February 1, 2005
Alert #05-534 |
|
CPSC, Country Home Products, Inc. Announce Recall to Repair DR®Leaf and Lawn Vacuum
The following product safety recall was conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: DR®Leaf and Lawn Vacuum
Units: 1,071
Manufacturer: Country Home Products, Inc. of Vergennes, Vt
Hazard: These leaf and lawn vacuums have a plastic elbow and blower exit adaptor that is connected to the top of the shredding chamber. The plastic can crack allowing stones, large sticks, and other material to puncture the plastic. This creates the possibility that pieces of plastic or other debris can fly upward toward bystanders or the operator. When this occurs, the potential for personal injury or property damage exists. This is more prone to occur when the outside temperatures are below 35 degrees.
Incidents/Injuries: Country Home Products has received 55 reports of failures of the plastic elbow and adapter cracking. Seven customers reported being struck by debris without injury. No property damage has been reported.
Description: The recalled vacuum is designed to be pulled behind a lawn tractor. The product vacuums leaves and grass, shreds them and collects the shredded material in a large storage chamber. The leaf and lawn vacuums have a red circle with DR printed in black on each side of the chamber.
Sold at: The vacuums were sold nationwide through mail orders, internet, and retail stores for between $950 and $1,520 from September 2004 through November 2004
Manufactured In: U.S.A.
Remedy: Country Home Products is notifying all registered owners about this recall. All leaf and lawn vacuums will receive a metal replacement adapter and elbow free of charge. If you have the DR®Leaf and Lawn Vacuum but have not been notified by Country Home Products, please contact Country Home Products toll-free at (877) 405-7464 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday. Consumers may also contact Country Home Products' Web site at www.drpower.com/llvsafetynotice
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.