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Refrigerator Locks

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REParker819

Guest
Some friends and I were discussing fridge locks. Are these legal in the US or not?
 


I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
REParker819 said:
Some friends and I were discussing fridge locks. Are these legal in the US or not?
My response

Are you talking about the old Norge or Coldspot refrigerator door locks, from the '50's and '60's ?

IAAL
 
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REParker819

Guest
LOL IAAL. No, she is using those plastic locks that you put on cabinet doors to keep little prying fingers out. She had commented on using them to keep her toddlers out of the fridge. Another friend had said that she had seen on Dateline about a woman who did that and got put in jail and had her daughter taken away. So now she is worried. Thanks for your response.
 

I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
REParker819 said:
LOL IAAL. No, she is using those plastic locks that you put on cabinet doors to keep little prying fingers out. She had commented on using them to keep her toddlers out of the fridge. Another friend had said that she had seen on Dateline about a woman who did that and got put in jail and had her daughter taken away. So now she is worried. Thanks for your response.

My response:

She should be worried.

In effect, those "add-on" door locks make the refrigerator operate the same way as the old refrigerators, by defeating the magnetic door strip.

Once defeated, a refrigerator becomes a cold and freezing "child death trap".

The whole purpose of the magnetic door strip design for refrigerators was to save children's lives, both during the life of the refrigerator and when a unit is stored unused.

At least with magnetic closing doors, a child has some ability to escape being trapped. With the add-on locks, the refrigerator becomes, once again, a coffin as in the old days.

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

IAAL

[Edited by I AM ALWAYS LIABLE on 12-10-2000 at 04:16 PM]
 
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REParker819

Guest
Thank you! IAAL, I had never thought about the child being trapped INSIDE the fridge. She is just trying to prevent the toddlers from going into the fridge and possibly getting something that could choke them? Do you know of any laws about that? If not, where could I search for info? I did a search for refrigerator locks but nothing that helped came back. Thanks for your help.
 

I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
REParker819 said:
Thank you! IAAL, I had never thought about the child being trapped INSIDE the fridge. She is just trying to prevent the toddlers from going into the fridge and possibly getting something that could choke them? Do you know of any laws about that? If not, where could I search for info? I did a search for refrigerator locks but nothing that helped came back. Thanks for your help.
My response:

Federal law covers this subject. I am sure if you look at the Federal Trade Commission site, or the Consumer Products Safety Commission site, you'll find your Federal Regulations on the subject.

However, let's look at this from a realistic, and real life point of view. I understand Mom's purposes, and it's a laudable thought - - we all want our kids safe from falling objects from refrigerator shelves. But, something falling and bonking a kid on the head is a far cry safer than having that same kid crawl into the refrigerator and having the door close behind him / her.

In my attempt to understand Mom's thoughts in doing this, I can only imagine that Mom wasn't born at the time when all of these changes took place. Also, Mom probably wasn't even aware that, at one time, refrigerators had latching locks that could not be opened from the inside. It's more likely that Mom is young herself, and doesn't know the history behind magnetic door strips on refrigerators and why the doors are magnetic at all. She probably never gave it a second thought because she's never known anything different. This is understandable. She probably never thought that magnetic doors were a safety measure.

There are dangers in every part of our homes, and there's no such thing as a "child safe home". All we can do is be watchful, careful, and attentive to our children and do the safest things possible. All a parent has to do is know and understand "Murphy's Laws" of common sense - - If a thing is not supposed to happen, it will.

But, it's also common sense that we should NEVER defeat a safety measure that was designed with our kids in mind in the first place.

IAAL

[Edited by I AM ALWAYS LIABLE on 12-10-2000 at 03:59 PM]
 
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REParker819

Guest
Thank you again IAAL! I appreciate all of your thoughts on this subject. I will go to the sites you recommended. Thanks again!
 

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