Consumer Product Safety Commission

April 2000 Press Releases

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Graco Children's Products Inc., of Elverson, Pa., is providing new safety restraints for about 7 million infant swings made before November 1997. These new restraints will upgrade older swings. The restraint systems on the older swings consist of a waist belt only and a hinged or removable tray, which serves as a restraint. If parts are missing, the restraints are not used, or the tray pops off, infants can slip down into the seat and strangle or fall from the swing.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Proctor-Silex Inc., of Glen Allen, Va., is voluntarily recalling about 95,000 toasters. The heating elements in these toasters can remain on after the toast pops up. This poses a fire hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), John Deere Consumer Products Inc., of Charlotte, N.C., is voluntarily recalling about 200,000 Homelite(r) handheld power blowers/vacuums. The fuel line location can cause it to contact the edge of the engine shroud, causing the line to prematurely wear. This can result in a gasoline leak, presenting a fire hazard and causing burn injuries to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), American Honda Motor Co. Inc., of Torrance, Calif., is recalling about 112,000 lawnmowers. The lawnmowers' fuel tanks' seam can split or crack, leaking fuel, and creating a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), sports-related injuries to adults ages 35 to 54, today's baby boomers, increased by 33 percent from 1991 to 1998. To help reduce this increase, CPSC, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine are distributing a brochure, Boomeritis™, that describes the many injuries common to baby boomers and advises on ways to safely exercise to avoid many of these injuries.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Kmart Corp., of Troy Mich., is voluntarily recalling about 280,000 children's decorative lamps. The lamps can short circuit posing a fire hazard.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Fisher-Price, of East Aurora, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling two infant products. About 105,000 "3-in-1 Cradle Swings" with detachable carriers are being recalled, along with 235,000 "Bounce 'n Play Activity Domes."

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Toymax Inc., of Plainview, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling approximately 435,000 Arcadia Electronic Skeet Shoot games to replace the game cartridges. The skeet shoot games' cartridges can be defective, and can cause the projector to overheat, melt and smoke, presenting a risk of burns to consumers.

Boston Warehouse Trading Corp., of Norwood, Mass., is recalling about 1,800 folding wooden chairs.The screws holding the chair's front leg folding mechanism can work loose causing the chair to collapse, resulting in injury. Coast Electronics Supply, of Cerritos, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 18,000 AC converters that are used to convert overseas consumer products that run on 220 volts to American household current at 110 volts and vice-versa. The product presents an electrical shock hazard because the unplugged end of the cord is energized when the other end is plugged in.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), BISSELL® Homecare Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., is recalling about 207,000 PowerCleanTM and PureAirTM upright vacuum cleaners. The power cord insulation can tear where the cord attaches to the vacuum, exposing bare wires. This poses a risk of shock and burns to consumers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The Standard Mattress Co., of Hartford, Conn., is voluntarily recalling approximately 47,000 futons. Some of these futons may fail cigarette ignition resistance tests, in violation of the federal Flammable Fabrics Act, because the boric acid flame retardant inside the futons may not have been evenly disbursed. This could result in burn injuries, should one of these futons catch fire.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that The Standard Mattress Co., of Hartford, Conn., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $60,000. The civil penalty settles allegations that Standard violated the federal Flammable Fabrics Act by manufacturing futons that violated the Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Hasbro Inc., of Pawtucket, R.I., paid a $400,000 civil penalty to settle allegations that it violated the Consumer Product Safety Act by failing to timely report defects with its "PLAYSKOOL baby FOLD'N TRAVEL" infant carriers. Playskool Baby is a division of Hasbro.