Chain saws, appliances, electrical cords and strips present fire and safety hazards
The following items are being recalled in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Chain saws. Husqvarna Forest & Garden Co. (Charlotte, N.C.): some 277,000 chain saws. Reason: Heat from the saw`s muffler can melt the front hand guard if the removable exhaust deflector is not attached properly. The hand guard is designed to prevent contact with the chain and can manually activate the chain brake during a kickback. Reported incidents: one death in Canada and a serious hand injury after the base of the saw`s hand guard melted. Units involved: Models 42, 51, 55, 242, 254 with serial numbers beginning with 531 and below; Models 61 and 257 with serial numbers beginning with 324 and below. Contact: Ken Giles at the CPSC, (301) 504-0580, ext. 1184.
Appliances. Dehydrator. K-Tel International (USA) Inc. (Plymouth, Minn.): 75,000. Reason: Possible overheating, creating a fire hazard. Reported incidents: nine resulting in seven fires; one case of smoke inhalation. Units involved: Model 80043 Deluxe Dehydrator with fan–sold in retail stores and by telemarketers nationwide from Oct. 1993 to Dec. 1995. Contact: K-Tel at (800) 462-5292.
–Hand-held hair dryer. MBR Industries Inc. (Miami, Fla.): 55,000 sold under the name “Pomair.” Model: 600-53000; sold from May 1994 through Sept. 1996 in independent discount, hardware, and variety stores nationwide. Reasons: Thermostats could malfunction and cause the dryers to overheat; have ordinary plugs instead of ground fault circuit interrupters or other devices to prevent shocks; do not have a full immersion protection plug to protect against electrocution if they should fall into the water. Reported incidents: one incident in which the dryer overheated and caught fire while in use; no injuries were reported. Contact: MBR at (800) 325-0015.
–Hand-held hair dryer. Division Sales Inc. (Itasca, Ill.): about 8,000. Model: Professional Styler … HD-20; sold from Dec. 1994 through Feb. 1997 in independent discount and variety stores nationwide. Reason: Do not have ground fault circuit interrupter; can cause electrocution if dropped in water while the dryer is plugged in, whether in the “on” or “off” position. Contact: Division Sales at (800) 621-8134.
–Irons. Also MBR Industries: some 40,000 sold under brand name “Pomtrex.” Model: 600-00701; sold from Nov. 1994 through Sept. 1996 in independent discount, hardware, and variety stores nationwide. Reason: Thermostats could malfunction and cause overheating. Contact: MBR at (800) 325-0015.
Extension cords and power strip surge protectors. Chandur Hasso Inc. (New York, N.Y.): some 2,300 cords and 18,000 strip surge protectors. Reasons: fire (undersized wires, flammable plastic, faulty soldering, nonpolarized plug), shock, and electrocution hazards. Units involved: brown 12-foot extension cord–Model SS2104; sold from Feb. to Apr. 1996 by retailers in New York and Illinois, including Hyundai Electronics, Jack`s 99¢ Stores, Star Distributors, and Universal Electronics. Strip surge protector: Model SX-865; sold from Jan. 1995 to Oct. 1996 in discount and hardware stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. Contact: Chandur Hasso Inc. at (800) 451-4244; (212) 268-6265 in the New York metropolitan area.
–Eastern America Trio Products Inc. (Flushing, N.Y.), importer of TrisonicT extension cords and power strip surge protectors: more than 43,500 cords and more than 26,800 strips. Reason: fire (undersized wire incorrectly connected to the attachment plug, creating reverse polarity) and shock hazard. Models: TS-2512W 12-foot extension cord UL listed No. E109853; sold from Nov. 1993 through Nov. 1995 in discount and hardware stores nationwide; TS-2609 gray nine-foot air conditioner/appliance extension cord; sold from July 1994 through Nov. 1995 in discount and hardware stores nationwide; TS-1008 cream-color, eight-outlet power strip surge protector; sold from Jan. 1992 through Sept. 1995 in discount and hardware stores nationwide. Contact: Eastern America Trio Products Inc. at (800) 661-7146.
–Howard Berger Inc. (Brooklyn, NY), 30,000 power strip surge protectors. Reason: Undersized wires and loose connections; present fire, shock, and electrocution hazards. Silver label affixed to the bottom of the surge protector reads, “UL Listed 50E8.” Packaged in a clear plastic bag that has a label that reads in part, “Guard Security Hardware … Made in China.” Contact: Howard Berger Inc. at (800) 695-4827, (718) 272-1540). n
