Unintelligent Design: Cribs Made in China
First off, a WARNING. There has been a recall of a huge number of Simplicity Inc. cribs that were sold between 1998 and 2007 for $100-$300.
I think everyone’s first question now when anyone hears about a consumer product that can potentially kill your baby is “Is it made in China?’
Yes, it is. But in this case and in many others recent cases, the problem lay in the design rather than the manufacture. Apologists for the Chinese manufacturing industry are hoping to partially quell the extreme reactions that are resulting from the unfortunate series of events, involving the discovery of hazardous substances in Chinese made pet foods and later children’s toys.
I am sensitized to the potential hazards of unsafe products. I bought a computer recently and the speakers that were included are very cheaply built. The computer is not for entertainment, so I didn’t have a problem with the poor sound quality. I did start to worry when I placed my hand on the right speaker and it felt hot. I’m not that worried. I try to make a point of disconnecting electronics that have transformers whenever I am not using them anyway.
I can’t discount the point that is being made that multinational companies do handle much of the design of shoddy products from outside of China. I do imagine a relay race to the bottom as communication about design, manufacture and price go back and forth.
