August 2009 Recalls and Product Safety News

• Baby Jogger Recalls Strollers Due to Fall Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Baby Jogger LLC, of Richmond, Va., is voluntarily recalling about 41,000 Baby Jogger City Mini Strollers. The stroller’s restraint buckle could break or unlatch allowing the child or infant to fall out.

• Frigidaire and Kenmore Smoothtop Electric Ranges Recalled Due to Fire Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Frigidaire, a division of Electrolux Home Products Inc., of Augusta, Ga., is voluntarily recalling about 200,000 Frigidaire and Kenmore Elite Smoothtop Electric Ranges. Depending on the model, the surface heating elements can: 1) turn on spontaneously without being switched on; 2) fail to turn off after being switched off; or, 3) heat to different temperatures than selected. This poses a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

• Liquidation Outlet, Inc. Recalls Action Figure Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard; Sold Exclusively at Dollar Stores

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Liquidation Outlet, Inc., of Lakewood, Wash., is voluntarily recalling about 8,400 Force Soldier, Pirate Expeditions with Parrot, and Pirate Expeditions with Treasure playsets. The action figure toys have surface paints which contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

• Violation of Federal Mattress Flammability Standard Prompts Recall of Sofa-bed Mattresses by IKEA

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 500 IKEA KARLSTAD sofa-beds. The mattress and seat cushions intended to be used as a mattress fail to meet the mandatory federal open flame standard for mattresses, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

• Quiksilver Recalls Girls’ Hoodies with Waist Drawstrings Due to Entrapment Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Quiksilver, Inc., of Huntington Beach, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 500 Roxy Girl “Very Nice” Cotton Hoodies. The cotton hoodie has a waist drawstring that could pose an entrapment hazard to children.

• Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall To Repair Window Blinds By Vertical Land

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Vertical Land Inc., of Panama City Beach, Fla., is voluntarily recalling about 15,400 horizontal blinds, 16,400 vertical blinds, 800 Cellular Shades. Horizontal Blinds: The blinds do not have inner cord stop devices to prevent the accessible inner cords from being pulled out. If an inner cord is pulled out, a child can become entangled in the loop and strangle. Vertical Blinds: Strangulations can occur if a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop formed by the bead chain or by the cord with a weighted device. Cellular Shades: Strangulations can occur if a child’s neck becomes entangled on the shade’s free-standing looped cord.

• Risk of Strangulation Prompts Recall to Repair Roller Shades by Lutron Shading Solutions

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Lutron Electronics Co. Inc., of Coopersburg, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 245,000 Roller Shades. Strangulations can occur if the shade’s looped bead chain is not attached to the wall or the floor and a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop.

• Risk of Strangulation Prompts Recall to Repair Victoria Classics Roman Shades; Sold Exclusively by Target Stores

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Victoria Classics of Edison, N.J., is voluntarily recalling about 163,000 Thermal Sailcloth and Matchstick Bamboo Roman Shades. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. Exposed operating cords can knot or tangle creating a strangulation loop.

• Near Strangulation of Children Prompts Recall of Roman Shades; Sold Exclusively at Pottery Barn Kids

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Pottery Barn Kids/Williams-Sonoma, Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 85,000 Roman Shades. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck.

• Near Strangulation Prompts Recall of Roman Blinds; Sold Exclusively at IKEA

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 120,000 MELINA Roman Blinds. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. The Roman blind has a continuous looped bead chain that when not attached to the wall or floor, hangs loosely by the blind, posing a strangulation hazard to children.

• Strangulation Deaths of Children Prompt Recall to Repair of Roll-Up Blinds and Roman Shades by Lewis Hyman Inc.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Lewis Hyman Inc., of Carson, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 4.2 million ¼” Oval Roll-up Blinds and 600,000 Woolrich Roman shades. Roll-up Blinds: Strangulations can occur if the lifting loops slide off the side of the blind and a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material. Roman Shades: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck.