. Eighty-three percent (83%) of these product types had only 10 or less incident reports submitted per product type, accounting for 29% of the total number of cases received. By comparison, the 10 most reported product types accounted for 36% of all reports received.
Figure 2 : Text Description
| Product type | Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| Electric ranges or ovens | 101 | 142 | 99 | 168 | 132 |
| Toys | 195 | 179 | 128 | 162 | 130 |
| Chairs | 22 | 16 | 45 | 137 | 122 |
| Telephones or accessories | 155 | 78 | 89 | 129 | 113 |
| Beds or bedframes | 8 | 4 | 4 | 78 | 83 |
| Convertible beds, hideaway beds or sofa beds | 0 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 74 |
| Window shades, venetian blinds or indoor shutters | 17 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 56 |
| Barstools or kitchen stools | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 42 |
| Refrigerators | 21 | 26 | 30 | 43 | 41 |
| Thermostats (for heating or cooling systems) | 54 | 47 | 44 | 54 | 39 |
The figure above shows the number of reports that the Consumer Product Safety Program has received over the last 5 years for the top 10 consumer product types reported in 2022. Many of these product types have been within the top 10 most reported product types in previous years. Details on this year's top 10 consumer products are below.
Note: Totals do not always add up to 100% due to rounding.
Electric ranges or ovens
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 49
From industry: 83
Total: 132
The top hazards reported included:
- 31% (41 of 132) fire,
- 21% (28 of 132) excessive heat/overheating, and
- 15% (20 of 132) sharp edge or point.
68% (90 of 132) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 32% (42 of 132) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 50% (21 of 42) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown severity,
- 38% (16 of 42) were minor, and
- 12% (5 of 42) were moderate.
The most common injuries reported were cuts and burns.
Toys
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 71
From industry: 58
Total: 129
The following information is presented in a slightly different format than other products. To communicate the large variety of toys available more accurately and easily 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,
- infant and toddler play centres,
- squeeze or squeaker toys, and
- teething rings.
The top hazards reported included:
- 28% (36 of 129) small part,
- 18% (24 of 129) toxicologicalFootnote *, and
- 10% (13 of 129) broken part.
60% (78 of 129) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 40% (52 of 129) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 46% (24 of 52) were minor,
- 35% (18 of 52) were moderate,
- 8% (4 of 52) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown severity,
- 8% (4 of 52) were severe, and
- 4% (2 of 52) were fatal.
The most common injuries reported were cuts, bruises, irritation or allergic reactions, and asphyxia.
Chairs
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 6
From industry: 116
Total: 122
The top hazards reported included:
- 69% (84 of 122) collapse, and
- 16% (19 of 122) broken part.
59% (72 of 122) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 41% (50 of 122) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 48% (24 of 50) were minor,
- 24% (12 of 50) were moderate,
- 22% (11 of 50) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown severity, and
- 6% (3 of 50) were severe.
The most common injuries reported were bruises, and sprains or strains.
Telephones or accessories
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 13
From industry: 100
Total: 113
The top hazards reported included:
- 46% (52 of 113) fire,
- 19% (22 of 113) explosion, and
- 16% (18 of 113) excessive heat/overheating.
69% (78 of 113) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 31% (35 of 113) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 71% (25 of 35) were minor,
- 14% (5 of 35) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown severity,
- 9% (3 of 35) were fatal and
- 6% (2 of 35) were moderate.
The most common injuries reported were burns, electric shock, and cuts.
Beds or bedframes
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 3
From industry: 80
Total: 83
The top hazards reported included:
- 75% (62 of 83) broken part, and
- 19% (16 of 83) instability.
88% (73 of 83) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 12% (10 of 83) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 50% (5 of 10) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown severity,
- 40% (4 of 10) were moderate, and
- 10% (1 of 10) were minor.
The most common injuries reported were cuts.
Convertible beds, hideaway beds or sofa beds
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 8
From industry: 66
Total: 74
The top hazard reported was:
- 89% (66 of 74) collapse.
47% (35 of 74) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 53% (39 of 74) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 49% (19 of 39) were minor,
- 21% (8 of 39) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown severity,
- 21% (8 of 39) were moderate, and
- 10% (4 of 39) were severe.
The most common injuries reported were cuts.
Window shades, venetian blinds or indoor shutters
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 55
From industry: 1
Total: 56
The top hazard reported was:
- 86% (48 of 56) entanglement.
98% (55 of 56) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 2% (1 of 56) of the reports mentioned a minor bruising injury.
Barstools or kitchen stools
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 0
From industry: 42
Total: 42
The top hazards reported included:
- 95% (40 of 42) tip over, and
- 5% (2 of 42) broken part.
98% (41 of 42) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 2% (1 of 42) of the reports mentioned an unknown injury of minor severity.
Refrigerators
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 15
From industry: 26
Total: 41
The top hazards reported included:
- 27% (11 of 41) sharp edge,
- 15% (6 of 41) fire,
- 12% (5 of 41) detached part, and
- 10% (4 of 41) toxicologicalFootnote *.
44% (18 of 41) of the reports did not mention an injury.
The remaining 56% (23 of 41) of the reports mentioned injuries, of which:
- 48% (11 of 23) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown severity,
- 26% (6 of 23) were minor,
- 22% (5 of 23) were moderate, and
- 4% (1 of 23) were severe.
The most common injuries reported were cuts, poisoning, and bruises.
Thermostats
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 34
From industry: 5
Total: 39
The top hazards reported included:
- 44% (17 of 39) fire,
- 29% (11 of 39) excessive heat/overheating, and
- 13% (5 of 39) combustion.
100% (39 of 39) of the reports did not mention an injury.
All consumer products reported that mentioned a death
In 2022, there were 24 incident reports related to 12 different product types, which mentioned at least one death.
Warning: The following section describes deaths involving consumer products. This information may be uncomfortable for some readers.
Garden tractors and riding power lawn mowers
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 5
Total: 6
Of the reported deaths:
- 3 were described as the tractor or mower overturning and pinning the operators underneath,
- 2 involved carbon monoxide poisonings while in closed garages, and
- 1 involved a collision caused by a malfunctioning parking brake.
Batteries
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 2
From industry: 1
Total: 3
Of the three reported deaths, two were described as being due to fires caused by batteries, and the third was described as being due to a child ingesting a coin-sized battery.
Telephones or accessories
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 2
From industry: 1
Total: 3
The three reported deaths were described as being due to fires caused by the products.
Laundry soaps or detergents
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 2
Total: 2
The two reported deaths were described as being due to poisonings from ingestion of the product.
Bed rails
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 2
Total: 2
Of the reported deaths, one was described as being due to health complications following entrapment in the product. The second report did not provide enough information as to how the product was involved in the consumer's death. Both deaths occurred prior to 2022 but were reported by industry in 2022.
Toys
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 2
Total: 2
Of the reported deaths, one was described as being due to the ingestion of a button battery from an electronic toy. The second report was described as being due to choking on a small part.
Sports and recreational activity equipment
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 1
Total: 1
The reported death was described as involving a parachute.
Boilers
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Tractors, other or not specified
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 0
From industry: 1
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to material being carried in the tractor pinning the operator.
Vaping product
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to respiratory failure caused by vaping-associated lung illness.
Bassinets or cradles
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as being due to suffocation while in the product.
General purpose household cleaners
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned a death
From consumers: 1
From industry: 0
Total: 1
The reported death was described as a poisoning due to accidental ingestion of the product.
Top 10 consumer products reported that mentioned a non-fatal injury
Of the 2,280 reports received by CPSP over the course of 2022, 743 (33%) mention a non-fatal injury. This table displays the top 10 consumer product types that contributed to the majority of those injuries.
Note: Totals do not always add up to 100% due to rounding.
Chairs
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 2
From industry: 48
Total: 50
36% (18 of 50) of the injuries reported did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown injuries.
24% (12 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as bruises:
- 75% (9 of 12) were minor,
- 17% (2 of 12 were moderate, and
- 8% (1 of 12) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
12% (6 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as sprains/strains:
- 50% (3 of 6) were moderate,
- 33% (2 of 6) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, and
- 17% (1 of 6) were minor.
8% (4 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as brain injuries:
- 75% (3 of 4) were moderate, and
- 25% (1 of 4) were severe.
8% (4 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as cuts:
- 50% (2 of 4) were minor,
- 25% (1 of 4) were moderate, and
- 25% (1 of 4) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
6% (3 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as fractures:
- 67% (2 of 3) were moderate, and
- 33% (1 of 3) were severe.
6% (3 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as other injuries:
- 67% (2 of 3) were minor, and
- 33% (1 of 3) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
The most common hazards reported were collapse, broken part, tip over, instability, and pinch or shear.
Toys
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 23
From industry: 27
Total: 50
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:
- building sets,
- dolls, plush toys, and action figures,
- infant and toddler play centers,
- moulding compounds,
- scooters, unpowered,
- squeeze or squeaker toys,
- teething rings,
- toy guns with projectiles, and
28% (14 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as cuts:
- 50% (7 of 14) were moderate,
- 36% (5 of 14) were minor,
- 7% (1 of 14) were severe, and
- 7% (1 of 14) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
20% (10 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as bruises:
- 70% (7 of 10) were minor, and
- 30% (3 of 10) were moderate.
16% (8 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 38% (3 of 8) were moderate,
- 38% (3 of 8) were minor, and
- 25% (2 of 8) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
14% (7 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as asphyxia:
- 71% (5 of 7) were minor,
- 14% (1 of 7) were moderate, and
- 14% (1 of 7) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
8% (4 of 50) of the injuries did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown or other; however, 3 were described generally as minor.
6% (3 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as presence of foreign object with moderate injuries.
4% (2 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as minor and moderate burns.
4% (2 of 50) of the injuries reported were described as severe fractures.
The most common hazards reported were small part, toxicologicalFootnote *, sharp edge or point, moving part, and instability.
Electric ranges or ovens
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 9
From industry: 33
Total: 42
40% (17 of 42) of the injuries reported were described as cuts:
- 41% (7 of 17) were minor,
- 35% (6 of 17) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, and
- 24% (4 of 17) were moderate.
33% (14 of 42) of the injuries reported were described as burns:
- 57% (8 of 14) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, and
- 43% (6 of 14) were minor.
14% (6 of 42) of the injuries reported were described as electric shock:
- 83% (5 of 6) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, and
- 17% (1 of 6) were minor.
10% (4 of 42) of the injuries reported were described as bruises:
- 50% (2 of 4) were minor,
- 25% (1 of 4) were moderate, and
- 25% (1 of 4) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
2% (1 of 42) of the injuries did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown with unknown severities.
The most common hazards reported were excessive heat/overheating, sharp edge or point, fire, and collapse.
Convertible beds, hideaway beds or sofa beds
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 5
From industry: 34
Total: 39
41% (16 of 39) of the injuries reported were described as cuts:
- 50% (8 of 16) were minor,
- 31% (5 of 16) were moderate,
- 12% (2 of 16) were severe, and
- 6% (1 of 16) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
31% (12 of 39) of the injuries reported did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, 8% of which were described as severe injuries.
13% (5 of 39) of the injuries reported were described as minor bruises.
10% (4 of 39) of the injuries reported were described as fractures:
- 50% (2 of 4) were moderate,
- 25% (1 of 4) were severe, and
- 25% (1 of 4) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
3% (1 of 39) of the injuries reported were described as brain injuries with unknown severities.
3% (1 of 39) of the injuries reported were described as moderate sprains or strains.
The most common hazards reported were collapse, detached part, sharp edge or point, and tip over.
Telephones or accessories
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 1
From industry: 31
Total: 32
81% (26 of 32) of the injuries reported were described as burns:
- 77% (20 of 26) were minor,
- 19% (5 of 26) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, and
- 4% (1 of 26) were moderate.
16% (5 of 32) of the injuries reported were described as electric shocks:
- 80% (4 of 5) were minor, and
- 20% (1 of 5) were moderate.
3% (1 of 32) of the injuries reported were described as minor cuts.
The most common hazards reported were excessive heat, fire, and explosion.
Refrigerators
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 5
From industry: 18
Total: 23
43% (10 of 23) of the injuries reported were described as cuts:
- 50% (5 of 10) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown,
- 30% (3 of 10) were moderate, and
- 20% (2 of 10) were minor.
35% (8 of 23) of the injuries reported did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown or other.
9% (2 of 23) of the injuries reported were described as poisonings:
- 50% (1 of 2) were severe, and
- 50% (1 of 2) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
9% (2 of 23) of the injuries reported were described as bruises:
- 50% (1 of 2) were severe, and
- 50% (1 of 2) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
4% (1 of 23) of the injuries reported were described as minor irritation or allergic reactions.
The most common hazards reported were sharp edge, toxicologicalFootnote *, detached part, and struck by or against.
General purpose household cleaners
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 19
From industry: 2
Total: 21
67% (14 of 21) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 64% (9 of 14) were moderate,
- 21% (3 of 14) were minor, and
- 14% (2 of 14) were severe.
29% (6 of 21) of the injuries reported were described as poisonings:
- 50% (3 of 6) were moderate, and
- 50% (3 of 6) were minor.
5% (1 of 21) of the injuries reported were described as severe burns.
All hazards reported were toxicologicalFootnote *.
Laundry soaps or detergents
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 3
From industry: 14
Total: 17
53% (9 of 17) of the injuries reported were described as poisoning by ingestion of the product:
- 67% (6 of 9) were severe,
- 22% (2 of 9) were moderate, and
- 11% (1 of 9) were life threatening or disabling.
35% (6 of 17) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 50% (3 of 6) were severe, and
- 50% (3 of 6) were moderate.
6% (1 of 17) of the injuries reported were described as moderate burns.
6% (1 of 17) of the injuries reported were described as severe other injuries.
All hazards reported were toxicologicalFootnote *.
Garden tractors and riding power lawn mowers
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 0
From industry: 17
Total: 17
35% (6 of 17) of the injuries reported did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown:
- 33% (2 of 6) were severe,
- 33% (2 of 6) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown,
- 17% (1 of 6) were life threatening or disabling, and
- 17% (1 of 6) were moderate.
18% (3 of 17) of the injuries reported were described moderate fractures.
18% (3 of 17) of the injuries reported were described as moderate burns.
12% (2 of 17) of the injuries reported were described as severe amputations.
12% (2 of 17) of the injuries reported were described as moderate bruises.
6% (1 of 17) of the injuries reported were described as moderate cuts.
The most common hazards reported were instability, fire, sharp edge or point, struck by or against, broken part, and tip over.
Diapers
Number of reports received in 2022 that mentioned an injury
From consumers: 1
From industry: 15
Total: 16
88% (14 of 16) of the injuries reported were described as irritations or allergic reactions:
- 64% (9 of 16) were severe,
- 29% (4 of 16) were moderate, and
- 7% (1 of 16) were minor.
13% (2 of 16) of the injuries reported were described as minor asphyxia.
The most common hazards reported were toxicologicalFootnote *, small part, and broken part.
Find out more about consumer products.
Cosmetics
Total reports received in 2022 from consumers and industry
431 cosmetic reports were received between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, of which 232 mentioned a non-fatal injury
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 3 : Text Description
Month report received |
Number of incident reports received |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Incident reported by consumer | Incident reported by industry | Grand total | |
| January | 24 | 1 | 25 |
| February | 14 | 5 | 19 |
| March | 26 | 1 | 27 |
| April | 30 | 3 | 33 |
| May | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| June | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| July | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| August | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| September | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| October | 127 | 3 | 130 |
| November | 125 | 0 | 125 |
| December | 18 | 2 | 20 |
| Grand total | 411 | 21 | 432 |
The Program received a large increase in consumer reports pertaining to cosmetics in October and November. This was due to a recall being issued for one product type, which resulted in the increase of consumer reports.
Top 10 cosmetic products reported
54% (232 of 431) of the cosmetic reports received between January 2022 and December 2022 mentioned injuries, and 96% (416 of 431) of the reports received were concerning toxicologicalFootnote * hazards. The top 10 product types reported here are also the top 10 product types associated with the description of an injury.
15 of the incident reports received related to a product that included more than one type of cosmetic (e.g. 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioners, or cleansers with moisturizing functions). The initial product type described was used for the top 10 list for these 15 reports.
Note: Totals do not always add up to 100% due to rounding.
Shampoo
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 200
From industry: 3
Total: 203
62% (125 of 203) of the reports did not mention an injury.
31% (64 of 203) of the reports mentioned irritations or allergic reactions:
- 80% (51 of 64) were minor,
- 17% (11 of 64) were moderate, and
- 3% (2 of 64) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
5% (11 of 203) of the reports were described as other injuries, including hair falling out.
1% (3 of 203) of the reports included severe poisoning, and minor burn.
Nail polish
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 63
From industry: 0
Total: 63
3% (2 of 63) of the reports did not mention an injury.
94% (59 of 63) of the reports mentioned irritations or allergic reactions:
- 66% (39 of 59) were moderate, and
- 34% (20 of 59) were minor.
2% (1 of 63) of the reports mentioned a minor poisoning.
2% (1 of 63) of the reports mentioned a minor cut.
Antiperspirant/Deodorant
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 50
From industry: 2
Total: 52
54% (28 of 52) of the reports did not mention an injury.
37% (19 of 52) of the reports mentioned irritations or allergic reactions:
- 58% (11 of 19) were minor,
- 26% (5 of 19) were moderate,
- 11% (2 of 19) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, and
- 5% (1 of 19) were severe.
4% (2 of 52) of the reports mentioned other injuries.
4% (2 of 52) of the reports mentioned a minor burn.
2% (1 of 52) of the reports mentioned minor asphyxia.
Cleansers
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 20
From industry: 5
Total: 25
40% (10 of 25) of the reports did not mention an injury.
56% (14 of 25) of the reports mentioned irritations or allergic reactions:
- 64% (9 of 14) were minor, and
- 36% (5 of 14) were moderate.
4% (1 of 25) of the reports mentioned moderate poisonings.
The cleanser products included:
- 72% (18 of 25) body cleansers,
- 24% (6 of 25) face cleansers (including eye cleansers), and
- 4% (1 of 25) genital cleansers.
Moisturizers
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 16
From industry: 4
Total: 20
45% (9 of 20) of the reports did not mention an injury.
50% (10 of 20) of the reports mentioned irritations or allergic reactions:
- 50% (5 of 10) were minor,
- 30% (3 of 10) were moderate,
- 10% (1 of 10) were severe, and
- 10% (1 of 10) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown.
5% (1 of 20) of the reports mentioned minor cuts.
The moisturizer products included:
- 55% (11 of 25) face moisturizers (including eye moisturizers),
- 25% (5 of 25) body moisturizers,
- 15% (3 of 25) oral and lip moisturizers, and
- 5% (1 of 25) hair moisturizers.
Bath Products (incl. bath bombs, salts and oils)
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 11
From industry: 2
Total: 13
31% (4 of 13) of the reports did not mention an injury.
62% (8 of 13) of the reports mentioned minor irritations or allergic reactions.
8% (1 of 13) of the reports mentioned minor cuts.
Conditioners
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 11
From industry: 0
Total: 11
36% (4 of 11) of the reports did not mention an injury.
55% (6 of 11) of the reports mentioned irritations or allergic reactions:
- 50% (3 of 6) were minor,
- 33% (2 of 6) were moderate, and
- 17% (1 of 6) were life threatening or disabling.
4% (1 of 26) of the reports mentioned other moderate injuries.
Makeup (non-permanent, incl. henna tattoo)
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 11
From industry: 0
Total: 11
36% (4 of 11) of the reports did not mention an injury.
64% (7 of 11) of the reports mentioned irritations or allergic reactions:
- 18% (2 of 11) were minor,
- 18% (2 of 11) were moderate,
- 18% (2 of 11) did not have sufficient detail and were classified as unknown, and
- 9% (1 of 11) were life threatening or disabling.
The makeup products included:
- 82% (9 of 11) eye makeup,
- 9% (1 of 11) body makeup, and
- 9% (1 of 11) face makeup.
Various unknown products
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 8
From industry: 0
Total: 8
These 8 reports pertain to multiple cosmetics with a general hazard or issue. For example, reporting the lack of ingredients, lack of bilingual labels, or the addition of a specific chemical being used for all cosmetics being sold.
75% (6 of 8) of the reports did not mention an injury.
25% (2 of 8) of the reports mentioned moderate irritations or allergic reactions.
Adhesives
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 4
From industry: 0
Total: 4
25% (1 of 4) of the reports did not mention an injury.
50% (2 of 4) of the reports mentioned moderate irritations or allergic reactions.
4% (1 of 4) of the reports mentioned other severe injuries.
The adhesive products included:
- 75% (3 of 4) nail adhesives, and
- 25% (1 of 4) eye adhesives.
Styling products
Number of reports received in 2022
From consumers: 4
From industry: 0
Total: 4
100% (4 of 4) of the reports mentioned irritations or allergic reactions:
- 75% (3 of 4) were minor, and
- 25% (1 of 4) were moderate.
Find out more about cosmetics.
Conclusion
Within the 2022 calendar year, the CPSP received a total of 2,711 consumer product and cosmetic reports (2,280 and 431, respectively) from industry and consumers. This is a drop of 6% for all reports compared to 2021, but an increase of 9% from pre-pandemic values. There was a 25% increase in the number of consumer reports received, but a decrease of 26% in the number of reports received from industry compared to 2021.
The 10 most reported consumer product types account for 36% of the total number of incident reports received by the CPSP in 2022. The top reported consumer product type in 2022 was 'Electric ranges or ovens', with 132 reports received, one third of which mentioned an injury. There was an extremely large increase in the number of reports for "Window shades, venetian blinds or indoor shutters", after receiving few reports in the last few years. This may be due to the amendment of the Corded Window Coverings Regulations, which came into force in May 2021. "Convertible beds, hideaway beds or sofa beds" and "Barstools or kitchen stools" were new to the top 10 reported consumer products, both due to batch reporting by industry.
Finally, the CPSP saw a 233% increase in the number of reports received for cosmetic products (or about 3.5 times the number of reports) compared to 2021. This was largely due to a very large number of reports received pertaining to dry shampoo and nail gels. There was a recall for one of these product types which resulted in a number of reports being submitted.
How to report an incident involving a consumer product or cosmetic
Industry must report all incidents, as defined by the CCPSA, involving a consumer product and are encouraged to voluntarily report health or safety issues involving a cosmetic.
Consumers are encouraged to report any incident or event where someone is, or could have been, injured by a consumer product or cosmetic directly to the CPSP. Consumers may 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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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.
- Footnote 2
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Industry is required to submit incident reports to Health Canada when the conditions of subsection 14(1) of the CCPSA are met.
- Footnote 3
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'International' includes locations that were unknown or not specified.
- 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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