The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc., of Towson, Md., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $960,000. The penalty agreement has been provisionally accepted by the Commission (5-0).
The settlement resolves CPSC staff’s allegations that Black & Decker knowingly failed to report several safety defects and hazards with the Grasshog XP immediately to CPSC, as required by federal law. CPSC staff also alleges the firm withheld information requested by CPSC staff during the course of the investigation.
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.
CPSC staff alleges Black & Decker knew, on or before May 2006, that the high-powered, electric Grasshog XP GH1000 was defective and could cause harm, but failed to report this to CPSC.
CPSC staff also alleges that Black & Decker failed to provide full information about defects with the Grasshog XP as requested in May 2006. Based on the incomplete information provided at that time, CPSC closed the case. The firm did not give CPSC staff full information about the extent of Grasshog XP defects or the mounting number of incidents and injuries until October 2006.
In July 2007, Black & Decker and CPSC announced the recall of about 200,000 Grasshog XP model GH1000 trimmer/edgers. By that time, there were more than 700 reports of incidents, including 58 injuries with the Grasshog XP. The trimmer/edgers’s spool, spool cap and pieces of trimmer string can come loose during use and become projectiles. This poses a serious laceration hazard to the user and to bystanders. The trimmer/edgers also can overheat and burn consumers. Black & Decker sold the Grasshog XP weed trimmers from November 2005 through spring 2007 for about $70.
The recall was reannounced in August 2009 with an additional 100 injuries reported. CPSC urges consumers with recalled Grasshog XP trimmer/edgers to contact Black & Decker for a free repair kit.
In agreeing to the settlement, Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc. denies CPSC staff allegations that it knowingly violated the law.
La Comisión de Seguridad de Productos del Consumidor de EE.UU. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC) está encargada de proteger al público contra riesgos irrazonables de lesión o muerte asociados al uso de miles de tipos de productos de consumo bajo la jurisdicción de la institución. Muertes, lesiones y daños a la propiedad asociados a incidentes con productos de consumo le cuestan al país más de $900,000 millones anualmente. La CPSC está comprometida con proteger a los consumidores y las familias contra los productos que presenten un peligro de incendio, eléctrico, químico o mecánico. Los esfuerzos de la CPSC para asegurar que los productos de consumo —tales como juguetes, cunas, herramientas eléctricas, encendedores de cigarrillos y productos químicos para uso doméstico— sean seguros, contribuyeron a la disminución en el índice de muertes y lesiones relacionadas con productos de consumo en los últimos 30 años.
La ley federal prohíbe que cualquier persona venda productos sujetos a un retiro del mercado anunciado públicamente y llevado a cabo por el fabricante; o a una orden de la Comisión obligatoria.
Para reportar un producto peligroso o una lesión relacionada con un producto, visite SaferProducts.gov (en inglés) o llame a la línea de información de la CPSC al (800) 638-2772 o al teletipo (800) 638-8270 para discapacitados auditivos. Los consumidores pueden obtener información sobre noticias y retiros en www.cpsc.gov/espanol, vía Twitter @OnSafety o suscribiéndose para recibir los boletines electrónicos gratuitos de la CPSC.