[Recalls Page]

October 2008 Recalls and Product Safety News

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), about 35,000 (with an additional 65,000 batteries sold worldwide) Lithium-Ion Batteries manufactured by Sony Energy Devices Corporation, of Japan, and used in Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell Notebook Computers, were recalled. These lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

While changing your clock can keep you on time for work on Monday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advises consumers that putting fresh batteries in your smoke alarms can save your life.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), DYMO, of Stamford, Conn., is voluntarily recalling about 17,000 DYMO® LabelWriter® Power Adapters used with printers. The power adapters can fail, causing the printer to overheat. This can pose a burn hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), MEDport LLC, of Providence, R.I., is voluntarily recalling about 54,500 Fit & Fresh™ Smooth Blend Mixers. While placing the cup on or off the base of the mixer, the mixer can be unexpectedly turned on, activating the blade. This can pose a serious laceration hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Homelite Consumer Products Inc., of Anderson, S.C., is voluntarily recalling about 370,000 Homelite Chain Saws. The chain brake can fail to stop the chain on its first application, posing a risk of laceration to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Earth Friendly LLC, of Beaverton, Ore., is voluntarily recalling about 1,000 Wooden Toys. Small parts can detach and break from the toy, posing a choking hazard to young children. In addition, the size of the rattle handle violates voluntary rattle standards.

As parents and caregivers prepare for Halloween, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds them to keep safety in mind, so that no child is haunted by Halloween-related injuries. Hidden dangers associated with costumes, treats, and decorations can be easily prevented.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Coyne’s & Company Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn., is voluntarily recalling about 14,000 Casper the Friendly Ghost® Halloween Mini-Figurines. The recalled Halloween figurines contain high levels of lead in the paint.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Trade Associates Group Ltd., of Chicago, Ill., and Crate & Barrel, of Northbrook, Ill., are voluntarily recalling about 30,000 Ghost Tealight Holders. The recalled tealight holder can ignite posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Cybex International Inc., of Medway, Mass., is voluntarily recalling about 19,000 Cybex Treadmills. The treadmills can speed up unexpectedly while in use due to a malfunction with the lower control board, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Serta International Mattress Co., of Hoffman Estates, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 6,100 Serta Zipper-Covered Foam Core Mattresses. The mattresses fail to meet the mandatory federal open flame standard for mattresses, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Battery-Biz Inc., of Camarillo, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 1,300 Duracell 130W Combo Power Adapters used with notebook computers. The adapters can fail and overheat. This can pose a burn hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), LeapFrog Enterprises Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 35,500 Rechargeable Batteries and Recharging Station for Didj Custom Gaming System. The rechargeable batteries included with the Recharging Station can overheat if the gaming system is placed into the recharging base upside down, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Carter’s, Inc., of Atlanta, Georgia, are advising parents and caregivers that they have received reports that a small percentage of babies and infants have developed rashes on the upper back after wearing Carter’s clothing with heat-transferred, or “tag-less,” labels.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Shimano American Corp., of Irving, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 275 Shimano Dura Ace Carbon Clincher Wheels for Bicycles. Rim surface and spoke hole plugs on the wheel can cause a puncture to the inner tube, resulting in a flat tire. This can cause the rider to lose control and fall.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), YMCA Trading Inc., of Maspeth, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 24,000 “Gas Match” and “Ready, Aim...Fire” Multi-Purpose Lighters. The multi-purpose lighters fail to meet federal safety standards because they might not contain a child-resistant mechanism, posing a potential fire and burn hazard to young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group LLC, of Wauwatosa, Wis., is voluntarily recalling about 2,100 Murray Front Engine Riding Lawn Mowers. The two-piece fuel tanks on the riding mowers can separate at the seam, causing fuel to leak. This can pose fire and burn hazards to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Fiesta Gas Grills, of Dickson, Tenn., is voluntarily recalling about 47,000 Blue Ember Gas Grills. The gas grills can be assembled improperly exposing the gas burner hoses to excessive heat, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Performance Designed Products LLC, of Sherman Oaks, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 57,000 Rage Wireless Guitars. A circuit board defect can cause AA batteries used in the guitar to leak if the batteries are installed incorrectly, posing a risk of chemical burns to consumers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging parents and caregivers to closely inspect the hardware and stability of their cribs to ensure all parts are in place and secure. The warning by the CPSC comes after the agency’s Early Warning System has identified concerns with the durability of cribs, especially those with drop sides that can disengage and lead to dangers of entrapment and strangulation.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Delta Enterprise Corp., of New York, New York., is announcing the voluntary recall to replace missing safety pegs involving 985,000 drop side cribs. Failure to use or install safety pegs can cause an entrapment and suffocation risk to infants and toddlers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Delta Enterprise Corp., of New York, N.Y., is announcing the voluntary recall today of about 600,000 drop side cribs. The crib’s drop side can detach when the spring peg is not engaged, which can cause an entrapment and suffocation risk to infants and toddlers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Playkids U.S.A. of Brooklyn, N.Y., is announcing today a voluntary recall of about 2,000 convertible cribs. The sides of the convertible crib are made of a mesh that expands, creating a gap between the mattress and the side through which an infant can slip. This poses suffocation and entrapment hazards for young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), My Way Corp., of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is voluntarily recalling about 800 Baby Walkers. The walkers violate the baby walker voluntary standard and can fit through a standard doorway and are not designed to stop at the edge of a step. Babies using these walkers can be seriously injured or killed.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Fujifilm U.S.A. Inc., of Valhalla, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 5,300 BC-50 Battery Chargers. The plastic portion of the unit’s power plug can crack or detach, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dollar General Merchandising Inc., of Goodlettsville, Tenn., is voluntarily recalling about 200,000 Battery Operated Toy “Speed Boats”. The two battery terminals can come into contact with each other, causing the battery to overheat, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Home Science Tools, of Billings, Mont., is voluntarily recalling about 400 Alnico Bar Magnets. Surface paints on the magnets contain excessive levels of lead, which violates the federal lead paint standard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), GN Netcom Inc., of Nashua, New Hampshire, is voluntarily recalling about 525,000 (an additional 675,000 were sold outside the U.S.) GN9120 Wireless Headsets. An internal short circuit can cause the lithium-ion polymer batteries to overheat, posing a fire hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), General Power Products LLC, of Loveland, Ohio, is voluntarily recalling about 13,000 Portable Generators. The generator’s fuel valve can be damaged by the cover plate during shipment and cause a fuel leak and fuel spillage during use, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Effikal LLC, of Orion, Mich., is voluntarily recalling about 45,000 Automatic Gas Vent Dampers. The automatic gas vent damper could fail, and if the blocked vent switch does not activate, the vent could leak carbon monoxide (CO). This poses a risk of CO poisoning to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Hasbro Inc., of Pawtucket, R.I., is voluntarily recalling about 330,000 Nerf™ N-Strike Recon Blasters. The blaster’s plunger can pull the user’s skin during firing of the toy blaster resulting in injury to the face, neck, and/or chest.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Rack Room Shoes Inc., of Charlotte. N.C., is voluntarily recalling about 11,000 pairs of Girls’ Sandals. The ornamental flowers on the sandals can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Chance Rides Manufacturing Inc. (CRM), of Wichita, Kansas is voluntarily recalling to inspect and repair about 85 YO-YO amusement rides across the country.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Coby Electronics Corp., of Lake Success, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 13,000 Rechargeable Batteries sold with portable DVD/CD/MP3 players. The rechargeable batteries can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Backyard Play Systems LLC, of Monroe, Mich., is voluntarily recalling about 500 Heartland/Yardline/Backyard Play Systems Outdoor Playset Gliders. Some of the gliders were shipped with assembly instructions that did not inform consumers to tighten all lock nuts during assembly, including those attached by the manufacturer. As a result, some lock nuts were not fully fastened during assembly which could cause the glider to detach, posing a fall hazard to children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Tween Brands Inc., of New Albany, Ohio, is voluntarily recalling about 12,000 Children’s Ball and Heart Necklaces, Portable CD and MP3 Players. Surface coatings on these products could contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Brunswick Bowling & Billiards Corp., of Lake Forest, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 1,700 “Colonial” Folding Game Chairs. The retaining washers on the legs can loosen, causing the chair to become unstable. This poses a fall hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), John Jaques & Son Ltd., of Edenbridge, England, is voluntarily recalling about 35 Lawn Dart Games. The darts in the games pose a puncture hazard to young children. Lawn darts were banned in December 1988 to protect children from skull, face and eye puncture wounds.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Viessmann Manufacturing Co. Inc., of Canada, is voluntarily recalling about 4,600 Vitodens 200 Boilers. The boiler can leak gas, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Pottery Barn, of San Francisco, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 30,000 Wooden Hammock Stands. When used outdoors, the wood in the hammock stand can deteriorate over time and break, posing a risk of falls and lacerations to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), BRP U.S. Inc., of Sturtevant, Wis., is voluntarily recalling about 1,200 Model Year 2008-2009 Can-Am® Youth ATVs. If the rider is ejected and the cord strap is pulled, the shutoff switch can fail to disable the engine. The ATV can operate uncontrolled, until the engine returns to idle, and cause a collision with bystanders, vehicles or other objects. This poses a serious risk of injury.