7/27/2019 12114 Section B Syam Infantino Baby Slings

1/5

InfantinoBaby SlingsProduct Recall

Syam ThomasSection B

12114

SUBMITTED TO

DR. JAGADEESH RAJ

8th July 2013

7/27/2019 12114 Section B Syam Infantino Baby Slings

2/5

2

Introduction

A product recall can be defined as a request to return to the producer a specific batch

or an entire production run of a product, normally because of the discovery of safety

issues or because of a defect in the product. A recall is generally done so as to limit

the liability for corporate negligence, and to avoid any damage to the image of thecompany. Recalls are generally extremely expensive for a company, as they have to

replace the recalled product or pay for any damage that may have been caused by the

use of that product, but still companies choose to have product recalls, incase of a

defective product so as to avoid any consequential costs, including damage to the

brand name and trust issues.

Product recalls are a serious matter especially in the baby products segment, as a

defective product can lead to serious problems to the child, the particular product that

has been chosen for this assignment, Baby Slings by Infantino, was recalled after the

death of 3 babies were reported because of the damaged product. In the past decade

Infantino has recalled nine of its products, including toys, baby slings, teethers andrattles. The issue has become so much so that some entrepreneurs have even taken the

opportunity and started a website just to show which are the recent product recalls in

child products alone.

Just recently, on May 29th 2013, the popular home-furnishing stores, Pottery Barn had

to recall 12000 of their Kids Crib Bumpers, as the embroidery can come loose and

cause an entrapment hazard for babies. A little before that in April, Froggy Infant

Socks, recalled 5000 of their products, stating that the embroidered frog face and feet

can detach and cause a choking hazard for infants. Last October, Graco Classic

Wood, recalled 86000 of their High Chairs because the seat can detach or loosen and

cause a fall hazard. One of the largest recalls, in the past year has been the recall of 2

million Summer Infant Mothers Touch Deluxe Baby Bathers, as there was a

possibility that the wire frame of the product can detach from the side hinges, posing

a threat of the baby to fall while someone is carrying the baby in it.

All of these examples say that even a minor mistake or glitch during the production of

a product can cause serious consequences, especially in baby products. The

magnitude of the issue is such that it could result in serious injuries or even death to

the user. All the hazards mentioned above, including fall hazard, entanglement hazard

and choking hazard are serious issues and companies have no other option but to

recall even if the number of recall is as huge as 2 million.

Problem

Infantino called back more than a million of their baby slings, mainly over fears that

the product could suffocate a baby being carried in it. The two products, SlingRider

and Wendy Bellissimo slings, have been doubted in the deaths of 3 infant babies in

the U.S. in 2010.

The company immediately called in a press meet where it was announced that the

consumers should stop using the slings immediately and contact the company for a

free replacement. Ten thousand of the defective products were sold in UK while morethan a million were sold in the US.

7/27/2019 12114 Section B Syam Infantino Baby Slings

3/5

3

Here is a press clipping from The Daily Mail, UK edition, stating the product recall.

The use of baby slings, have become

fashionable especially with celebrities using

them. The products had been presented as a

natural way to carry a baby based on the notion

that warmth and closeness to the parentsheartbeat creates a feeling of security, it also

portrayed an image of convenience as parents

can keep their hands free. But, what they did

not realize was that a slings fabric could press

against a babys nose and mouth and block the

breathing and suffocate the baby within a few

minutes. Very young babies have weak neck

muscles, and relatively heavier heads, which

leave them unable to free themselves and

breathe properly. The three children that died

were of very young age, a 7-week-old infant, a6-day-old infant and a 3-month-old infant.

There is also a possibility of the baby being cradled in a curved or C -like position,

nestling the baby below the mothers chest or near her belly, this results in the baby

who does not have enough neck support, to flop its head forward chin to chest,

restricting the ability to breathe.

Solution

The basic problem can be identified as a flaw in design and in testing of the product.

The solution therefore lies in finding out what are the factors that could have resulted

in flaws in the product, and correcting them, this can be found and corrected through a

fishbone model.

Lets analyze each of the factors of the causes.

1) Equipmenta. The equipment used for testing could have been malfunctioning, leading to a

lack of detecting a major flaw in the product.

7/27/2019 12114 Section B Syam Infantino Baby Slings

4/5

4

b. The equipment used for making the product may have been out ofadjustment, thus making the product in a varied size than that of the design,

thus resulting in a major defect in the product.

c. Old or worn out machines may have been used, resulting in damagedproducts being created.

If it was any problem pertaining to the equipment, if proper care was taken to makesure that none of the equipment was malfunctioning, or old or worn out, or was in the

right adjustment, the defect in the product could have been curtailed.

2) Processa. There is a good chance that the product may have been designed wrongly,

without considering the problem of suffocating the child.

b. The workflow could have been flawed, resulting in a defect in the product.If it was any problem with the workflow or of the entire manufacturing process as

such, if it was managed properly with proper checks, the disaster could have been

avoided. If the problem was because of the flaw in design, if proper steps were taken

while in the designing process itself, the flaw in design could have been eliminated.

3) Peoplea. There is a good possibility that the inspectors did not realize the particular

flaw in the product.

b. Another probable explanation could be that the designers could have made amistake in the design, or may have overlooked the possibility of such a

disaster in the product.

If the problem was because the products were not inspected properly or designed

properly, or because of the people involved in the making of the product, if the right

people were hired and if they were given proper training, the problem that could have

come from the peoples side could have been eliminated.

4) Materiala. Another possibility could be that the material used was heavier than it was

supposed to be.

b. It could also have been that the elastic used was not loose enough, or that thematerial was not porous enough to let the child breathe.

If the proper material was selected for the product, the whole problem could have

been curtailed well. Material could have been one of the most probable reasons as to

the defect in the product.

5) Managementa. The management did not realize this major flaw in the product until 3

children died.

b. The management may have overlooked in the design of the product or in theoverall process.

c. Negligence from the managements part could be a major reason as to whythis has happened.

d. Considering that the Baby Slings were the 8 th product to be recalled byInfantino in the past 8 years clearly shows that the management has not made

much effort in curtailing defective products.

The management should have realized the defect in the product sooner, they shouldhave made sure that product recalls did not happen this often, especially with theirs

7/27/2019 12114 Section B Syam Infantino Baby Slings

5/5

5

being a child product brand. The sensitivity of the market that they deal with should

make the management more responsible and reactive to it.

6) Environmenta. The possibilities of the environment having played any part in the quality of

the product are less.b. However if the product had any dust on it, and that led to the suffocation of

the child, then environment does play a crucial role.

Especially with baby products and child products, the environment in which they

produce the products should be extremely hygienic so as to make sure that the product

does not carry any dust or infection or any of the sorts with it.

Conclusion

The severity of the event is much more than just a product recall; the lives of three

children have been taken away because of the failure of a company to provide a

quality product. However, this issue has been a wake up call for Infantino as theyhave had only one product recall after this particular incident, considering their track

record, they have called back 8 products in the 5 years preceding the Baby Sling

incident. The major concern is the negligence from the management and a possible

flaw in the product design, which overlooked the possibility of the child suffering.

The management should have realized after the initial product recalls that the

processes in the company had to be made better so as to avoid these situations. The

company should concentrate more on Prevention and Appraisal costs as they are

playing with the lives of children here.

However the brand has tried to keep its image well even after the whole issue, by

keeping to the standards of Consumer Product Safety Commission.