Children should be kept away from large buckets, especially containers that have been converted to household use, because of the possibility of drowning, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns.
At least 67 children, most 8- to 12-months-old, drowned in buckets from 1985-87, the commission said.Most drowned in 5-gallon containers, including those originally designed for bulk products such as paint, food and spackling compound.
"The 5-gallon bucket is particularly dangerous because its heavier weight makes it more stable than a smaller bucket and unlikely to tip over when a child uses it to pull up," the commission said.
The commission said the Cook County, Ill., medical examiner's office first reported the hazard. The office said all 11 bucket drownings it has investigated since 1985 involved 5-gallon shipping containers being used as household buckets.