FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 1998
Release # 98-146 |
Company Phone Number: (800) 352-0688
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063
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CPSC, Crate & Barrel Announce Recall to Repair Toy Chests
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Crate & Barrel of Northbrook, Ill., is recalling about 7,000 toy chests for in-home repair of their lids. The toy chest's lid support can fail, allowing the lid to fall onto a child's head or neck. A child could become entrapped at the neck and strangle.
CPSC and Crate & Barrel have received two reports of lids falling. In one instance, a lid fell onto a woman's head, causing her chin to strike the front edge of the chest. Through their retail stores, Crate & Barrel has received about 116 consumer requests for replacement lid supports.
The Crate & Barrel toy chests also function as benches. The seat of the bench, which is the toy chest's lid, lifts up to store toys inside. The toy chests, measuring 29 inches long, 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep, are made of maple, birch or beech wood. A 2-inch high railing encompasses the sides and the back of the chest, along with spindle-type rails on the sides. These toy chests have either one or two metal lid supports.
Crate & Barrel stores and catalogues sold the toy chests nationwide from September 1994 through March 1998 for about $130.
Consumers should immediately stop young children from using the toy chests, and call Crate & Barrel at (800) 352-0688 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CDT Monday through Friday. Crate & Barrel will provide a new lid support, free of charge, to stop the lid from falling to prevent a child from being injured or fatally trapped. Consumers can make this repair easily using a regular screwdriver.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @OnSafety or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.