[Recalls Page]

February 1988 Recalls and Product Safety News

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, today announced that it has filed an administrative Complaint against P&M Enterprises, Caldwell, Idaho, seeking a nationwide recall of that firm's WORM GETT'R worm probes due to an alleged electrocution hazard. The vote on the decision to issue the Complaint was 3 to 1, with Commissioners Carol Dawson and Anne Graham voting for and Chairman Terrence Scanlon dissenting.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has filed a federal court action to halt the improper sale of lawn darts. The defendants are Menard, Inc., a Wisconsin-based chain of stores in the Midwest, and two of its officers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced that Patton Electric Company Inc., New Haven, Indiana, has agreed to pay the Commission $90,000 in settlement of Commission staff allegations that the company failed to report in a timely manner a defect in its Model HF-10 portable electric space heaters imported from Hong Kong in 1983. The agency staff alleged that the HF-10 space heater contains a diode assembly that can fail in the "low heat mode." When the diode fails, it can produce intense heat which causes some of the space heaters to catch fire. Patton has denied all staff allegations.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Arkla, Inc., of Shreveport, Louisiana, and Preway Industries of Evansville, Indiana, today announced they would implement a corrective action program for 60,000 high efficiency gas furnaces manufactured by Arkla and Preway and sold nationwide.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission today unanimously voted to issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on revision of its existing small parts regulation governing toys and other products intended for use by children under three.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced that BernzOmatic of Medina, NY has agreed to pay a $350,000 civil penalty to resolve Commission staff allegations that the firm failed to report in a timely manner the existence of a defect in certain propane fueled, radiant camping heaters which could create a substantial product hazard, as required by the Consumer Product Safety Act.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency have agreed to increased cooperation when dealing with toxic and hazardous substances found in the home and environment. Nothing that various segments of their organizations already have been working together for some time, the two Federal health and safety regulatory agencies have signed an interagency agreement calling for increased cooperative activities in seven areas of mutual interest.