Nikki: Welcome to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Podcast for March 2, 2007. I’m Nychelle Fleming.
Patty: And I’m Patty Davis. This week, CPSC announced the recall of about 100,000 Lithium-ion extended-life batteries used in ThinkPad notebook computers due to a fire hazard. An additional 105,000 battery packs were sold worldwide. The battery packs were manufactured by Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd.
Nikki: If the battery in the laptop is struck forcefully on the corner, such as from a direct fall to the ground, the battery pack can overheat and pose a fire hazard to users. In September 2006, Lenovo conducted a recall of batteries manufactured by another firm for a different problem. This new recall is not an internal battery cell defect.
Patty: Lenovo has received four reports of batteries overheating and damaging the notebook. This caused damage to the notebook computers, minor property damage and, in one case, minor eye irritation to one consumer.
Nikki: Lenovo sold these extended-life batteries with new ThinkPad notebook PCs or as optional or replacement batteries. They were sold through Lenovo’s Web sites, telephone and direct sales, and by Lenovo-authorized distributors nationwide between November 2005 and February 2007. Contact Lenovo to determine if your battery pack is included in the recall.
Patty: Stop using the recalled battery packs and contact Lenovo at (800) 426-7378 for additional information and to receive a free replacement battery. Consumers should use only ThinkPad batteries obtained from either Lenovo or an authorized reseller.
Nikki: Also this week, Mirraco LLC announced the recall of about 11,000 bicycles due to a wheel fork failure hazard. The front wheel forks on these bicycles could have been welded improperly. This poses a risk that the weld could fail, and the rider could lose control and fall.
Patty: The firm has received four reports of steer tube rotation and one report of a fork separation due to failure of the welds. No injuries have been reported. The recall involves BMX-style bicycles with various model names.
Nikki: Consumers should stop using the recalled bicycles immediately and have them inspected by a Mirraco dealer. If the inspection shows that the bicycle is part of the recall, the fork will be replaced free of charge. For more information, call Mirraco toll-free at (888) 431-7653.
Patty: Finally this week, CPSC announced that Fisher-Price Inc., of East Aurora, N.Y., has agreed to pay a $975,000 civil penalty. The penalty, which the Commission has provisionally accepted, settles allegations that the company failed to report to the government that a nail fastener in the Little People® Animal Sounds Farm could separate from the toy and pose a serious choking or aspiration hazard to young children.
Nikki: About 67,000 Little People® Animal Sounds Farms were sold nationwide by Fisher-Price from June 2002 through July 2002. In September 2002, the company received its first report of a nail fastener coming loose from one of the toy barn’s stall doors.
Patty: By February 2003, Fisher-Price had received a report of a December 30, 2002 incident in which a 14-month old child aspirated a nail fastener into his lung. The child was taken to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery to have the metal nail fastener removed.
Nikki: It was not until March 2003 that the company reported the safety hazard with the Little People® Animal Farm to CPSC. By that time, Fisher-Price was aware of at least 33 reports in which the nail fastener came loose from the stall doors. These included four reports of children who put the metal nail fastener in their mouths and the one case of the child who aspirated the nail fastener.
Patty: Federal law requires firms to report to CPSC immediately after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial risk of injury to the public, presents an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or violates a federal safety standard. In agreeing to settle the matter, Fisher-Price Inc. denies CPSC’s allegations that the company knowingly violated the law.
Nikki: In April 2003, CPSC and Fisher-Price announced the recall of the Little People® Animal Sounds Farms and recommended that consumers take the toy away from young children immediately and contact the company to receive a free repair kit. For more information, consumer can call Fisher-Price anytime at (866) 259-7873.
Patty: For complete information on all CPSC recalls and safety news, go to our Web site at www.cpsc.gov. And until next time, stay safe.
End.