Sen. Franken Calls for More Safety Measures to Protect Seniors Endangered by Faulty Bed Rails
Senator Presses Safety Commission to Inform Consumers of Dangers Associated with Using Improperly Installed Bed Rails
U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to provide more safety measures to protect seniors from being injured while using improperly installed or poorly designed adult portable bed rails. According to a recent report, nearly 37,000 people over the last nine years sought treatment due to bed rails injuries, and there were 155 deaths involving bed rails.
Sen. Franken joined four of his colleagues in asking the CPSC to take the necessary steps to protect consumers who use bed rails, including formulating safety regulations on adult portable bed rails, educating the public about proper installation of bed rails, and issuing recalls for dangerous or faulty products.
"Many Minnesota seniors rely on bed rails to protect themselves from falling out of bed, but if the bed rails are poorly designed or improperly installed, they can actually cause harm," said Sen. Franken. "I'm pressing the Consumer Product Safety Commission to take all necessary steps to protect Minnesota's seniors from injuries resulting from bed rails. These are preventable injuries and deaths, and we must do what we can to avoid such tragic incidents in the future."
Portable adult bed rails are often purchased at the recommendation of a senior's physician or caregiver to prevent falls and keep the individual safe in bed. Despite the goal of increased safety, these bed rails sometimes can lead to serious injury and death. Misplacement of the rails or inherent design flaws create gaps between the bed and the rail or within the rail which can lead to entrapment, injury, and suffocation. According to a report by the CPSC, nearly 37,000 people over the last nine years sought treatment due to bed rail injuries, and there were 155 deaths involving bed rails, 83% of which were people 60 years or older. Research at Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota found deaths are completely preventable. Dr. Steven Miles first alerted federal regulators to deaths involving bed rails. The CPSC took action in February of 2012 to adopt new federal standards to make children's portable bed rails safer; however, adult bed rails were not included in those new standards.
Joining Sen. Franken on the letter were Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). The text of the letter is below.
February 12, 2013
The Honorable Inez Moore Tenenbaum
Chairman, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
4330 East West Highway
Bethesda, MD 20815
Dear Chairman Tenenbaum:
We are writing to urge you to take immediate action to address the dangers associated with adult portable bed rails. We request that you consider formulating safety regulations on adult portable bed rails; educate the public and caregivers about possible dangers associated with these products; and, when necessary, exercise your product recall authority to its fullest extent. Following our review of the October 11, 2012 report on bed rail deaths and injuries put out by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), it is clear that the use of portable bed rails can pose a significant hazard which can lead to injury or death.
During the nine year span of the CPSC's review, nearly 37,000 people sought treatment at hospital emergency rooms due to bed rail injuries. The report cites 155 deaths involving bed rails, and 129 of those who died were 60 years of age or older. Further, your report reveals that entrapment is a grave risk that must be addressed; 93 percent of all reported deaths from bed rails were attributed to entrapment between the bed and the bed rail.
We applaud the CPSC's action in February 2012 to adopt new federal standards to make children's portable bed rails safer and for taking action to impose a voluntary recall on specific child bed rails before they caused injury or death. We urge you to consider comparable action with adult bed rails.
Portable adult bed rails are often purchased at the recommendation of a senior's physician or caregiver for use at home or in an assisted living facility to prevent falls and keep the individual "safe" in bed. Despite the goal of increased safety, we now know these bed rails sometimes can lead to serious injury and death. Misplacement of the rails or inherent design flaws create gaps between the bed and the rail or within the rail which can lead to entrapment, injury, and suffocation.
Given the safety risks posed by portable adult bed rails, we urge you to take both the internal and external steps necessary to address these problems as soon as possible, including the promulgation of safety regulations and public education. We urge you to use your recall authority to its fullest extent for unsafe products. These are preventable deaths, and we must do what we can to ensure that such tragic deaths are avoided in the future. Thank you for your timely attention to this very important matter.
