WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Sunbeam Products, Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions, of Boca Raton, Fla., has agreed to pay a $4.5 million civil penalty.
The penalty settles charges that the firm knowingly failed to report to CPSC immediately, as required by federal law, that its Mr. Coffee Single Cup Brewing System BVMC-KG1 series coffeemakers were defective and posed an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to consumers.
Between 2011 and 2012, the company received numerous complaints, including at least 32 reports of burn injuries, from the coffeemakers’ brewing chamber opening and spraying hot water and coffee grounds toward consumers during normal use. The company failed to report this issue to CPSC immediately, as required.
In addition to paying a $4.5 million civil penalty, Sunbeam Products, Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions, has agreed to comply with and maintain a compliance program that is designed to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). The firm has also agreed to comply and maintain a system of internal controls and procedures.
The firm recalled 520,000 of the single-cup brewers in August 2012. The coffeemakers were sold at mass merchandisers nationwide, including Bed, Bath & Beyond, Brandsmart, JC Penney, Kmart, Lowe’s, Target and Walmart and online at www.mrcoffee.com from September 2010 through August 2012 for between $60 and $80.
The firm does not admit to CPSC staff’s charges.
The penalty agreement has been provisionally accepted by the Commission by a 3 to 2 vote.
CPSC Commissioner’s Statements
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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