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
![Fax: 1-800-809-0924](images/faxIcon.gif)
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 https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/hcpinc.aspx.
Topic List
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 tester](images/co_tester.jpg) Carbon Monoxide PoisoningThe
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.
Topic List
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