Note: Firm out of business. Do not use this product. Please discard or destroy the product.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Originally issued October 15, 1998, Revised March 26, 2004
Release # 99-009 |
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063
|
CPSC, Playwell Toy Announce Recall of Xylophone Mallets
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Playwell Toy Inc. of Lake Forest, Calif., recalled the mallets in approximately 200,000 individually sold xylophones, 150,000 Little Ones® Infant three-piece musical gift sets, and 1,800 Little Ones® Infant five-piece musical gift sets. The rounded ends of the xylophone mallets are smaller in diameter than the 1.75-inch standard for small balls. The mallets can get stuck in the throats of young children, blocking their airways, and possibly causing death.
CPSC and Playwell Toy were aware of one serious injury to a 6-month-old baby girl who suffered severe brain damage when the mallet became lodged in her throat.
The xylophones are mostly white with a red button and yellow handle. The metal bars on the xylophones are red, yellow, green and blue, and the mallets are red.
The individually sold xylophones have stickers on them reading, "PLAYWELL. . . SOUND TOY SERIES." Their packaging reads, "Music World Xylophone . . . Playwell . . . Item No: 044073."
The three-piece Little OnesTM Infant musical gift sets consists of a toy xylophone and mallet, an accordion and a tambourine. The five-piece set consists of a xylophone, tambourine, harmonica and two maracas. All the instruments are multi-colored plastic. The sets are packaged in a box that reads, in part, "Little OnesTM Infant . . . Ages 6 Months and over . . . Hours of musical fun!" Each musical instrument has "MADE IN CHINA" printed on it.
Target and other retail stores sold the individual xylophones from February 1996 to April 1998 for about $7. Kmart stores nationwide sold the three-piece musical set exclusively from May 1996 to April 1998 for about $10. Right Start Stores nationwide sold the five-piece musical gift set from November 1997 to August 1998 for about $24.
Consumers should take these mallets away from children under 3 years old immediately, and dispose of the mallets. As the firm is out of business, a remedy is no longer available. Please discard or destroy the mallets.
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.