Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unanimously approved a civil penalty settlement with Generac Power Systems, Inc. (Generac) to hold the company accountable for years of inaction and delay in the face of a dangerous product hazard. The settlement requires Generac to pay a fine of more than $15 million and to take other remedial actions designed to protect consumers in the future.
I am pleased that my fellow Commissioners joined me to unanimously approve the proposed settlement agreement with Generac. By acting with one voice, the CPSC sends a loud and clear warning to companies who fail to act responsibly when they know their products are dangerous and can cause serious injury or death.
In Generac’s case, despite becoming aware of the unreasonable risk of injury associated with their 6500-watt and 8000-watt portable generators in 2018, Generac did not report the hazard to CPSC until 2020. By the time they did report, Generac was aware of a total of five customers who suffered grievous bodily injuries that resulted in partial amputations of one or two fingers due to their product. Generac should have reported these incidents to CPSC immediately and initiated a recall that would have protected its customers.
This settlement demonstrates CPSC’s commitment to hold companies accountable when they put the public at risk and consumers should look forward to a safer marketplace for all. I thank CPSC’s staff who worked to identify and address the product hazard and advance this settlement on behalf of consumers.