November 2008 Recalls and Product Safety News
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that IKEA North America Services LLC, of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., has agreed to pay the government a $500,000 civil penalty. The penalty, which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, settles allegations that the company failed to immediately report incidents about defective outdoor candles.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Candela Group, of New York, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 225 Anthropologie Tin Candles. The candle flames could flare up out of the tin container during the burning of the last half inch of wax, posing a fire and burn hazard.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), ImagiPLAY, of Boulder, Colo., is voluntarily recalling about 500 Bead Maze Toys. The trees on the toys can detach, exposing a metal screw. This poses a laceration hazard to young children.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Watts Water Technologies Inc., of North Andover, Mass., is voluntarily recalling about 15 EDP 3112 Rotor and Shaft Assemblies. If the assembly was installed in a fire suppression system and remained in a closed position, sufficient water might not have been available in the event of a fire. This posed a fire hazard to consumers.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Green Mountain Vista Inc., of Williston, Vt., is voluntarily recalling about 7,300 Insulated Black-Out Roller Shades and Insulated Roman Shades. The black-out roller shades and insulated roman shades have a continuous looped bead chain that when not attached to the wall or floor, hangs loosely by the blind, posing a fatal strangulation hazard to children.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), about 670,000 IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds (an additional 4.8 million were sold outside of the United States), sold exclusively by IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa., are being voluntarily recalled. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck in an exposed inner cord on the backside of the roman blinds.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Brownie’s Third Lung, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is voluntarily recalling about 1,000 Air Compressors. The air compressor’s components can fail, which could cause a stoppage of air flow. This poses a risk of drowning to users.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Target, of Minneapolis, Minn., is voluntarily recalling about 365,000 Dive Sticks. The recalled dive sticks could remain in an upright position, posing an impalement hazard to young children. CPSC banned pre-weighted dive sticks in 2001.
- Children’s Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings Recalled by R&D International Due to Strangulation Hazard
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), R&D International Inc., of Salida, Colo., is voluntarily recalling about 1,500 Young Colors Children’s Hooded Jackets. The jackets have drawstrings through the hood and at the waist. Children can get entangled in the drawstrings that can catch on playground equipment, fences or tree branches. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines (pdf) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstring in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts. From 1985 through June 2008, CPSC received reports of 27 deaths and 70 non-fatal incidents involving the entanglement of children’s clothing drawstrings.
Reprinted with the permission of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
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