The CPSC, established in 1972, manages product recalls, safety standards, and modification programs that correct hazards in consumer goods. Most recalls are voluntary and can include repairs, replacements, or buybacks. Consumers can search recalls and report unsafe products via SaferProducts.gov. Historical examples such as the Yazoo lawn mower show how the agency and manufacturers collaborate on fixes, but specific dates and numbers cited in older articles should be confirmed with current CPSC data.
What the CPSC does
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), created by Congress in 1972, oversees the safety of most consumer products sold in the United States. The agency publishes recall notices, issues safety standards, and works with manufacturers to design fixes, buybacks, or other remedies that reduce injury risk.
Consumers can search current recalls and safety alerts on the CPSC website and report unsafe products through SaferProducts.gov, the federal incident-reporting portal launched to make product safety complaints public and trackable.
How recalls and safety modifications work
Most recalls are voluntary: a manufacturer agrees to a corrective action after the CPSC identifies a hazard. Remedy options include free repairs or replacement parts, refunds, or product buybacks. In some cases the CPSC can seek a court order to enforce a corrective action.
CPSC staff also run programs to design and approve safety modifications for products already in circulation. Those programs aim to remove or neutralize hazards without requiring consumers to discard otherwise usable items.
Why recalls matter - scope and cost
Consumer product injuries and deaths create a measurable public-health burden each year. Current annual estimates for injuries and fatalities tied to consumer products should be checked against the CPSC's latest statistics before use.
Over the years the CPSC has overseen removal or correction of many thousands of hazardous items from the market. Older reports credited the agency with getting roughly 15,000 unsafe items corrected or removed; please confirm the latest cumulative figures with CPSC publications. 1
The Yazoo lawn mower case: a reminder
A long-running example often cited in CPSC histories is the Yazoo lawn mower matter. Yazoo Manufacturing Company, a small mower maker, agreed to safety changes after the CPSC identified blade-control hazards on some walk-behind commercial models. The company later ceased operations. Details often cited about model numbers, dates, and the company's timeline vary between sources and should be verified before citation. 2
The core lesson: when a product's design allows hazardous failures, regulators and manufacturers often pursue fixes that keep consumers safe while minimizing disruption.
What you can do
- Check the CPSC recall list or sign up for email alerts.
- Search SaferProducts.gov to see reported incidents involving products you own.
- Follow recall instructions exactly: repairs, replacements, or refunds are the usual remedies.
- Report a hazard to CPSC if you suspect a product is unsafe.
- Confirm current annual estimates for injuries and fatalities tied to consumer products from the latest CPSC or CDC reports.
- Verify the cumulative number of hazardous items the CPSC has removed or corrected (older articles cite ~15,000).
- Confirm specific details and timeline for the Yazoo Manufacturing Company case (models, recall year, and company closure date).
- Verify the $7 billion industry cost figure cited in older coverage before using it.