The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission gets some 400product reports a year, says CPSC spokesman Alex Filip. The reportscome in through the CPSC’s Safer Products website, www.saferproducts.gov, which itset up a year ago as an information portal for consumers.

In June alone, the CPSC site reported recalls on freezer gelpacks from California Innovations; dumbbells from Nautilus; foldingdeck chairs from West Marine; convertible high chairs for childrenfrom Evenflo; and coffeemakers from Black & Decker.

In addition to consumers using the site to file reports,businesses access it for business intelligence.

“From a business standpoint you can see where competitors’products are failing or not meeting customers’ expectations,” saysFilip. Manufacturing missteps like short circuits or sharp edgescan give one company an edge over the other.

“A good company is going to monitor any of its safetycomplaints; a great company is going to look at how othercompanies’ products are failing,” he adds.