Recalls in January 1970

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2000 -- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Ace Hardware Corp. is recalling about 87,000 vinyl window blinds. The blinds contain lead exceeding government guidelines, and do not have required labeling warning they contain lead.

Over time, vinyl deteriorates from exposure to sunlight and heat, forming lead dust on the surface of the blind. Young children can ingest lead by wiping their hands on the blinds and then putting their hands in their mouths. Lead poisoning in children is associated with behavioral problems, learning disabilities, hearing problems and growth retardation.

CPSC and Ace Hardware are not aware of any lead poisonings involving these window blinds. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of lead poisonings.

The recalled vinyl blinds are white miniblinds and woodgrain roll- up blinds. Sizes of the blinds range from 23-inches wide by 42-inches long to 72-inches wide by 120-inches long. Writing on the label of the white miniblinds reads "Safe Nonleaded Vinyl Formulation." Writing on the label of both blinds reads "MANUFACTURED IN THAILAND FOR ACE HARDWARE CORP."

Ace Hardware and other hardware stores nationwide sold the window blinds from August 1999 through May 2000 for between $6 and $27.

Consumers should remove the window blinds from windows and keep them away from children. Consumers can return the window blinds to the store where they were purchased for a refund. For more information, call Ace Hardware Corp. toll-free at (877) 223-4391 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2001 -- Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn., is voluntarily recalling about 12,000 all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Screws in the ATV's manual transmission can loosen, causing the rear wheels to lock. This can cause the driver to lose control of the ATV and crash, possibly resulting in injury or death.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

CPSC and Polaris Industries have received reports of seven incidents. Three resulted in accidents involving injuries when the transmissions failed on the ATVs. The accidents resulted in injuries that involved multiple broken bones, internal injuries, abrasions and bruises.

The recalled ATVs are the 2000, 2001 and 2002 model year "Xpedition 425" with 5-speed manual transmissions. The ATVs are either red or a tan metallic, and have "Xpedition 425" and "Polaris" written on both sides of the bodywork. On the left-hand side of the ATV on the clutch cover, near the footrest, appear the words "5-Speed".

Polaris dealers sold these ATVs nationwide from February 1999 through October 2001 for about $6,300.

Consumers should stop using these ATVs immediately and contact their local Polaris dealer to schedule a free repair. Consumers also can call Polaris Industries toll-free at (800) 765-2747 between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. ET Monday through Friday and between 8 a.m. and 12 midnight on weekends, or log on to the company's website at www.polarisindustries.com.

Polaris ATVs with automatic transmissions (belt drive) and Xpedition 325 ATVs are not included in this recall.

Purchasers were sent direct mail notification of this recall.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2001 -- Ceraflame Inc. is recalling about 3,000 ceramic tea kettles. The tea kettles can break or burst during use, spilling hot water, which poses the risk of burn injuries to consumers.

Ceraflame Inc. has received six reports of tea kettles breaking, though no injuries have been reported.

The Ceraflame Ceramic Stove Top Tea Kettles are made of ceramic and are glazed black. The tea kettles have either a brown wooden handle, or a ceramic handle of a similar color to the kettle. The kettles have the words "Ceraflame" and "Made in Brazil" stamped on the bottom.

Gourmet stores and specialty catalogs sold these tea kettles nationwide from October 2000 through October 2001 for between $60 and $70.

Consumers should stop using these tea kettles immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund or free replacement. Consumers also can return the kettles by calling Ceraflame toll-free at (888) 679-5060 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or by e-mailing the company at info@ceraflame.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Tea kettles purchased at Bloomingdales stores or on QVC are not involved in this recall.

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2001 -- Unilever Home and Personal Care USA is voluntarily recalling about 150,000 Snuggle Teeny Bean Bears with a nightcap and pom-pom. The yellow pom-pom can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Unilever Home and Personal Care USA has received one report of an infant who put the pom-pom in his mouth, gagged and began to choke before his mother removed the pom-pom.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The bear was included as a promotional item in Snuggle, Cuddle Up, Fresh RainTM, and Sweet SlumberTM fabric softener products sold in twin packs. Each twin pack contains a bottle of liquid fabric softener and a box of softener sheets along with the bear. The bean bear is 5 inches tall and wears a blue nightcap with a yellow moon and star design. At the end of the nightcap is a yellow pom-pom. A label on the bear reads in part "2001 Lever Brothers Company, Made In China."

Wal-Mart Stores nationwide sold the twin packs containing the bear with the pom-pom on the cap from March 2001 through April 2001 for between $7 and $8.

Consumers should immediately remove the bear's pom-pom to eliminate the choking hazard. For additional information, consumers can contact Snuggle at (800)-598-5005 between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's web site at www.Snuggletime.com.

No other Snuggle bears are included.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2002 -- Pottery Barn is voluntarily recalling about 11,500 Halloween tree tea-light candleholders. There have been reports that some tea-light candles burning in the candleholder could flare up, posing a fire hazard and a risk of burn injuries to consumers.

Pottery Barn has received 10 reports of candles in the candleholder flaring. One consumer reported receiving a minor burn from the candle wax.

The black wire "Scary Tree Tea-Light Holder" is about 18-inches high. The tree branches hold six tea-light candles in orange glass pots. The candleholder is made in China.

Pottery Barn stores, web site and catalogs sold the candleholders nationwide from August 2002 through early October 2002 for about $29.

Consumers should immediately stop using the candleholders, and return them to the store where purchased for a refund or exchange. Consumers who purchased the candleholder from the catalog or web site should call to arrange product return and refund, including the cost of postage. For more information, consumers should call Pottery Barn toll- free at (800) 699-0449 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Saturday.

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2002 -- Jade Products Inc. is voluntarily recalling to repair about 7,200 Dynasty gas ranges. The ranges could tip over if a heavy weight is placed on an open oven door, posing a risk of burn injuries from hot food or liquids in cooking containers.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Producer Safety Commission (CPSC).

The Dynasty gas ranges included in this program are all 30, 36, and 48-inch units with the model number DGRSC. The model number is located on the serial plate that is accessed by lifting the right hand cooking module from the range top. The brand name "Dynasty" appears on the front of the range.

Appliance and retail stores nationwide sold these ranges from January 1996 through December 2001 for between $3,000 and $7,400.

Consumers may continue to use the ranges but are cautioned not to place any objects on the open oven door until an anti-tip bracket has been installed. Consumers should call Jade Products toll-free at (888) 607-5694 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to arrange for free installation of an anti-tip bracket.

The installation of the anti-tip brackets will bring the recalled ranges into compliance with the stability test requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z21.1 Standard for Household Gas Cooking Appliances.

Some of these ranges were also involved in a separate March 2001 recall to repair a delayed gas ignition defect.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2002 -- STK International Inc. will pay $270,000 in civil and criminal penalties for importing and selling dangerous childrens toys. It's the first time a company has had to pay both civil and criminal penalties in a toy safety case brought by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

STK must pay a $120,000 criminal penalty and the company and its President Stuart T. Kole must collectively pay a $150,000 civil penalty. Additionally, STK, Kole, and other officials of STK are enjoined from violating CPSCs toy and art material regulations and must comply with an injunction mandating that the companys toys are tested before importation.

The combined fine is the largest ever to be imposed against a company that violated the small parts requirement. This requirement is aimed at protecting young children from toys that could present a choking or aspiration hazard. This case also represents the first time both civil and criminal fines were levied against a company for toy-related violations.

"CPSC has a vigorous nationwide program that detects and catches repeat offenders of federal safety laws," said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. "Working closely with our partners at the Justice Department and the U.S. Customs Service, we want to send a clear message to toy importers: there will be consequences for those who bring unsafe products into our country."

This is the second fine imposed on STK, which is a general merchandise importer, in the past five years. In May 1997, STK was ordered by CPSC to pay an $80,000 civil penalty for importing and selling over 90,000 toys and art materials that violated the small parts and labeling laws, respectively.

Through continued monitoring of STKs imports and retail surveillance between June 1997 and July 2002, CPSC determined that Kole and the company committed additional violations of the ban on small parts for childrens toys and labeling and testing requirements for art materials. This led CPSC and the Department of Justice to bring 12 criminal misdemeanor counts against the company, along with civil charges against STK and Kole for importing and selling banned and misbranded hazardous substances.

In addition to the payment of the penalties, STK and Kole must abide by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), including the FHSA provisions for childrens toys and art materials. The company must also ensure that independent age grading and small-parts testing are conducted prior to importation, if the toys are age-graded for children under 3.

The civil penalty against STK is the result of the importation and sale of clock tambourines, which were recalled in November 1997; wind-up helicopters; pencil sets; and various other toys, games, and art materials.

The criminal fine stems from the companys importation of 110,000 childrens toys that CPSC recalled in August 2001. Dollar stores nationwide sold the toys, which can break, releasing small parts that pose a choking hazard to young children. The toys included a "2 Piece Tambourine Set," "Bathtime Water Wheel," "Funny Loco Wind-Up," and the "Pull Back Duck in Boat." Consumers should take the toys away from children immediately, and return them to STK International for a full refund. Consumers should call STK International toll-free at (800) 536-7855 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday for information about where to send the toys.

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2001 -- Vermont Castings, Majestic Products (VCMP), of Ontario, Canada, is recalling about 3,900 space heaters. Overheating inside the space heaters can cause the exterior to become extremely hot, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

VCMP has received three reports of the space heaters overheating, resulting in scorched floors and wall coverings. No injuries have been reported.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The recalled heaters are white with a silver grill cover. The vent-less heaters have the name "Vermont Castings" on the label directly below the grill. The heater model numbers start with the letters VBVH or VPVH and can be found on a rating plate on the left side of the heater. Independent retailers in the southeastern U.S. sold these recalled heaters from August 2000 to January 2001 for $200 to $400.

Consumers should stop using the heaters immediately and call VCMP toll-free at (866) 757-6649 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, to receive a free replacement heater or refund.

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2002 -- Spin Master Toys is voluntarily recalling about 137,000 Firestormer and Skyblazer toy planes. The plastic air intake chamber of the air-powered toy planes can burst, throwing plastic pieces, posing a laceration, bruise and abrasion hazard to consumers.

Spin Master Toys has received seven reports of Firestormer planes bursting, including four reports of injuries to children. Injuries included one chest abrasion, a cut leg, a bruised shoulder and ringing in the ears. There have been no reports involving the Skyblazer planes.

The recalled Firestormer plane is either red or blue in color with a flame graphic across the body and "Firestormer" printed on the wings of the plane. The Skyblazer plane is purple, green and white in color and has "Skyblazer" printed on the wings of the plane.

The toys use a hand pump mechanism to compress air to make the plane fly. Both planes are recommended for children 8 years old and over. The planes have an 8- digit date code on the bottom of the pump. The date code reads MM/DD/YY-KS. Only planes with date codes 12/29/01-KS through 03/24/02-KS are included in the recall. "Made In China" is written on the bottom of the pump below the date code. Planes manufactured before December 29, 2001 and after March 24, 2002 are not included in this recall.

Hobby shops and department stores nationwide, including Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Target and K-mart sold these planes between January 2002 and May 20, 2002 for about $20.

Consumers should stop using the planes immediately and contact Spin Master Toys at (800) 622-8339 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to receive a free replacement plane. Consumers also can visit the firm's web site at www.spinmaster.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2000 -- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Tim Hortons, a chain of coffeeshops operated by the TDL Group Ltd., of Ontario, Canada, is recalling about 31,000 coffeemakers sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The coffeepot's handle can break, causing the pot to fall. Consumers can suffer burn injuries from hot coffee or lacerations from broken glass.

Tim Hortons has received 150 reports of handles breaking off of the coffeepots, resulting in nine burn injuries.

The recalled coffeemaker is made of black plastic. The coffeepot is made of glass with a black plastic handle. The top of the handle has a red thumbrest. Measurement units on the pot are "24 oz/682 mL" and "48oz/1363 mL." "Tim Hortons" is on the coffeemaker and the coffeepot.

Tim Hortons coffeeshops in Kentucky, Ohio, Maine, Michigan, New York and West Virginia sold the coffeemakers from October 1999 through February 2000 for about $65.

Consumers should stop using the coffeepots immediately. Consumers should contact Tim Hortons for instructions on receiving a replacement coffeepot and $5 gift certificate. Call Tim Hortons toll-free at (888) 273-9846 (BREWTIM) between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or access their web site at www.timhortons.com.

Tim Hortons coffeemakers that are made of white plastic are not part of this recall.

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2000 -- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The Promotional Resources Group of Companies Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 105,000 Bug Zapper toys. The balloon tongue on the toy can detach, posing a choking and aspiration hazard to young children.

The Promotional Resources Group has received one report of the balloon tongue detaching from the toy. A 3-year-old boy reportedly removed the balloon tongue, placed it in his nose and inhaled it into his sinus cavity. He required medical treatment to remove the part from his nose.

The Bug Zapper toy comes in two different styles: a frog and a lizard. When the toy is squeezed, the balloon tongue of the toy rolls out from the mouth about 2 inches. They toys were mainly orange, green and purple. "CHINA" is molded into the toy.

Fast food, drive-in and small franchise restaurants distributed these toys with children's meal from November 1998 through April 2000.

Consumers should immediately take these toys from young children, and return the toy to the restaurant where the children's meal was purchased for a free replacement toy. Consumers also can receive a free replacement toy directly from the company. For more information, contact The Promotional Resources Group at (800) 467-4712 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. Consumers also can e-mail for a free replacement at info@kidstuffnet.com.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2001 -- Manley Toy Direct is voluntarily recalling about 15,800 Zapper toys. The balloon tongues and the cylinders holding the tongues on these toys can detach, posing a choking and aspiration hazard to young children.

The Promotional Resources Group of Companies Inc., of Topeka, Kan., previously recalled about 105,000 Bug Zapper toys on June 6, 2000. That company received a report of a 3-year-old boy who inhaled a balloon tongue that detached from a Zapper toy into his sinus cavity. He required medical treatment to remove the part from his nose. Additionally, eight firms recalled about 835,000 Zapper toys on March 19, 2001.

The vinyl Zapper toys are about 2- to 3-inches long, and come in the shape of various animals including frogs, dinosaurs and snakes. When the toy is squeezed, the balloon tongue attached to its mouth inflates or rolls out. "CHINA" or "MADE IN CHINA" is molded into the toy.

Arcades, amusement parks and carnivals sold and distributed these toys from January 2000 through August 2001. They were sold for about $1.

Consumers should immediately take these toys away from young children and return the toy to the place of purchase for a refund, or throw them away. For more information, contact Manley Toy Direct at (800) 767-9998 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday to Friday, or go to the firm's web site at www.manleytoy.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2000 -- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dolgencorp is voluntarily recalling about 113,000 toy xylophones. The red mallet sold with the toy xylophone can get lodged in the throats of young children, posing a choking hazard.

CPSC and Dolgencorp Inc. are not aware of any injuries involving these toy xylophones. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injury.

The toy xylophone is white, rectangular-shaped with a green handle and multi-colored bars including, red, yellow, green and blue. A yellow button shaped like the face of a cat is on the front of the xylophone. The mallet sold with the xylophone is red with two round balls at either end of the mallet. Writing on the box reads, "BABY TOYS XYLOPHONE, TO HELP BABY LEARN AND DEVELOP, and MADE IN CHINA."

Dollar General stores nationwide sold these toy xylophones from July 1998 through October 2000 for $3.

Consumers should immediately take this toy away from children and return it to their local Dollar General store for a full refund. For more information, call Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2002 -- Jason International Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 800 Jason AirMasseur and Air Whirlpool Baths. Air baths release heated bubbles into the water. A heating element on these baths can fail to shut off, posing a fire hazard.

Jason has received one report of a fire involving one of these baths, which resulted in minor damage. No injuries have been reported.

The baths were sold under the brand name Jason AirMasseur and Air-Whirlpool Baths, which is written on the bath's control keypad. They have a serial number located on the underside of the bath that can be viewed by removing the equipment access panel. Consumers must check with the firm to determine if their bath is included in the recall.

Plumbing distributors and kitchen and bath showrooms sold these baths nationwide from January 2002 through September 2002 for about $3,000.

Consumers should check their bath's serial number and call to determine if their bath is part of the recall. They should call the Jason Technical Service Department at (800) 255-5766 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's web site at www.jasoninternational.com.

If a bath is included in the recall, consumers should disconnect the electrical supply to their bath by unplugging the equipment or by switching off the circuit breaker immediately, and schedule an appointment for a free repair.

In shallow water, children can fall or land on a dive stick and suffer rectal or vaginal impalement. Facial and eye injuries also are possible when children attempt to retrieve the sticks under water. According to CPSC Chairman Ann Brown, these dives sticks are dangerous and should not be used.

CPSC knows of six impalement injuries and one facial injury to children 6 to 9 years old. Although the number of reported incidents is relatively low, the severity of the injuries that have occurred is very significant. Three of the children suffered rectal and three suffered vaginal impalements from dive sticks placed in backyard pools or, in one case, a hot tub.

In four of the six incidents, the injuries that occurred required surgery and hospitalization. The facial injury occurred when a child bobbed down to retrieve a dive stick and lacerated her face just below her eye, requiring stitches.

The dive sticks being recalled are hard plastic and are either cylinder-shaped or shark-shaped. When dropped into water, the dive sticks sink to the bottom of a pool and stand upright so that children can swim or dive down and retrieve them.

The cylinder-shaped plastic sticks measure about 4 to 8 inches long and about 1 inch or less in diameter. The shark-shaped plastic sticks measure about 7 inches long and have an egg-shaped bottom. The sticks come in a variety of colors. Most are packaged in kits of three to six sticks, and some are packaged with other pool diving games.

These dive sticks have been sold at grocery, drug, pool and discount department stores nationwide for about $4 to $7 per set under numerous brand names, most of which do not appear on the dive stick itself. Consumers should stop using dive sticks immediately and throw them out.

Depending on the sticks owned, consumers can receive a refund, replacement or repair.

CPSC urges anyone who is aware of injuries with dive sticks or who has questions about the recall to call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772.

The CPSC staff is recommending to the Commission that it ban the future production and importation of these products.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2002 -- Oriental International Trading Company, of Los Angeles, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 3,500 baby walkers. The walkers will fit through a standard doorway and are not designed to stop at the edge of a step. Babies using these walkers can be seriously injured or killed if they fall down stairs.

Oriental International Trading has not received any reports of injuries involving these walkers. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injury.

This recall includes the "Honey" model baby walker. The walkers are intended for a baby 5 months and older. They were sold in blue, yellow or pink with a padded seat and an activity tray. Model numbers included in the recall are 820, 860, 862 and 802. The model numbers are printed on the seat backs. A warning label on the walker reads in part, "WARNING: Suitable for babies between five and ten months old."

Independent discount stores located in Arizona, California, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina and New York sold these baby walkers from May 2001 through June 2002 for between $18 and $22.

Consumers should stop using these walkers immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund. For more information, consumers can contact Oriental International Trading Company at (866) 666-9868 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday. Consumers can also visit the firm's web site at www.bike-stroller.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

CPSC worked with industry to revise the voluntary standard for baby walkers to address injuries from falls down stairs. The revised standard was published in 1997. Children falling down stairs in walkers have accounted for most baby walker-related injuries. New walkers that meet the voluntary standard have special features that stop the walker at the top step. Baby walker-related injuries to children under 15 months old have declined over 60 percent from an estimated 20,100 in 1995 to 7400 in 2000.

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2002 -- Leiner Health Products is voluntarily recalling about 14,000 bottles of dietary supplements containing iron. The supplements being recalled are not packaged in child-resistant packaging as required under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. If ingested by children, these iron-containing supplements can cause serious injury or death.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC and Leiner have not received any reports of injuries involving these products. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injuries.

The product included in the recall is "Nature's Valley, Women's Formula Multivitamin." The supplement was sold in a brown plastic bottle with a light yellow label. The bottles have UPC code "41163 27006" located on the back of the bottle The recalled product is packaged in containers of 60-tablets and have green screw-on caps.

Only bottles with lot numbers IFA2750 and IFA2751 are included in the recall. The lot numbers are written vertically down the back of the bottle.

Albertson's, Jewel, Osco, Sav-on and Acme sold these recalled supplement bottles nationwide from July 2001 through February 2002 for between $8 and $9.

Consumers should immediately remove the bottles from the reach of young children and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For additional information, contact Leiner Health Products at (800) 421-1168 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Products sold since February 2002 have child-resistant packaging and are not included in this recall.

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2001 -- Kawasaki Motors Corp. is voluntarily recalling about 3,000 ASTRON and TMC backpack blowers. The engine exhaust can emit flames, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

ASTRON and TMC dealers nationwide sold the backpack blowers to lawn and garden companies from October 2000 through February 2001 for about $500. The recalled backpack blowers were manufactured under two different model names; though, each uses a TEX54D Kawasaki engine:

• The ASTRON KB-541, which was distributed by Star Garden Supply, model has a red fan case, with a white fuel tank and black frame. The words, "Astron Backpack Blower" and the model number are on a label on the gas tank and on a cap right above the tank.
• The TMC KTBL-5600XA, which was distributed by TMC Power Equipment, has a white fan case and fuel tank, with a black frame. The model name, "TMC," and the model number are on a label on the fuel tank, and the name "Kawasaki" is on a cap right above the tank.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2000 -- The skateboard keychains attached to Z.Z. Jamboarder Teddy Bears sold by Zany Brainy are being recalled because they represent a choking hazard.

The skateboard wheels can come off, presenting a choking hazard to small children. Two incidents have been reported, but there were no injuries in either one.

The recall was announced i

n cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The Vermont Teddy Bear Co., and Zany Brainy.

The skateboard keychain is about 3.75 inches long with red wheels. Z.Z. Jamboarder is a light brown teddy bear, about 15 inches long and wears a white shirt, jeans, a purple hat and sunglasses. The shirt and skateboard have matching emblems showing a bear head inside a red circle.

The skateboard keychain is attached to a loop on the right side of the bear's jeans. A sewn-in tag under the left arm of the bear reads, "Z.Z. JamboarderTM" and, on the back, "Limited Edition 1999."

Zany Brainy sold the teddy bears with keychains nationwide through their stores, website and catalog from November 1999 through December 1999 for $10 to $13 with the purchase of $50 of other merchandise.

Consumers should take these skateboard keychains away from young children immediately, and return them to any Zany Brainy store to receive a Zooolennium bean-filled plush baby animal toy. Consumers also can return the teddy bear and skateboard keychain set to receive a refund. For more information, consumers can call their local Zany Brainy store or visit the web site at www.zanybrainy.com.