February 2009 Recalls and Product Safety News

• Certain LG 830 "Spyder" Cell Phones Recalled For Upgrade Due to Dropped Connection or Poor Connection on Emergency 911 Calls

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with LG Electronics MobileComm USA Inc., of San Diego, Calif., is voluntarily recalling certain (about 30,000) LG 830 "Spyder" Cell Phones. The recalled phones can have difficulty sustaining a connection or have poor voice quality on calls to emergency 911.

• Various Toys Recalled by CBB Group Due to Choking Hazard and Violation of Lead Paint Standard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with CBB Group Inc., City of Commerce, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 39,000 Fishing Games, Rattles, Pull-A-Long Cars, Mini Pull Back Cars, and Cartoon Bubble Guns. The fishing games, baby rattles and pull-a-long cars contain small parts, which can detach and pose a choking hazard to children. The mini pull back cars and bubble guns have surface paints which contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

• Salsa Bicycles Recalls Bicycles; Handlebar Stems Can Break Causing Rider to Fall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Salsa Bicycles, a subsidiary of Quality Bicycle Products, of Bloomington, Minn., is voluntarily recalling about 8,600 Handlebar Stems Used on Salsa Bicycles. The handlebar stems can crack or break, posing a fall hazard to the consumer.

• Air Venturi Recalls Air Rifles That Can Unexpectedly Fire, Posing Serious Injury Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Air Venturi, of Bedford Heights, Ohio, is voluntarily recalling about 50 Air Venturi Air Rifles. The safety can fail, causing the rifle to unexpectedly fire. This poses a serious injury hazard to consumers.

• Silent Diving Systems Recalls Scuba Diving Hoses Due to Drowning Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Silent Diving Systems LLC, of Center Conway, N.H., is voluntarily recalling about 820 Crimped Low Pressure Diving Hoses. Diving hoses may have been made without crimps, which can allow gas to leak or water to enter into the re-breather unit of the scuba diving equipment, posing a drowning hazard to the user.

• Old Navy Recalls Stuffed Toys; Button Eyes Can Detach and Pose a Choking Hazard to Young Children

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Old Navy LLC, of San Francisco, Calif., are voluntarily recalling about 35,500 (in the United States) and 5,400 (in Canada) Stuffed Animal and Creature Toys. The stuffed toys have two button eyes that could detach from the toy, posing a choking hazard to young children.

• True Value Recalls Wheelbarrows; Over-Inflated Tire Can Cause Wheel to Break and Pose Injury Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with True Value Co., of Chicago, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 17,000 Green Thumb Twin Wheelbarrows. Over-inflating the tire could cause the wheel's plastic rim to break, posing an injury to the user.

• Compound Bows Recalled by BowTech Archery; Bow Can Unexpectedly Break Apart

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with BowTech Archery, of Eugene, Ore., is voluntarily recalling about 8,000 "The General" Compound Bows. The ends of the bow's limbs can unexpectedly break during use and send fragments of the bow in the direction of the user or bystanders, posing a risk of injury.

• Evenflo® Recalls Children's Activity Centers Due to Fall Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Evenflo Co. Inc., of Miamisburg, Ohio, is voluntarily recalling 213,000 Evenflo Activity Centers. When used as an activity table, the cap on one end of the product can loosen and fall off, posing a fall hazard to a young child.

• CPSC Developing Practical Guidance For Meeting Phthalates Requirements In New Child Safety Law; Public Input Sought; Interim enforcement policy also announced by the agency

Starting on February 10, 2009, certain children's toys and child care articles can no longer be sold, offered for sale, manufactured or imported for sale in the United States if they contain more than 0.1% of specified phthalates. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled last week that this prohibition applies regardless of when the covered products were made.

• Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recalls of Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings by Hill Sportswear

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Hill Sportswear Inc. of Paramount, Calif., is voluntarily recalling 300,000 hooded drawstring sweatshirts. CPSC received one report of a death involving a 3-year-old boy in Fresno, Calif. He strangled when the drawstring on the hooded sweatshirt that he was wearing became stuck on a play ground set.

• Disney Store Recalls Toy Tool Sets Due to Choking Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Disney Store USA LLC, of Pasadena, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 20,000 Playhouse Disney "Handy Manny" Toy Tool Sets. The tools contain eyes that can separate, posing a choking hazard to young children.

• Nordica USA Recalls to Repair Skis; Binding Plates Can Break, Poses Fall Hazard to Skiers

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Nordica USA, of West Lebanon, N.H., is voluntarily recalling about 4,500 pairs of XBi ALU Skis. The binding plates could crack or break, causing the skier to lose control or fall and suffer injuries.

• Outdoor Stoves Recalled by Jetboil Due to Burn Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Jetboil Inc., of Manchester, N.H., is voluntarily recalling about 15,000 Personal Cooking Systems and Group Cooking Systems. A tight valve attached to the stove's fuel source can allow gas to leak, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

• Marzocchi Recalls Bicycle Forks Due to Crash Hazard and Risk of Injury during Repair

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Tenneco-Marzocchi s.r.l., of Bologna, Italy, is voluntarily recalling about 70 Bicycle Forks. The suspension system on bikes with the recalled forks could become completely compressed and fail to return to its original position after a forceful landing. This can cause riders to lose control of the bicycle and crash. The forks can also expand forcefully if repair is attempted by the consumer, posing a risk of serious injury.

• Catalina Lighting Recalls Halogen Clamp Lamps Due to Fire and Burn Hazard; Sold Exclusively At Staples Stores

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Catalina Lighting Inc., of Miami, Fla., is voluntarily recalling about 2,000 Halogen Clamp Lamps. The UV glass lens on the lamp can crack, exposing the halogen bulb, posing a fire and burn hazard.

• Camp Stoves Sold Exclusively at Dick's Sporting Goods Recalled Due to Burn Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dick's Sporting Goods, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 6,700 "Field & Stream" Dual Burner Camp Stoves. Gas could flow at a rate that would produce higher than expected flames. Rainwater in the burners can also prevent proper ignition and allow gas to build-up and ignite unexpectedly. These conditions pose burn hazards to consumers.

• Golfer's Billiard Games Recalled by Dick's Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Golf Galaxy Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pa., are voluntarily recalling about 2,300 Golfer's Billiard Games. Surface paints on the golf balls can contain excess levels of lead.

• ATVs Recalled By KTM North America Due to Brake Failure

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), KTM North America Inc., of Amherst, Ohio, is voluntarily recalling about 2,700 All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). The rear brake caliper support can crack and the front brake operation can experience a loss of pressure, posing a risk of the rider losing braking and steering control and suffering injuries or death.

• CPSC Issues Guidance For Complying With Phthalates Requirements In New Child Safety Law

Starting on February 10, 2009, children's toys and child care articles cannot contain more that 0.1% of six phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, and DnOP) regardless of when they were manufactured. The CPSC will abide by a court decision issued yesterday ruling that the prohibition on phthalates in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 applies to products in inventory. Phthalates are a group of chemicals (oily, colorless liquids) that are used among other things to make vinyl and other plastics soft and flexible.

• CPSC Spells Out Enforcement Policy For New Lead Limits In Children's Products Effective February 10

Starting on February 10, 2009, consumer products intended for children 12 and under cannot have more than 600 parts per million of lead in any accessible part. This new safety requirement is a key component of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) aimed at further reducing children's exposure to lead.

• Intermatic Recalls Digital Timers Due to Shock Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Intermatic Inc., of Spring Grove, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 200,000 Intermatic DT17 Heavy Duty Digital Timers. The recalled timers can have a faulty ground connection, posing a shock hazard to consumers.

• The Land of Nod Recalls to Repair Cottage Bunk Beds Due to Fall Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The Land of Nod, of Northbrook, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 750 Cottage Bunk Beds. When screws are missing from the upper bunk's guardrails, the vertical slats on the guardrails can detach and pose the risk of children falling when getting in or out of the upper bunk.

• Playland International Recalls Swing Sets Due to Fall Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Playland International, Carrollton, Ga., is voluntarily recalling about 700 Arch Swing Sets. The metal around the weld at the top of the swing frame can fail, causing the top bar to fall, posing a fall and impact hazard to the user or by-standers.

• Dorel Juvenile Group Recalls Safety 1st Stair Gates Due to Fall Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dorel Juvenile Group USA, of Columbus, Ind., is voluntarily recalling 100,000 Safety 1st SmartLight Stair Gates. The hinges that hold the stair gate in place can break, posing a fall hazard to children if the gate is placed at the top of the stairs.

• Bicycles with R-SYS Wheel Rims Recalled by Mavic USA Due to Crash Hazard

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Mavic USA, of Haverhill, Mass., is voluntarily recalling about 12,000 Bicycles with R-SYS Front Wheel Rims. The spokes on the bicycle's front wheel rim can break during use, posing a fall and crash hazard to riders.