| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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| August 27, 1985 |
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| Release # 85-041 |
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Hazardous Baby Cribs Seized And Destroyed
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced today that it recently supervised the destruction of approximately 110 hazardous baby cribs that had been seized by the U.S. Marshalls in Brooklyn, New York under a court order. The cribs were seized and destroyed because they failed to meet safety requirements of the CPSC for full size and non-full size cribs. The cribs could not be brought into compliance with the safety standards and, therefore, had to be destroyed.
The cribs, which were imported from Italy, were offered for sale at the Baby Desire retail store at 3816 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, New York between January 1984 and January 1985. The Baby Desire store is no longer in business.
The cribs' vertical slats were too far apart and could allow an infant's body to slide between the slats entrapping the child by the head. This entrapment could cause strangulation.
In addition, the sides of the cribs were not high enough to discourage toddlers from climbing out. Required assembly instructions which would enable consumers to assemble the cribs properly so they would be safe were not supplied. Required labeling was not present.
The CPSC estimates that 47 unsafe baby cribs were sold to consumers. These unsafe cribs have no labeling which would help identify them. Consumers who believe they may have purchased one of these unsafe cribs should measure the spaces between the vertical slats of the crib. If the spaces are greater that 2 3/8 inches
Consumers who want more information about these cribs should call the Commission's New York Regional Office at 212-264-1125 or the CPSC toll-free Hotline at 800-638-CPSC. The teletypewriter number for the hearing-impaired is (301) 595-7054.
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.