The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing today West Bend Houswares LLC, of West Bend, Wis., will pay a $100,000 civil penalty to settle allegations that the company failed to report a hazard with its 10-Cup Coffeemaker Carafes and Replacement Carafes. Under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), manufacturers, distributors, and retailers must immediately report product defects to the Commission. CPSC alleged that West Bend Housewares failed to report in a timely manner that the handles on these carafes could break, presenting a burn hazard from hot coffee or possible lacerations from broken glass.
West Bend Housewares LLC received reports of 169 handles breaking on these carafes between October 2004 and July 2005. These incidents resulted in at least two reports of burn and cut injuries as a result of handles breaking.
In August 2005, West Bend Housewares LLC recalled about 14,000 of these carafes sold from July 2004 through July 2005 with 10-cup Automatic Coffeemakers and as replacements for these coffeemakers.
For more information about the recall, contact West Bend Housewares at (800) 874-4084 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.westbend.com
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
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