February 2008 Recalls and Product Safety News

•   Building Baby Safety From the Ground Up

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges parents and caregivers to add a safe sleep environment to the daily routine of placing baby to sleep.

• Munire Furniture Recalls Cribs Due to Fall Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Munire Furniture Inc., of Piscataway, N.J., is voluntarily recalling about 24,000 Majestic Curved Top and Flat Top Cribs, Essex Cribs, Brighton/Sussex Cribs and Captiva Cribs. The cribs fail to meet the federal safety standards for cribs. The four support brackets on the mattress support spring are too long. The brackets prevent the spring from lowering to the full 26 inch minimum height in its lowest position, allowing children inside to crawl over the railing, posing a fall hazard.

• Family Dollar Recalls Magnetic Dart Boards; Ingested Magnets Pose Aspiration and Intestinal Hazards

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Family Dollar, of Charlotte, N.C., is voluntarily recalling about 250,000 FUN N SAFE Magnetic Dart Boards. Small magnets at the ends of the darts can detach. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

• Children's Metal Jewelry Recalled by Pecoware Due to Risk of Lead Exposure

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Pecoware Co. Inc., of Chino, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 2,900 Childrens Metal Necklaces. The childrens necklaces contain high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

• Children's Memory Testing Cards Recalled by Riverside Publishing Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Riverside Publishing Co., of Rolling Meadows, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 5,300 Memory Testing Cards (sold as part of educational testing kits). Surface paint on the cards contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

• Rinnai Recalls Wall Furnaces Due to Carbon Monoxide Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Rinnai America Corp., of Peachtree City, Ga., is voluntarily recalling about 52,000 Direct-Vent Wall Furnaces, Models RHFE 431 and RHFE 556. A gasket in the unit can fail, posing a risk of poisonous carbon monoxide gas leaking into the home.

• Greenheck Fan Recalls Indirect Gas Fired Furnaces Due to Risk of Fire

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Greenheck Fan Corp., of Schofield, Wis., is voluntarily recalling about 1,500 Indirect Gas-Fired Furnaces. The ignition control module can fail preventing the unit from shutting down in high temperature conditions. This poses a risk of fire, as well as hazardous fumes being released from burning/melting insulation.

• Portable Electric Heaters Recalled by Aloha Housewares Due to Fire Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Aloha Housewares Inc., of Arlington, Texas, is voluntarily recalling about 152,000 Portable Electric Heaters. The portable electric heater can overheat and melt plastic parts, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

• Louisville Ladder Recalls Extension Ladders Due to Fall Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Louisville Ladder Inc., of Louisville, Ky., is voluntarily recalling about 25,000 Louisville/Davidson and Michigan Brand Fiberglass Extension Ladders. The extension or fly section can fail to lock, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

• Spiderman Water Bottles Sold Exclusively at Sears Recalled by Fast Forward Due to Choking Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Fast Forward LLC, of New York, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 6,600 Spiderman® Water Bottles. Screws under the bottles lid can come loose and fall into the cup, posing a choking hazard to children.

• Cinderella Battery-Powered Toy Cars Recalled by Dumar International USA Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dumar International USA, of Franklin, Mass., is voluntarily recalling about 64,000 Cinderella 12-Volt Electric Ride-On Vehicles. The wires under the hood of the car and/or in the battery compartment under the seat can short circuit, posing a fire and burn hazard to children riding in the car.

• Mission City Press Recalls Girl's Bracelet Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Mission City Press, of Franklin, Tenn., is voluntarily recalling about 11,000 A Life of Faith Charm Bracelet Sets. Surface paint on the pearl white beads of the bracelet, contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

• Bassettbaby Drop-Side Cribs Recalled Due to Entrapment and Strangulation Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Bassettbaby, of Bassett, Va., is voluntarily recalling about 18 Wendy Bellissimo Hidden Hills Collection Drop-Side Cribs. Spindles on the drop-side of the crib could loosen creating a gap that poses an entrapment and strangulation hazard.

• Polaris Industries Expands Recall of ATVs Due to Fire Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn., is voluntarily recalling about 95,000 Polaris All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) (45,000 units recalled in June 2005). The ATVs can have defective Electronic Control Modules (ECM) that overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to riders.

• Boys Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by Siegfried & Parzifal Due to Strangulation Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Siegfried & Parzifal Inc., of City of Industry, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 5,000 Karl Kani Boys Fleece Hoody Sweatshirts. The garments have a drawstring through the hood which poses a strangulation hazard to children.

• Christmas Tree Shops Recalls Tea Light Candles Due to Fire Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Christmas Tree Shops Inc., of South Yarmouth, Mass., is voluntarily recalling about 146,000 "Embers" Tea Light Candles. The tea light candles have a clear, plastic shell that can melt or ignite, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

• Remote-Controlled Helicopter Toys Recalled By Soft Air USA Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Soft Air USA Inc., of Grapevine, Texas, is voluntarily recalling about 30,000 Remote-Controlled Helicopter Toys. The rechargeable battery contained inside the helicopter can catch fire during charging, igniting the helicopter and nearby combustible materials. This poses a burn or fire hazard to consumers.

• Consumer Alert: Fire Hazard with Remote-Controlled Helicopters and Airplanes

Playing with remote-controlled helicopters and airplanes can be fun, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is concerned about an emerging fire hazard from the battery technology being used with these toys. CPSC is urging consumers to follow manufacturers instructions when charging toys that contain rechargeable lithium batteries.

• Netshops Recalls Children's Table and Chair Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Netshops, of Omaha, Neb., is voluntarily recalling about 50 Children's Table and Chair sets. The surface paint on the children's table and chair sets contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

• General Electric Recalls Gas Dryers Due to Shock Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Ky., is voluntarily recalling about 2,100 GE Gas Clothes Dryers. A short circuit in the dryers wiring poses a shock hazard to consumers with ungrounded dryers.

• West Music Recalls Egg-Shaker Toy Instruments Due to Choking and Aspiration Hazards

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), West Music Company, of Coralville, Iowa, is voluntarily recalling about 5,500 Transparent Toy Egg Shakers. The end cap can detach from the egg shaker and allow the small beads to spill out, posing choking/aspiration hazards to young children.

• Pendants and Candle Charms Recalled Due to Risk of Lead Exposure

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Benjamin International, of Middlebury, Conn., is voluntarily recalling about 460,000 Pendants and Candle Charms. The recalled pendants and charms contain high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

• Trek Recalls Girls Bicycles Due To Frame Failure

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Trek Bicycle Corp., of Waterloo, Wis., is voluntarily recalling about 49,000 Trek MT220 Girls Bicycles. The bicycle's frame can break during use, causing the rider to lose control and suffer injuries.

• Children's Hooded Sweatshirts Recalled by Seventy Two Inc. Due to Strangulation Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Nordstrom Stores

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Seventy Two Inc., of La Puente, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 1,800 Bonafide Love Hooded Childrens Sweatshirts. The garments have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist by drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts.

• Children's Sketchbooks Recalled by eeBoo Corp. Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), eeBoo Corp., of New York, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 80,000 Sketchbooks with Colored Spirals. The paint on the sketchbooks colored spiral metal bindings contains excessive levels of lead violating the federal lead paint standard.

• Children's Toy Gardening Rakes Recalled by Downeast Concepts; Violates Lead Paint Standard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Downeast Concepts Inc., of Yarmouth, Maine, is voluntarily recalling about 400 Toy Gardening Hand Rakes. The paint on the gardening tool hand rake contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal standard on lead in paint on toys.

• CPSC Takes Major Step Toward Reducing Upholstered Furniture Fires

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously (2-0) to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) on a new mandatory standard to address residential upholstered furniture fires. The goal of the proposed standard is to prevent ignition or slow the spread and intensity of upholstered furniture fires. These fires cost the U.S. about $1.6 billion each year. CPSC staff estimates the proposed standard, once fully effective, would prevent an estimated 100 deaths and 130 injuries every year.

*** For a complete list of ALL GENERAL recalls since 1973, please see http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html . You will have an opportunity to search by month and year on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

*** For a complete list of ALL TOY recalls since 1973, please click here .