Reference no: EM132807601
-What safeguards could a company implement to ensure that new products are properly evaluated before they're released?
-Should a company's own research and development professionals be allowed to participate in decisions to release a new product?
-Does just one negative evaluation forever taint a product's reputation, especially in this era of the internet and social media?
-How can a company overcome a negative evaluation?
Fisher Price Issues a Product Warning
Fisher Price issued a product warning on Friday, April 5, 2019 after receiving several reports of infants who died after rolling over in one of their products. (Note: 4 years after initial problems surfaced)
The company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers that since 2015 there have been 10 infant deaths in the Rock n' Play, after the infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side. Infants typically start rolling over at 3 months. The inclined seat is used to help babies sleep. All 10 infants were at least 3 months or older and had not been restrained, according to the notice.
The product has a harness restraint, but the company said that the deaths showed that people were still using the product after their babies were able to roll over and the infants were not being restrained.
The company is warning consumers to stop using the product when infants are able to roll over. The notice advised parents to create safe sleeping environment for their infants and not add blankets, pillows, stuffed toys and other items where an infant is sleeping.
A recall has not been issued, but the commission said it is currently investigating the product to determine whether or not it needs to be recalled.
Fisher-Price general manager Chuck Scothon said in a statement that the sleeper meets all "applicable safety standards." "A child fatality is an unimaginable tragedy," Scothon said. "Fisher-Price and every one of our employees take the responsibility of being part of your family seriously, and we are committed to earning that trust every day."