[Recalls Page]

December 2010 Recalls and Product Safety News

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, American Honda Motor Co. Inc., of Torrance, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 18,500 Honda snowblowers. The fuel tank joint and O-ring located on the underside of the fuel tank can seep or drip fuel over time, posing a fire hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, BabyUnited LLC dba BabyLegs of Seattle, Wash., is voluntarily recalling about 4,500 Baby leg warmers and socks. The leg warmers and socks have a heart appliqué that can detach, posing a choking hazard to small children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, QVC, of West Chester, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 14,000 Metallic spinning candle holders with 12 soy tea lights. The candle holders can catch fire, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, STIHL Incorporated of Virginia Beach, Va., is voluntarily recalling about 5,000 Chain Saws. The throttle trigger may stick after it has been released by the operator, which could cause the engine to continue to run at a speed that drives the saw chain. This can pose a risk of a laceration injury to the user or a bystander.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, BB Buggies Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 9,300 Classic Buggies. The off-road vehicles can accelerate without warning, posing a risk of injury to the user and/or bystanders.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, Michaels Stores Inc., of Irving, Texas, is voluntarily recalling about 7,600 (in the United States) and 650 (in Canada) Silver Tree Tealight Candle Holders. The tealight cups are positioned where the flame from the candles can ignite other parts of the candle holder, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Oriental Trading Company, Inc. of Omaha, Ne., is voluntarily recalling about 220,000 Ceramic piggy and lion banks. The yellow surface paint on the banks contains excessive levels of lead which is prohibited under federal law.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, Kindermusik International, Inc. of Greensboro N.C., is voluntarily recalling educational toys: about 7,000 Zoom Buggy Cars and 300 Dream Pillow Stars sold in the United States, and about 1300 Zoom Buggy Cars and 100 Dream Pillow Stars sold in Canada. The wheels on the Zoom Buggy cars and plastic beads on the Dream Pillow Star can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

On November 24, 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a final rule to establish a publicly available consumer product safety information database. The rule, which was approved by a 3-2 vote and will be published in the Federal Register, also establishes how CPSC will work with consumers and manufacturers or private labelers to process and post incident reports on the database. The consumer database will be officially launched in March 2011 as part of the SaferProducts.gov website.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously to approve new mandatory standards for full-size and non-full-size baby cribs as mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The federal crib standards had not been updated in nearly 30 years and these new rules are expected to usher in a safer generation of cribs.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, STIHL Incorporated, of Virginia Beach, Va., is voluntarily recalling about 1,000 STIHL FS 310 Bike Handle Trimmers/Brushcutters. Vibration from the ignition module may cause the trimmer head to loosen and detach from the mounting, posing an injury hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, TOA Electronics Inc., of Burlingame, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 2,600 Paging Horn Loudspeakers. The speaker housing can crack at the mounting bracket, causing the speakers to fall from their mounting. This poses a risk of injury from impact to consumers. Higher failure rates have occurred in high temperature and humidity environments.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Fagor America Inc., of Lyndhurst, N.J., is voluntarily recalling about 1,400 Fagor Refrigerators. The refrigerator's control board can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Splendid (a division of VF Contemporary Brands, Inc.), of Los Angeles, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 900 Girls' Hooded Zip Jackets and Vest Sets. The hooded zip jackets and the vest sets have drawstrings through the hoods which can pose a strangulation or entrapment hazard to children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, The Sterno Group LLC, of Des Plaines, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 37,500 Sterno Portable Butane Stoves. The stove's "on-off" valve can fail to close completely when turned to the "off" position, causing butane to leak from the stove. This poses a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., of Bentonville, Arkansas, is voluntarily recalling about 2.2 million Flow Pro, Airtech, Aloha Breeze & Comfort Essentials Heaters. The heaters can malfunction resulting in overheating, smoking, burning, melting and fire.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CDX Group Inc., of Brooklyn, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 1,600 Lamps. Substandard electrical wiring, connections and plugs in these lamps pose a fire and shock risk to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Extech Instruments, of Waltham, Mass., is voluntarily recalling 5,100 Digital clamp meters and multimeters. When the battery runs low, the meters can fail to give an accurate voltage reading, resulting in the operator falsely believing the electrical power is off or low. This poses an electrocution hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Ryobi and One World Technologies, of Anderson, S.C., is voluntarily recalling about 21,500 Ryobi RTS20 portable table-saws. The saw blade on the motor carriage could be misaligned, posing a laceration hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, American Eagle Outfitters Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 1,200 Toddler Girl Pants and Shorts. The metal clasp at the waistband can detach from the garment, posing a choking hazard to young children.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Seattle Bike Supply of Kent, Wash., is voluntarily recalling about 200 Redline D640 Bicycles. The head tube can separate from the frame, causing the rider to lose control and fall. This poses a risk of serious injury.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, QVC, of West Chester, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 7,500 Enamel-coated 8-inch cast iron skillets. Small pieces of the enamel coating can pop off when the skillet is heated, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Jake's Fireworks Inc. and its affiliated companies, Far East Imports Inc. and Wholesale Fireworks Enterprises LLC, of Pittsburg, Kan., and Pacific Northwest Fireworks Inc. of Aberdeen, Wash., have agreed to pay a $100,000 civil penalty for importing consumer fireworks that failed to comply with federal fireworks regulations.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, General Wax & Candle Company, of North Hollywood, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 12,000 Silver Metallic Pillar Candles. The metallic paint on the candles can ignite, posing a risk of fire.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Target Corp., of Minneapolis, Minn., is voluntarily recalling 1,500 Circo Children's Space Camp Combo Pack. The floor of the tent failed a flammability test and poses a fire hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Meyer Corporation, U.S., of Vallejo, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 59,000 Rachael Ray™ Brand Two Quart Teakettle. Water heated in the teakettles can spill and spray while being poured, posing a burn hazard.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Winter Bee Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif., has agreed to a civil penalty of $200,000. The penalty settlement (pdf), which has been accepted provisionally by the Commission, provides that Winter Bee must pay $40,000 of the $200,000 penalty. The Commission agreed to suspend $160,000 of the penalty because the firm demonstrated an inability to pay the full amount. The full amount could become due immediately if CPSC finds that Winter Bee misrepresented its financial condition. The settlement resolves CPSC staff allegations that Winter Bee knowingly failed to report to CPSC immediately, as required by federal law, that children's hooded sweatshirts it manufactured and sold had drawstrings at the neck.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, American Tack & Hardware Co. Inc. (AmerTac), of Saddle River, N.J., is voluntarily recalling about 272,000 Forever-Glo® Cylinder Nite Lites. An electrical short circuit in the night light can cause it to overheat and smolder or melt which can burn consumers or result in a fire.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Learning Curve Brands Inc. d/b/a The First Years, of Oak Brook, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 41,300 Cabinet Locks. The installed latches can break and children could gain access to contents of a cabinet, posing the risk of exposure to hazardous items.

The winter holiday season has arrived, and as consumers prepare to make their homes merry and bright, CPSC is providing a holiday decorating guide to help prevent fires and injuries this season. The common-sense safety tips include simple steps, such as careful candle placement and inspection of holiday lights for damage.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Lowe's Home Centers, Inc., of Wilkesboro, N. C. and Lowe's HIW, Inc., of Tukwila, Wash. (Lowe's Stores), is voluntarily recalling about 6 million Roman shades and about 5 million roll-up blinds. The shades and blinds pose a strangulation risk to children.