Posts Tagged ‘consumer product safety commission’

IKEA Recalls Children’s Folding Tent Due to Laceration and Puncture Hazards

Monday, October 10th, 2011

The Consumer Product Safety Commision and Health Canada have issued a voluntary product recall of BUSA children’s folding tents, due to the risk of laceration and puncture hazards. This recall involves a cube-shaped children’s folding tent with model number 90192009. The brand name BUSA and IKEA and the model number are printed on a sewn-in label attached to an interior seam in the tent. The tent frame is made of flat steel wire and the tent material is pale green polyester fabric with turquoise, pink and white trim. The tent’s dimensions are: L 28 1/4, W 28 1/4, H 28 1/4.

If you or anyone you know has been hurt by this product, call us at 877 882 0095

For more information see: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12005.html

ShoulderFlex Massager by King International: Safety Communication – Risk of Strangulation

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

AUDIENCE: Physical Medicine, Orthopedics, Consumer

ISSUE: FDA notified health professionals and consumers of serious health risks posed by the ShoulderFlex Massager. FDA is aware of reports to the Consumer Product Safety Commission of one death and one near-strangulation associated with the ShoulderFlex Massager. These incidents occurred when a necklace and clothing became caught in a piece of the device that rotates during use. Two other reports involved clothing and hair became caught in the device.

BACKGROUND: The ShoulderFlex Massager, distributed by King International, is a personal massage device designed for home use to provide deep tissue massage to the neck, shoulder and back while the user lies on a flat surface. King International has distributed 11,934 devices since Oct. 18, 2003. The devices were sold at various stores and online retailers in the United States.

RECOMMENDATION: Do not use or recommend use of the ShoulderFlex Massager. Dispose of the device components separately so that the massager cannot be reassembled and used. The FDA is evaluating King International’s plan for recall of the ShoulderFlex Massager, which may lead to additional action or communication by the FDA or King International.

Prompt reporting of adverse events can help the FDA identify and better understand the risks associated with this product. Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

  • Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm1
  • Download form2 or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

If you or anyone you know was hurt by the ShoulderFlex Massager call us at: 888 442-2882

FirePot and gel-fueled burners

Monday, July 18th, 2011

Our Firm is currently investigating firepot and gel-fueled outdoor burners and the injuries they cause. If you or someone you know has been injured by one of these products, such as those manufactured by Napa Home & Garden, contact us today. Time is critical especially as Napa is taking steps to protect itself and limit the litigation brought against it. Call us today at 1.888.422.2882

RECALL ALERT: Gel Pots May Catch Fire

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Napa Home & Garden, a maker of pourable fuel gel for decorative firepots, is recalling about a half-million bottles and jugs of the fuel after learning of dozens of accidents.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office encourages consumers to stop using the product immediately. The pourable gel fuel can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when poured into a firepot that is still burning. The product was sold under the names NAPAfire and FIREGEL at retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Shopko and Amazon.com between December 2009 and June 2011.

Napa Home & Garden is offering full refunds to consumers who return all bottles or jugs to the retailer where the product was purchased. For additional information, call Napa Home & Garden at (888) 893-2323 or visit their website at www.napahomeandgarden.com.

Currently our office is investigating claims of gel fueled firepot accidents. Contact us today and let us help you or someone you know with your claim.

Contact Us Today if You Or Someone You Know Has Been Burned Or Injured From Pourable Gel Fuel

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2011
Release #11-255
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (888) 893-2323
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Napa Home & Garden Recalls NAPAfire and FIREGEL Pourable Gel Fuel Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Pourable NAPAfire and FIREGEL Gel Fuel bottles and jugs

Units: About 460,000 bottles and jugs

Distributor: Napa Home & Garden, of Duluth, Ga.

Hazard: The pourable gel fuel can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when it is poured into a firepot that is still burning. This hazard can occur if the consumer does not see the flame or is not aware that the firepot is still ignited. Fuel gel that splatters and ignites can pose fire and burn risks to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Napa is aware of 37 reports of incidents, including 23 burn injuries to consumers.

Description: The product is a clear, pourable gel fuel packaged in clear one-quart plastic bottles and one-gallon plastic jugs and sold in non-scented and citronella scents. The fuel is poured into a stainless steel cup in the center of firepots or other decorative lighting devices and ignited.

Sold at: Bed Bath & Beyond, Shopko, Restoration Hardware, specialty and gift shops, furniture stores, and home and garden stores nationwide, as well as through Amazon.com, home and garden catalogs, and home decorators and landscape architects between December 2009 and June 2011 for between $5 and $78.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the pourable gel fuel in firepots and return all bottles or jugs to the retailer where the consumer purchased the fuel for a full refund. A retrofit for the Napa brand firepots is being evaluated and may be available in the near future.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, call Napa Home & Garden at (888) 893-2323 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, visit Napa’s website at http://www.napahomeandgarden.com/ or write to Napa, 3270 Summit Ridge Parkway, Suite 240, Duluth, GA 30096-1617

Picture of recalled fuel bottles and jugs

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on www.saferproducts.gov

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: www.saferproducts.gov, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

CPSC launches investigation into firepot burn accidents

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

The Consumer Product Safety Commission launched an investigation into burn accidents related to gel fuel use in firepots, the organization said in a press release on June 14.

The CPSC warned consumers of the burn and poisoning accidents that can occur while adding gel fuel to firepots, patio torches, and other products.

The investigation, which is ongoing, comes in the wake of a number of reported burn accidents involving firepots. Last week, The New York Times reported about two separate incidents in New York that occurred on May 28 and June 3. In those incidents, products made by Georgia-based Napa Home & Garden caused severe burns to three individuals that left them hospitalized.

Following the news, The Times received reports about six other accidents that have occurred across the country since April 2010. In those accidents, eight individuals were burned by products made by either Napa Home & Garden or BirdBrain, according to The Times.

Napa Home & Garden last Friday asked Bed Bath and Beyond, its biggest retailer, to stop selling its products for the time being. On Monday, the company issued a press release announcing it had put a “precautionary hold” on sale of its products while while it reaffirms both their safety and the adequacy of their warning labels.

But Don Mays, our Senior Director of Product Safety, said that warning labels may not be the answer here. “The product should not result in explosions and severe burns in the event that the warning labels are not read or heeded,” he said.

The CPSC warned against adding fuel to open flames and hot candles, saying it could cause fuel splattering or uncontrolled fires. Instead, the agency recommended adding fuel only when flames are extinguished and the product is cool to the touch.

The CPSC also recommended that consumers keep the gel fuel secured and out of the reach of children because most gel fuels consist of petroleum distillates, a specific class of hydrocarbon chemicals. If ingested, hydrocarbon chemicals can cause chemical pneumonia, pulmonary edema, or death, the press release said. It’s also important to replace the child-resistant cap after use.

Consumer Reports Story Here

If You Or Someone You Know Has Been Injured By An Exploding Firepot Contact Us Today. We Are Exploding Ceramic Firepot and Gel Fuel Attorneys

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

A number of companies such as Napa Home & Garden are involved in both recalls of their firepots and gels as well as lawsuits resulting from product defects and malfunctions of their products. These products came to the market around 2008 and more than 500,000 have been recalled. Since their debut there have been 37 reported incidents of firepots exploding and 23 burn injuries. When the firepots explode, the gel fuel acts like napalm and causes severe burns. The attorneys of Bunch and James have been investigating these cases and are here to help you with any incident you or someone you know may have had.

Exploding firepots are ceramic firepots filled with either a scent-free or citronella pourable gel in order to ward off insects. The clear, pourable gel fuel is packaged in clear one-quart plastic bottles and one-gallon plastic jugs. The fuel gel is poured into a stainless steel cup in the center of the firepot or other decorative lighting device and ignited. Under certain conditions, the firepots explode and the blazing jellylike pourable gel explodes like a Molotov cocktail. Napa Home & Garden exploding clay firepots, Fuel Barons’ exploding fuel gel, and BirdBrain’s exploding firepots cause serious second- and third-degree burns to those near the exploding ceramic firepots.

Why You May Have A Case

The firepot explosions occur when victims add more fuel to the ceramic or clay pots when a small to invisible flame is still burning. The warning labels affixed to the product are on the outer wrapping of the packaging and are often immediately thrown away at a time after the initial setup  when refilling the firepot is far from the mind of consumers. Exploding firepot lawyers and we here at Bunch and James believe that the warning and packaging of these products is inadequate to warn consumers, resulting in manufacturers of these firepots and gel fuels being liable to the victims of these products for their injuries.

On June 22, 2011, the CPSC announced a pourable gel fuel recall of the Pourable NAPAfire and FIREGEL Gel Fuel bottles and jugs, to reduce the risk of serious burns caused by the exploding ceramic gel pots going forward. Retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Shopko, Restoration Hardware, will no longer sell the exploding firepots. Currently only refunds and returns are offered for these products, but compensation for injuries suffered as a result of these products is only available through a lawsuit with the company. Bunch and James is currently involved in exploding firepot litigation and case evaluations and invites you to contact us today for more information and a no obligation case evaluation. If you or a loved one has used a pourable exploding firepot or firegel gel fuel and suffered injury, contact us today. Toll-Free: (888) 422-2882 Tel: (256) 764-0095 Fax: (256) 767-5705

Gov’t warns firepots can flare dangerously

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
(AP)  WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s patio season, and the government is warning about outdoor ceramic pots known as firepots, following two serious burn accidents in New York.

The warning Tuesday from the agency that regulates thousands of consumer products comes after reports of two incidents in the last few weeks in which firepots exploded in flames as someone was pouring a gel-like fuel into them. Both victims, a teenager and a man in his 20s, suffered serious injuries.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s warning also cautions about tiki torches and the fuels used in them.

“CPSC staff want all consumers to stay safe this summer by never pouring the fuel into an already lit firepot or tiki torch,” said Scott Wolfson, chief spokesman at the safety commission.

The commission said it has received at least eight reports of injuries or damage from firepots or fuel gel since April 2010.

CPSC also urged consumers to take extra precaution when storing the fuels for the pots and torches to ensure they are out of the reach of children.

The accounts of the two firepot accidents in New York were first reported by The New York Times, which said both incidents involved pots and a jellylike fuel from Napa Home & Garden Inc.

The Atlanta-based company said in a statement that it has issued a “precautionary hold” on sales of its firepots and gel fuel in response. It added: “We have sold tens of thousands of Fire Burners and fuel during the last two years and have always considered them safe products.”

Bed Bath & Beyond also said Tuesday that it has instructed its stores nationwide to suspend selling the ceramic pots and fire gel fuel as it investigates the products.

Contact us Today if you or someone you know has been injured by an exploding firepot or a gel fuel flare up.

Canadian Consumers Warned About Dangers Associated With Firepots and Gel Fuels as Awareness Spreads

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

The fire gel and fire pot recalls and warnings have reached consumers in Canada as consumers continue to be injured by exploding pots and flaring gel fuel. From Marketwire:

The issue:

Pourable gel fuels can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when they are poured into a firepot that is still burning or still hot. Gel fuels that splatter and ignite can pose fire and burn risks to consumers.

Who is affected:

Consumers who have purchased pourable gel fuels for firepots are affected. These products may pose flammability and burn hazards to both children and adults.

Full Story Here

What consumers should do

  • Consumers should read all labels on fuel reservoirs and fuel bottles and be aware of the hazards posed by gel fuels.
  • Any product containing liquid or gel fuels should be kept out of reach of young children and locked out of sight when not in use.
  • Never burn firepots on or near anything that can catch fire. Always completely extinguish firepot flame and never leave unattended. Never add gel fuel to an open fire or flame. Be certain that the flame is out by allowing the product to cool completely before refilling. Keep gel fuels away from any flame, pilot light, or other object that can create a spark.

Full Story Here

If you or someone you know have been injured by a ceramic fire pot or gel fuel, contact us today to talk about your case.

Robes Recalled (Blair LLC)

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Blair Chenille Robes Are Catching Fire and Killing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Blair LLC, of Warren, Pa., are re-announcing the voluntary recall by Blair of 162,000 women’s full length Chenille Robes. Since the recall was originally announced in April 2009, Blair has received reports of six deaths due to the robes catching on fire. Five of the six victims were female, and all five were cooking at the time of the incidents. Three of the victims were in their 80s.

CPSC and Blair announced the recall for the robes after Blair learned of three robes catching on fire, including one report of second-degree burns. Blair was subsequently made aware of the fatalities after the recall was announced and after Blair had sent letters of the recall to consumers who purchased the robes.

Our offices are currently looking into these truly tragic events. If you or one of your loved ones has been affected by Blair Chenille Robes, contact us today.

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