Products recalled to avert fire and injuries
The following products may pose fire or personal-injury hazards for their users, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Hitachi Koki (Norcross, Georgia) U. S. A. Ltd. 9.6-volt battery packs on Cordless Drills; 20,000 drills affected. The battery could overheat and melt while being recharged. Identification on drill stickers reads in part: “HITACHI FDS 10DVA 9.6V.” Consumers should stop using the drills and call Hitachi at (800) 706-7337.
Leon Korol Company (Elk Grove Village, Illinois) electric irons. Five thousand irons are involved. The thermostat does not have a backup protective device to prevent overheating; in one case, an iron caught fire while in the “OFF” position. The affected model is “YPZ-100” (on a sticker on the back of the iron.) The iron was sold at discount stores from December 1995 through February 1996. For additional information, call Koral at (888) 798-2004.
Petroleum Packers Inc. (Tampa, Florida) XCEL Windshield Washer Fluid. Some 4,000 units are involved. The product contains methyl alcohol, and the bottles are not labeled with the necessary warnings, precautionary measures, chemical identification, and instructions for first aid required by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. The product was sold at various stores in the Southeast during Fall and Winter 1996. The product should be returned to the store where it was purchased for a refund. For additional information, call Petroleum Packers at (800) 231-3133. The fluid sold in bottles with red closures does not contain methyl alcohol and is not involved in the recall.
T-Fal Corp.( Pine Brook, N.J.) deep fryers with fixed pots. Some 29,000 are involved. They can overheat and present a risk of burn injuries. There have been 25 reports of overheating, in which the units` bases began to melt. Some countertops were damaged. The models affected are 3350 (manufactured during weeks 22 through 30 of 1996), 3358 (manufactured during week 45 of 1996), and 3360 (manufactured during weeks 26 and 46 of 1996). The model number and date of manufacture are printed on a silver label affixed to the unit base. For additional information, call T-Fal at (888) 397-6535.
NuTone Inc. (Cincinnati, Ohio) wall-mounted ST-1000 stereo receivers, sold as part of a stereo-cassette player. The units are susceptible to overheating. The company will pay a civil penalty of $110,000 to settle allegations that it violated the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Act by failing to report defects associated with its stereo receivers. NuTone received 12 reports that the power supply boards of units purchased before December 1995 overheated or melted, causing fire or smoke damage. About 25,000 receivers were sold between 1993 and 1995. NuTone denies that the receivers were defective or unreasonably dangerous and that it knowingly violated the reporting requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Act. n
