[Recalls Page]

September 2005 Recalls and Product Safety News

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Greenheck Fan Corp., of Schofield, Wis. is voluntarily recalling About 4,200 Greenheck Sidewall, Rooftop and Centrifugal Inline Ventilation Units. LUX 3/8-inch spinlock bolts supplied with these units may not have been properly heat treated, which can result in the bolts breaking. Bolt failure during lifting for rooftop installation or after installation could cause the unit or components to fall and injure bystanders.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Panasonic Corporation of North America, of Secaucus, NJ. is voluntarily recalling 21 Panasonic PT-D5500U and PT-D5500UL DLP Projectors. If the lamp drive circuit touches the shield case, the unit is not grounded, and a person were to contact metal terminals at the back of the unit, there is a potential for electric shock.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa is voluntarily recalling about 5,000 Maytag Front-Loading Washing Machines. If the front-load washer is operated at maximum load capacity, the spinner could malfunction and break apart, posing a safety risk to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), W.C. Wood Company Inc., of Ottawa, Ohio is voluntarily recalling about 112,000 Automatic Defrost Upright Freezers and All-Refrigerators. The defrost heater coil can become exposed inside the units, which poses a potential shock hazard to consumers. In some cases the exposed heater wire can also melt, or burn the unit's interior plastic food liner.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dollar General Corp., of Goodlettsville, Tenn. is voluntarily recalling about 455,000 Necklace and Earring Sets. The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Monogram International Inc., of Pinellas Park, Fla. is voluntarily recalling about 145,000 Disney Princess Bracelet Keyrings. The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Arctic Cat Inc., of Thief River Falls, Minn. is voluntarily recalling about 700 Arctic Cat Prowler XT Off-Highway Utility Vehicles. The brakes on these vehicles can fail.

With Hurricane Rita barreling towards Gulf Coast states, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns residents who may lose power, NEVER to use portable generators inside their homes or attached garages. The exhaust from generators contains high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) which can quickly incapacitate and kill.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), PMI, of Seattle, Wash. is voluntarily recalling about 45,000 Stanley thermos bottles. The handle on the thermos bottles can break, causing the vacuum seal to fail and release organic, non-toxic charcoal powder insulation into the air. This can cause consumers to suffer short-term vision problems and temporary breathing problems when they inhale the powder.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Douglas Company, of Keene, N.H. is voluntarily recalling about 1,100 Sparkle Horse Toys. Beads of glitter glue on the colored ribbons could detach and pose an aspiration hazard to young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Robertshaw Controls Co., of Long Beach, Calif. is voluntarily recalling about 178,000 Robertshaw R110 Series Gas Control Valves. Screws on some water heater valves could break. If this happens, gas could leak from the valve, which poses a risk of gas explosion and fire.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns residents in the path of Hurricane Ophelia in North Carolina and nearby coastal communities to take special precautions. Unofficial estimates indicate at least 11 deaths and numerous injuries have been attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning stemming from portable generators used in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Pier 1 Imports, of Fort Worth, Texas is voluntarily recalling about 10,000 Glass Candle Holders. The candle holder can unexpectedly break, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Ortovox USA, of Hopkinton, N.H. is voluntarily recalling about 15,500 Ortovox M1 and M2 Avalanche Transceivers – A device worn to help locate a buried avalanche victim. The batteries in these devices can become dislodged when the transceiver is struck sharply. The transceiver could fail to function properly in the aftermath of an avalanche, and result in the buried victim not being found in time to avoid serious injury or death.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Bradshaw International Inc., of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. is voluntarily recalling about 500,000 "Bottle Sippers" Pull-Up Bottle Caps. The pull-up valve can detach from the cap, posing a choking hazard to young children.

With a sharp increase in the number of carbon monoxide related deaths among Gulf Coast residents stemming from the unsafe use of outdoor portable generators in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced a major new initiative urging hurricane victims to avoid a potentially fatal situation by never using these generators indoors.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Capresso Inc., of Closter, N.J. is voluntarily recalling about 15,000 Capresso Water Kettles. The handle can detach from the glass carafe, spilling hot water and causing severe burn injuries.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., of Foster City, Calif. is voluntarily recalling about 843,000 AC Adaptors sold with slim version PlayStation® 2 Systems. The recalled AC adaptors can overheat and melt. This poses the risk of fire, burn and shock injuries to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The Brinkmann Corporation, of Dallas, Texas is voluntarily recalling about 130,000 Brinkmann-brand and Charmglow-brand Gas Grills manufactured by Brinkmann. The regulators on these gas grills, the component that controls the amount of gas released to the burner, could leak gas when attached to certain liquid propane tanks. This poses a risk of fire and burn injuries.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Makita U.S.A. Inc., of La Mirada, Calif. is voluntarily recalling about 3,400 Makita chain saws. The flywheels on some of the chain saws can come apart during use, which could cause serious personal injury.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), DOLMAR Power Products, of Duluth, Ga. is voluntarily recalling about 1,300 DOLMAR chain saws. The flywheels on some of the chain saws may come apart during use, which could cause serious personal injury.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), E-Z-GO, of Augusta, Ga. – A Textron Company is voluntarily recalling about 60,000 E-Z-GO 2002-2005 gasoline-powered Fleet and Freedom Golf Cars, and Shuttle 2+2 Personnel Carriers. High engine temperatures can permit fuel to get into the air filter box, posing a risk of fire.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Nexgrill Industries Inc., of City of Industry, Calif. is voluntarily recalling about 86,000 Charmglow® Gas Grills. The hose connecting the propane tank with the manifold can run up too close to the firebox. The heat from the firebox can damage the hose, causing it to leak gas. The release of gas creates a fire risk that could cause injury and property damage.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The Coleman Company, Inc., of Wichita, Kan. and TPA Metals and Machinery of China are voluntarily recalling about 124,000 Coleman® Gas Grills and about 6,200 Coleman® Patio Heaters. The regulators on these products can leak propane when the propane cylinder is turned on and the product is not in use. This can pose a fire or explosion hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Pottery Barn Kids, of San Francisco, Calif. is voluntarily recalling about 7,600 Spindle Cribs. The spindles on the crib's front rail can loosen and detach from the rail. This can allow the child to fall from the crib and poses a risk of entrapment.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Continental Creations Inc., of New Bedford, Mass. is voluntarily recalling about 480 Cat and Dog Menorahs. The cup holding the candles on these menorahs are not constructed of the correct material and could ignite, posing a fire hazard.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit filed against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission by the family of a teenager who was shot with an airgun

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Ultimate Chopper LLC, of Los Angeles, Calif. is voluntarily recalling about 1.5 million Ultimate Chopper™ food processors. The interlocking lid assembly on the appliance can malfunction, allowing the food processor to be operated when the lid is off. This can result in a laceration or finger tip amputation hazard if consumers insert their hands into the food processor.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Atico International USA, Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. is voluntarily recalling about 480,000 pairs Surf Club™ Arm Bands. The seams of the inflatable arm bands can tear, causing them to deflate. This poses a drowning hazard to young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), World Wide Cycle Supply Inc., of Islandia, N.Y. is voluntarily recalling about 25,000 Harley-Davidson 16-inch BMX Bicycles. The fork that holds the front wheel can separate at the weld, causing the rider to fall and suffer injuries.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), MyDigitalDiscount.com Inc. and Aqua Scout, of Minetto, N.Y. are voluntarily recalling about 475 Aqua Scout Water Scooters. Hydrogen gas can build up in the battery compartment and cause the battery cover and the battery package to forcefully expel from the product, posing a risk of injury to the user or bystanders.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), American Greetings Corp., of Cleveland, Ohio is voluntarily recalling about 120,000 Sesame Street Toy Sunglasses. The lens in the sunglasses can separate from frames, posing a choking hazard to young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, LLC of Lake Buena Vista, Fla. is voluntarily recalling about 12,900 Red Sunglasses/Toddler Cap Sets. The paint on the red sunglasses contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.