Recalls in September 2003

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    LP-Gas Regulators Used on Gas Grills Recalled

    September 25, 2003

    Marshall Gas Controls Model 451 and 452 LP-Gas regulators on Char-Broil, Kenmore, and Thermos brand LP-Gas Grills shipped to retailers between April 15, 2003 and May 6, 2003 are being recalled.

    Some of these regulators were assembled with an undersized seat disc that could become dislodged and leak propane gas. Propane gas is highly flammable and could ignite causing a fire or explosion. Consumers should immediately close the valve on the service cylinder if LP-Gas leakage is detected.

    These low-pressure regulators control petroleum gas pressure in gas grills. The regulators are used with Char-Broil, Kenmore and Thermos brand gas grills. There are two model gas regulators involved in the recall. Model 451 is a single outlet regulator used on grills with traditional burners in the main box. Model 452 is a dual outlet regulator used on grills with a side burner adjacent to the main box. The regulators have date codes printed on the valve body. Date codes included in the recall are 13-03/03-13, 14-03/03-14, 15-03/03-15, 16-03/03-16, 17-03/03-17 and 18-03/03-18.

    BrandModelModel Number
    CHAR-BROIL® "Quick Set"






    "Big Easy"


    "Patio Caddie"
    463531503
    463531703
    463631703
    463713303
    463728403
    463731803

    463823303
    463826803

    475496003
    KENMORE® "Wide Body"



    "Diamond Flame"
    415.162020
    415.162040
    415.162060

    415.162050
    THERMOS®"Quick Set" 461631603
    461631903
    461633803
    461733803

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

    Consumers should immediately close the valve on the service cylinder if LP-gas leakage is detected and contact the Grill Service Center to receive a free replacement regulator. For brand and model information contact the Grill Service Center or visit the commission's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

    Call the Grill Service Center at (800) 241-7548 anytime.

    LP-Gas Regulators Used on Gas Grills Recalled...

    Graco Warns of Strangulation Hazard in Portable Play Yards


    The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Graco Children's Products are providing new instructions for about 538,000 Pack n Play portable play yards with raised changing tables.When children are placed in these portable play yards when the changing table is still in place, they can crawl under and lift the table up. If this occurs, a childs head and neck can become trapped between the changing table and the play yard rail, causing a strangulation hazard. The recall is designed to warn consumers of this hazard, and to provide warning labels to affix to the changing tables.

    The commission and Graco are aware of the death of a 13-month-old girl, who strangled when her neck became trapped between the Pack n Play rail and the raised changing table.

    Discount, department and juvenile product stores nationwide sold these portable play yards from October 2001 through September 2003 for between $99 and $119.

    Consumers should never place a child in these portable play yards when the changing table is still in place. Consumers should immediately contact Graco to receive a free warning label to be affixed to the changing table. Consumers can contact Graco at (800) 233-1546 anytime, or visit the firms Web site at www.gracobaby.com

    Only Pack n Play portable play yards with raised changing tables are part of this recall. They also are sold with an infant bassinet. GRACO and Pack n Play are written on the side of the play yard. These play yards have model numbers 2016, 35235, or model numbers that begin with 9531 or 9533. The last three digits of the model number will vary.

    The model number can be found on a label on the white plastic center cone under the play yards. MADE IN CHINA also is written on the bottom label. Models 2016, 35235, 9531 and 9533 that are currently sold at retail and that have green stickers on the boxes, indicating that the unit has been modified, are not recalled.

    Graco Warns of Strangulation Hazard in Portable Play Yards...

    Companies Fined $1.5 Million for Safety Violations

    Murray & Craftsman Mowers, Mongoose & Roadmaster Bikes, Blue Corla-Slick Windshield Washer

    The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has settled three civil penalty cases and imposed penalties totaling $1.5 million.

    Two of the settlements, with Brunswick Corp., of Lake Forest, Ill., and Murray Inc., of Brentwood, Tenn., resolve allegations that the firms failed to report, in a timely manner, defects in their products that could create a substantial product hazard or an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death.

    Blue Coral-Slick 50 Inc., of Houston, Texas, has agreed to a penalty for failing to package some of its windshield products in child-resistant packaging.

    Brunswick agreed to a $1 million civil penalty. The Commission alleged that Brunswick was not timely in reporting that it had learned of 31 serious incidents involving defective forks on its Mongoose and Roadmaster bicycles. The forks broke apart during normal use of the bicycles and caused riders to lose control, fall to the ground face first, and suffer serious facial and head injuries.

    The company conducted three recalls with CPSC between May 2000 and April 2002, each time increasing the number of defective units recalled and identifying additional injuries to riders from the increased number of bicycles recalled. The final announcement brought the total number of bicycles involved in the recall to 103,000.

    Murray agreed to $375,000 in civil penalties to settle the Commission's allegation that between November 2000 and February 2002, Murray received over 900 reports of riding lawn mower gas tanks cracking and leaking fuel, resulting in six fires and one burn injury.

    The company failed to inform CPSC of the incidents and safety hazards on its rear-engine and mid-engine riding lawn mowers, as required by the Consumer Product Safety Act. In March 2002, Murray agreed to a recall of nearly 100,000 lawnmowers sold under the Murray, Murray Select, Craftsman and Wizard brand names.

    The $150,000 penalty against Blue Coral-Slick 50 Inc. represents the first civil penalty the CPSC has imposed against a company for violating the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.

    The allegations against Blue Coral-Slick 50 were that between September 1997 and May 2001, the firm distributed about one million bottles and pouches of Rain-X Super Glass Cleaner Concentrate, Rain-X Washer Fluid Additive and Rain-X Plus Washer Fluid Concentrate without child resistant closures, as required under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.

    The PPPA guidelines call for all household products with more than 4% methanol to be packaged in child resistant containers. The product solution contained a hazardous level of methanol (6%) and did not use the proper safety packaging. The Rain-X glass cleaner and washer fluid were recalled in September 2001.

    "If in doubt, companies should always report any and all information to the Commission that could affect the safety of consumers," said Chairman Hal Stratton. "Companies that fail to take such an approach expose themselves to the risk of civil penalties."

    Companies Fined $1.5 Million for Safety Violations...

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