Mortality Data

Accidental death is a leading cause of death in the nation, especially among those under 35. Fatality reports are some of the most valuable data CPSC receives to help it carry out its mission. This information is gathered from two main sources: Medical Examiners and Coroners Alert Project (MECAP) and Death Certificates.

MECAP

What is MECAP and why is it important?

The Medical Examiners and Coroners Alert Project (MECAP) is designed to collect timely information from coroners and medical examiners on product-related deaths.

Timeliness is extremely important to the MECAP program for several reasons. It provides the opportunity for the Commission staff to investigate an incident while the details of the incident and product use are still fresh in the minds of the participants. There is also a greater chance that the Commission staff will have an opportunity to examine the product involved as it was when the incident occurred and before it is discarded or modified. Also, the faster an incident is reported, the faster the commission can act to remove hazardous products from the marketplace. This can translate into injuries prevented and lives saved.

Often, all it takes is one MECAP report to alert the CPSC to a hazardous product. For example, the commission was first alerted to the problem of infants drowning in five-gallon buckets by a MECAP report. CPSC is working with bucket manufacturers in a national public information program. A voluntary standard has been set which provides for warning labels on all new buckets sold.

Who participates?

Any medical examiner or coroner can participate in the MECAP program. In fact, the more participants, the better the quality of the data. MECAP is easy and flexible allowing for phone, internet or fax reports. If you are a medical examiner or coroner, we urge you to take part in the program. Your involvement could save lives. For more information on filing a MECAP report see below.

Filing a MECAP report:

Deaths in the following categories should be reported to CPSC if the death is considered accidental:

• Children's deaths: All children's deaths involving products manufactured for use by children, or other hazardous products
• Deaths from fires and burns: All fire or burn deaths where the source was a consumer product
• Deaths related to electrical products involving fires and electrocutions
• Deaths related to power and unpowered equipment and tools like chainsaws, riding mowers, generators, and similar products
• All deaths involving sports activities/equipment and other recreation products, like soccer goals, bicycles, all terrain vehicles, BB guns, swimming pools, and similar products
• Drowning: All incidents involving drowning or submersion that include a consumer product
• Poisoning (including gas) and asphyxiations: All incidents of suffocation/asphyxiation, or where a child ingests a medicine or other item (not food) causing a death
• Household structures: All deaths involving falls where the surface or cause (product) of the fall can be identified, including the home

Please note this list is not exhaustive and most types of accidental deaths should be reported with the exceptions of product-related deaths not under CPSC's jurisdiction, such as the following. Deaths associated with these products should be reported only if a consumer product is also involved:

• Motor vehicles licensed for operation on public roads
• Firearms (except air rifles and BB guns)
• Foods, cosmetics and medical devices
• Aircraft, ultra-lights and hang gliders
• Boats, life jackets, and other boating equipment
• Products used solely in industrial or commercial environments (work-related injuries involving a consumer product, however, should be reported)

To file a report or if you have questions dial 1-800-638-8095. This toll free telephone number is in operation 24 hours a day. When you leave your message please say, "This is a MECAP Report." Your call will be returned by one of the MECAP staff. Please include as much of the following information as is available:

• Description of the incident sequence (age, sex, what, where, when, how)
• Date of death
• Cause of death
• Type of consumer product involved including manufacturer and model number where available
• City and state where the incident occurred
• Coroner or Medical Examiner case number
• Availability of the product for inspection
• Contact information for any state or local personnel who investigated the incident
• Your name, address, and phone number

To file a report by fax dial 1-800-809-0924. You may send CPSC's MECAP reporting form or simply a copy of your record.

To file a report via the Internet go to http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/hcpinc.aspx.

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Death Certificates

What is the death certificate program and why is it important?

The CPSC collects death certificates with external cause of death codes of ICD-10 from 52 health jurisdictions in the United States. By collecting death certificate data from all 50 states, DC, and NYC, the CPSC has an all-inclusive view of the deaths nationwide from consumer products. These data are used in ongoing studies about the causes of deaths from consumer products. These studies facilitate the hazard analysis of particular products and the evaluation of trends in product-related deaths.

All-Terrain Vehicle Studies

Death certificates are used as a primary source of information for deaths involving ATVs. CPSC annually publishes a statistical analysis of information gained from the certificates and from other sources in order to estimate the number of deaths associated with ATVs, as well as monitor trends in fatalities associated with ATVs. The latest annual report can be found in http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia04/brief/deathatv.pdf

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The number of people dying from carbon monoxide poisoning is determined from death certificates. From 1999-2000, there were an average yearly estimated 124 unintentional non-fire CO poisoning deaths associated with consumer products under the jurisdiction of the CPSC. Analysts estimated the age breakdown finding that annual averages of 5% of the victims are 14 or younger and 15% are 65 or older. About two thirds of the incidents occurred at home. Between 1999 and 2000, about half of the incidents were associated with heating systems. For more information see http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/co03.pdf

Toy-Related Deaths and Injuries

Annually, the CPSC staff tabulates reports of deaths related to toys. Among the data reviewed for reported deaths are the death certificates CPSC purchases from the states. In CY 2002 there were 13 toy-related deaths involving children under the age of 15. Eight of the 13 deaths occurred when a child choked on or aspirated a toy. Riding toys, excluding non-powered scooters, accounted for the highest number of deaths with 4. This report can be found in

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia04/os/toydeath.pdf.

What does CPSC do with death certificates?

As soon as death certificates are received by CPSC's Division of Hazard and Injury Data Systems, they are scanned and coded for entry into the CPSC computer system. The original certificates are destroyed by CPSC after the data entry process is complete. Follow-up investigation of selected cases by CPSC may be conducted.

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