[Recalls Page]

October 2011 Recalls and Product Safety News

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Harper Trucks Inc., of Wichita, Kan., is voluntarily recalling about 292,000 hand trucks. When the tires are overinflated, they can explode causing the wheel hub to separate or break, ejecting pieces of the hub. This poses an injury hazard to bystanders.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, Trek Bicycle Corporation, of Waterloo, Wisc., is voluntarily recalling about 27,000 Trek 2012 FX and District bicycles. The bolt that secures the seat saddle clamp to the seat post can break posing a fall hazard.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Spin Master, Inc. of Los Angeles, California, and Spin Master Ltd. of Toronto, Canada, ("Spin Master") have agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1,300,000. The penalty agreement has been accepted provisionally by the Commission (5-0).

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, BB Buggies Inc., of Augusta, Ga. and Bad Boy Enterprises LLC, of Natchez, Miss., are voluntarily recalling about 3,200 Bad Boy Buggies off-road utility vehicles. The steering assembly arm can break and cause the driver to lose control, posing a crash hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, General Electric Appliances, of Louisville, Ky., is voluntarily recalling about 470 GE Monogram® Pro Rangetops with Grill. Burners on Rangetops operating on liquefied petroleum ("LP" or propane) may fail to ignite or light if the gas control knob is left in a position between OFF and LITE, posing a risk of delayed ignition or explosion.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Evergreen Enterprises, Richmond, Va., is voluntarily recalling about 23,400 Fireside Gel Fuel bottles. The pourable gel fuel can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when it is poured into a firepot that is still burning. This hazard can occur if the consumer does not see the flame or is not aware that the firepot is still ignited. Gel fuel that splatters and ignites can pose fire and burn risks to consumers that can be fatal.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Big Lots, of Columbus, Ohio., is voluntarily recalling about 375,000 Microfiber Glider recliners with ottomans and Leather Glider recliners with ottomans. An exposed gap between the moving parts of the chair and the base framework can allow access to toddlers and infants, posing an entrapment hazard. In addition, other exposed moving parts on the chair and the ottoman can pose finger pinching and crushing hazards to older children and adults.

From a fall resulting in a dislocated shoulder, to an open flame resulting in second degree burns, each year CPSC receives reports of injuries involving Halloween-related costumes, décor, and lighting. These incidents are preventable. Using CPSC's three-step safety check, consumers can ensure that their fright night fun is not haunted by Halloween injuries

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Target Corp., of Minneapolis, Minn., is voluntarily recalling about 3,400 Children's Frog Masks. The plush frog masks lack proper ventilation. When secured in place across a child's face, it presents a suffocation hazard to the child.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Electric Motion Systems LLC of Dulles, Va., is voluntarily recalling about 70 Rechargeable lithium-poly batteries used in electric bicycles and propulsion systems. The battery can overheat and catch fire.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has voted to approve (3-2) new independent third party product testing rules for domestic manufacturers, importers and private labelers. These firms will be required to test and certify that their children's products comply with U.S. product safety standards as required by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. In order to meet this requirement for children's products, the Commission adopted a framework regarding third party periodic testing to ensure continued compliance.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, ADT Security Services Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., is voluntarily recalling about 20,000 CO 1224T Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors. When the CO detectors reach the end of their useful life, they should send a signal to make a sound in the home alarm panel alerting consumers it is time to replace them and a signal to ADT's alarm monitoring center. Some of the detectors were not wired properly to the ADT alarm system, resulting in the sound not going off in the home alarm panel and no signal to the ADT alarm monitoring center at the end of its useful life. Not replacing a CO detector at the end its useful life poses a CO poisoning hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Horizon Hobby Inc., of Champaign, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 975 Losi NiMH Start-Up Combo Chargers. The charger and battery can emit excessive heat, posing a burn and fire hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Guidecraft Inc., of Winthrop, Minn., is voluntarily recalling about 760 Twist and Sort toys. The small pegs on three of the four posts can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, Lifemarque, of United Kingdom, is voluntarily recalling about 40 (in the United States) and 10 (in Canada) LittleLife Discoverer child carriers. The carriers were sold without bolts that attach the carrier's main frame to the metal stand. Missing bolts cause the carrier to disconnect from the stand and fall backwards, posing a fall hazard to a child in the carrier.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Meijer, of Grand Rapids, Mich., is voluntarily recalling about 3,200 (240,000 originally recalled in March 2010) "Innovations" and "At Home with Meijer" Roman shades and roll-up blinds. Roman Shades - strangulation 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. Roll-up Blinds - strangulation 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.

In an effort to address the large number of serious hand and finger injuries that occur each year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) aimed at improving the safety of table saws.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Henry Gordy International, Inc. (Henry Gordy), of Plainfield, N.J., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1,100,000. The penalty agreement has been provisionally accepted by the Commission (5-0).

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) urge consumers to take time during Fire Prevention Week to check their homes for fire risks and to develop and practice a family escape plan.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nidec Motor Corporation, of St. Louis, Mo. and Emerson Motor Company, a division of Emerson Electric Co., of St. Louis, Mo., is voluntarily recalling approximately 2,000 Ecotech EZ® Variable Speed pool pump motors. The pump cover is not properly grounded posing an electrical shock hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Marshall Group, of Elkhart, Ind., is voluntarily recalling about 39,000 bottles of Marshall Gardens PatioGlo Bio-Fuel Gel. The pourable gel fuel can ignite unexpectedly to the consumer and expel onto people and objects nearby when it is poured into a firepot that is still burning. This hazard can occur if the consumer does not see the flame or is not aware that the firepot is still ignited. Gel fuel that expels and ignites can pose fire and burn risks to consumers that can be fatal.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, B.O.B. Trailers Inc., of Boise, Idaho, is voluntarily recalling about 411,700 (in the United States) and 27,000 (in Canada) B.O.B.® single and double strollers. The stroller canopy's embroidered logo's backing patch can detach, posing a choking hazard to babies and young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, IKEA North America Service, of Conshohocken, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 51,000 (in the United States) and 7,000 (in Canada) BUSA children’s folding tents. The steel wire frame of the tent can break, producing sharp wire ends that can protrude through the tent fabric, posing a laceration or puncture hazard.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Nordica USA, of West Lebanon, N.H., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $214,000. The penalty agreement has been provisionally accepted by the Commission (5-0).

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Yu Wei Co. Ltd., of Taipei, Taiwan, is voluntarily recalling about 8,000 Drop-Side Cribs. The drop-side rails on the crib can malfunction, detach or unexpectedly fall down, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position. When this happens, a space is created into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly and due to age-related wear and tear.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Bird Brain Inc. of Ypsilanti, Mich., is voluntarily recalling about 1.6 million bottles and cans of Bird Brain Firepot Fuel Gel, Bird Brain Firepot Citronella Fuel Gel and Bird Brain BioFuel Fuel Gel. The pourable gel fuel can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when it is poured into a firepot that is still burning. This hazard can occur if the consumer does not see the flame or is not aware that the firepot is still ignited. Gel fuel that splatters and ignites can pose fire and burn risks to consumers that can be fatal.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Ballard Designs, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga., is voluntarily recalling about 2,500 Ballard Designs "Stafford" step stools. Plastic tabs on the feet of the step stools can cause the stools to be unstable, posing a fall hazard to consumers.