U.S. Launches Roundup of Hazardous Products

By KATHY M. KRISTOF

March 30, 1999 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Millions of dangerous products--ranging from toasters that can burst into flame to playpens that can choke toddlers--remain in consumer homes despite product recalls, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is holding a nationwide series of news conferences today to alert consumers to the risks.

“We can get dangerous products off store shelves, but the real challenge is to get them out of families’ homes,” Ann Brown, chairman of the CPSC, said in a statement.

Launching a nationwide hazardous-product roundup today, the commission will announce that it is looking for dozens of items, 88.4 million units of which were sold before being recalled in recent years because of dangers they pose to adults and children.

Although no one knows how many of these products remain in consumer hands, only about half of all recalled consumer items are generally turned in for replacement or repair, according to a study completed last year. That means that about 40 million dangerous products could still be circulating.

Among the dangerous items cited by the commission:

* Portable playpens with rotating hinges, more than 1 million of which were sold in the early 1990s. Thirteen children died after being trapped when the playpens collapsed, authorities said. All such playpens and play yards--made by Kolcraft, Playskool, Evenflo, Century Products, Home & Roam, Baby Express, Baby Trend and Draco--have been recalled, and a series of alerts have urged consumers to return, repair or destroy them.

* Protruding rivets in playpens made by Bilt-Rite, Evenflo, Gerry, Graco, Kolcraft, Playskool, Pride-Trimble and Strolee. The rivets have contributed to eight strangulation deaths when children’s clothes or pacifier strings caught on them, according to the commission. About 9.6 million of the playpens were sold.

* About 40 million halogen torchier floor lamps, sold before manufacturers learned that the product presents serious fire risks, that have caused an estimated 12 deaths. The industry has been providing repair kits since the product was recalled in 1997.

* Mini-hammocks that do not have spreader bars. These hammocks were manufactured overseas by a variety of companies and have been blamed for 12 children’s deaths. Roughly 3 million of these hammocks were sold. It is unclear how many have been destroyed per instructions in a recall last year.

* Cedar chests made by Lane Furniture Co. of Alta Vista, Va., between 1912 and 1987 were involved in six suffocation deaths when children hid in the chests and became trapped. Lane, which has sold 12 million of the chests, offers replacement locks to consumers via a toll-free hotline at (888) 856-8758.

* Battery-powered ride-on vehicles made by Power Wheels, a division of Fisher-Price, before October 1998 may overheat and cause fires. About 150 fires and nine burns have been blamed on the products, which sold 10 million units.

* Evenflo’s On My Way infant car seat and carrier, which has a red push-button handle latch, can unexpectedly release, throwing infants to the ground. The seat, which sold 800,000 units and caused 89 injuries, according to the agency, has been under recall since early last year.

* Two infant swings, which have caused three deaths and 44 injuries, and toy basketball nets that pose choking risks, are also targeted in the recall sweep.

“The main thing that people need to understand is that although these items have been recalled in the past, they are still floating around in the community,” said Pastor Herrera Jr., director of the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs. “Some people are buying them at swap meets and garage sales because they’re unaware of the risks.”

Whether consumers purchased the product new or used, the solutions are the same: In most cases, manufacturers will repair or replace the product for free.

In some cases, they will refund the consumer’s purchase price or offer a “reward” for the return of the product.

Only a handful of products must be destroyed with no compensation to the consumer. In those instances, the manufacturers are either not known or are out of business.

All of the existing manufacturers offer phone numbers--most of them toll-free--that consumers can call for more information.

Consumers can also get information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission at (800) 638-2772 or from the CPSC Web site at https://www.cpsc.gov. To receive a list of major recalls and contact numbers by mail, send a postcard to Recall List, CPSC, Washington, DC 20207.

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Recalls: Renewing the Call

A look at some of the items that have remained in homes despite recalls, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

* Playpens with protruding rivets by Bilt-Rite, Evenflo, Gerry, Graco, Kolcraft, Playskool, Pride-Trimble, Strolee.

Strangulation risk; 8 deaths.

Repair kit or refund; call (800) 794-4115.

* Ride-on battery-powered vehicles built before October 1998 by Power Wheels, Fisher-Price.

Fire risk; 150 fires, 9 burns.

Repair kit; call (800) 977-7800.

* Horizontal (under-cabinet) toaster oven by Black & Decker model T1000 Type 1.

Fire risk; 1,066 fires; 8 burns

Replacement product; call (800) 746-2159.

* Infant car seat/carrier by Evenflo, On My Way models 207 and 492 made before July 27, 1997.

Injury risk; 89 injuries.

Repair; call (800) 203-2138.

* Mini-hammocks without spreader bars (various brands)

Strangulation risk; 12 deaths.

Destroy or return to retailer where purchased.

* Portable cribs w/rotating top rail by Kolcraft, Playskool Travel-Lite, models 77101 and 77103.

May collapse.

$120 reward; call (800) 453-7673.

* Portable play yards w/rotating top rail hinges by Evenflo (Happy Camper, Happy Cabana and Kiddie Camper), Century Products (models 10-710 and 10-810) and Draco/All Our Kids (models 742 and 762).

May collapse if hinges are not fully rotated.

Repair kit or hinge covers; call Evenflo at (800) 447-9178, Century at (800) 541-0264; destroy Draco products (firm out of business).

* Portable cribs/playpens made before 1995 by Home & Roam, Baby Express Baby Trend.

May collapse.

Repair; call (800) 328-7363.

* Halogen torchier floor lamps manufactured before Feb. 5, 1997.

Fire hazard; 12 deaths.

In-home repair; call (800) 985-2220.

* Bunk beds by Fine Pine, New England Woodcraft, JIM Manufacturing, IEM Furniture, Padilla’s Furniture.

Children may become trapped in space in top bunk; 39 deaths with similar beds (not these).

Retrofit kit; call Fine Pine at (800) 874-5737, New England at (802) 247-8211, JIM at (800) 989-6141, IEM at (800) 869-1688, Padilla’s at (323) 232-2310.

* Bunk bed by Lexington Furniture.

If misassembled, large gap can trap; 1 report (no injury).

Modification kit; call (888) 463-0111.

* Cedar chests made between 1912 and 1989 by Lane Furniture.

Suffocation risk; 6 deaths.

Replacement locks; call (888) 856-8758.

* Toy basketball nets by Ohio Art, Little Tikes, Today’s Kids, Fisher-Price.

Strangulation risk; 1 death.

Repair, call Ohio Art at (800) 641-6226, Little Tikes at (888) 848-4537, Today’s Kids at (800) 258-8697, Fisher-Price at (888) 229-4555

* Infant swings by Quiet Time, models 08-975 and 08-977, made before October 1995.

Risk of fall; 44 injuries.

Repair kit; call (800) 221-6736.