More Than 87,000 Additional Hair Dryers Recalled

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 8) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced that more than 87,000 additional hair dryers are being recalled because they were manufactured with asbestos. The majority of the dryers are professional hand-held models sold for use in barber shops and hair salons.

The recalls are being conducted voluntarily by four companies, including the K-Mart Corporation, of Troy, Michigan: Rolf Brauchli, Inc., of Skokie, Illinois: Nino Originals, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Select Beauty Brands, Inc., of Carle Place, New York.

K-Mart is recalling approximately 15,000 model 890 hand- held dryers supplied by Brother International, of Piscataway, New Jersey, and sold to consumers under the K-Mart label since 1972.

Consumers whose dryers are in working condition can exchange them for a depreciated cash refund of $1.79, or a new Westminister brand AM/FM "Weather Band" radio (model TV1 or TV2). Dryers should be mailed by no later than February 15, 1981, to Service Center, Hiroaka New York, Inc., Room A22, 111 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10011. Postage costs will be reimbursed.

The firm will replace each asbestos liner with a liner made from mica at no cost to consumers, who should return the dryer to the barber shop or beauty salon where purchased, or to Rolf Brauchli, Inc., 8044 N. Lawndale, Skokie, Illinois, 60076. Professionals should mail the dryers for repairs directly to the firm at the address listed above. Both professionals and consumers will be reimbursed for postage and insurance costs.

The Nino Originals recall includes thousands of its "World Champion" 1300 watt and its "Nino 1000" brand 1300 watt hand-held dryers.

Consumers should return the dryers to the place of purchase for free repairs to remove the asbestos liner. Professionals should mail the dryers for repairs to Nino Originals, 6632 Penn Avenue S., Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55423.

Select Beauty Brands, Inc., also is recalling thousands of hand-held hair dryers, including the Royal model 550 and Royal model 1008.

Professional hair stylists and consumers should mail the dryers to Select Beauty Brands, Inc., 333 Westbury Avenue, Carle Place, New York, 11514. The firm will replace the asbestos heat shield with a mica shield at no cost and will reimburse postage costs.

Anyone needing to verify brand names and model numbers should contact CPSC's toll-free Hotline at 800-638-2772.