WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Raynor Marketing Ltd., of West Hempstead, N.Y., has agreed to a civil penalty of $390,000. The penalty agreement has been accepted provisionally by the Commission.
The settlement resolves CPSC staff allegations that Raynor Marketing Ltd. was aware of a defect involving office chairs it sold to consumers, as well incidents and injuries, yet the firm failed to report immediately to CPSC as required by federal law.
CPSC and Raynor Marketing Ltd. announced a recall of 150,000 office chairs in October 2009. Bolts attaching the seatback can loosen and detach, posing a fall and injury hazard to consumers. Raynor imported the chairs between May 2006 and March 2009 for sale exclusively at Office Depot stores nationwide and on online at Office Depot.com.
Federal law requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to report to CPSC immediately (within 24 hours) after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with any consumer product safety rule or any other rule, regulation, standard, or ban enforced by CPSC.
In agreeing to the settlement, Raynor Marketing Ltd. denies CPSC staff allegations that it knowingly violated the law.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 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.