Recall Wedesday: hooded sweatshirt, Therma Scarf scarves, Children’s Metal Charm Bracelets, Coil Nailers, Fluke VoltAlert® Voltage Detector & more!

Below are the CPSC recalls that I have received since Wednesday, March 10, 2010. Please promise me that if you ever design sweatshirts for children, you will NOTinclude a drawstring around the neck!  The most common recalls issued by the CPSC  are clothing items that pose a strangulation hazard to children.  It seems so obvious to me, yet every week we see more and more items recalled.  Makes me proud of the CPSC for catching the items, but super frustrated with the designers and distributors for creating such safety hazards for children.  Can you tell I’m annoyed? 

In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines(pdf) (which were incorporated into an industry voluntary standard in 1997) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled in the neck and waist drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets or sweatshirts. Be sure to check old hand-me-downs for this!

You can find even more detailed information on all recalled products mentioned below on CPSC.gov. All information below comes directly from the CPSC website.
Smiles
Smarty Pants Mama
PS – Has Recall Wednesday ever alerted you of a product that you actually have had in your home? I want to hear about it!!! Please share!

Name of Product: Locks All Over Boys’ Hoody, All Over Skaters Boy’s Hoody and Rock Mask Boy’s Hood
Hazard: The hoodies have drawstrings through the hoods that pose a strangulation hazard to children.
Description: The recalled boys hooded sweatshirts come in three styles: All Over Locks style #MSK7SK3400B in white with colored printed padlocks in sizes S, M, L and XL; All Over Skaters style #SKATBS7K302B in white with red and orange skaters in S, M, L, and XL; and Rock Mask Hoody style #KROCKF7K300K in solid black with imprint in sizes 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Sold at: The recalled items were sold at the Burlington Coat Factory, Amm One Inc., Avante, Dr. Jays, Stop, E & J Lawrence Corp., Exclusive Wear, G-Pulse Apparel, Hip Hop World, Nouveau, Stop Kid, Unica, and Village Mart.
Please see the CPSC website for more detailed information: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10158.html

Name of Product: Therma Scarf scarves
Hazard: The heat packs can overheat when heated in a microwave oven, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Description: The recalled scarves have pockets and microwaveable heat packs composed of flax seeds. The scarves are made of polyester/cotton, and were sold in black and camel colors.
Sold at: Bed Bath & Beyond® stores, As Seen on TV retail kiosks in shopping malls nationwide, through direct response television and over the internet at www.thermascarf.com and www.asseenontvguys.com from October 2009 through January 2010 for between $20 and $25.
Please see the CPSC website for more detailed information: /prhtml10/10159.htmlprerel/cpscpub.gov/cpschttp://www.

Name of Product: Girl’s Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings
Hazard: The jackets have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to young children.
Description: This recall involves girl’s cropped jackets in a velvet-like material with a hoodie that has a drawstring. The jackets were sold under the Betty Blue brand name in pink, red, blue and brown, and in children’s sizes small through XL. Betty Blue Girls is printed on the hangtag on the neck.
Sold exclusively at: Burlington Coat Factory stores nationwide from November 2007 through September 2009 for about $4.
Please see the CPSC website for more detailed information: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10160.html

Name of Product: Girls’ Cargo Pocket Jackets
Hazard: The drawstrings on the neck and waist of the jacket can pose a strangulation or entrapment hazard to children.
Description: This recall involves girls’ brown cargo pocket jackets sold in sizes small through extra-large. Style number 2029G1J is printed on the tag inside the jacket.
Sold at: Burlington Coat Factory, Bon Ton Stores and juvenile clothing retail stores nationwide from December 2008 through September 2009 for about $12.
Please see the CPSC website for more detailed information: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10161.html

Name of Product: Children’s Metal Charm Bracelets
Hazard: The bracelets contain high levels of cadmium. Laboratory analysis determined that following a 24-hour incubation in simulated stomach acid, over 20,000 micrograms of cadmium were released from the snowman alone. Cadmium can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
Description: This warning involves Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer brand children’s Christmas and winter-themed bracelets. The two styles involved in this notice are the Bumble Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The bracelets were sold with winter and Christmas-themed charms including a snowman, Christmas tree, candy cane and snowflake.
Sold at: Discount and dollar-type stores nationwide between 2006 and March 2009 for about $1.
Please see the CPSC website for more detailed information: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10162.html

Name of Product: Coil Nailers
Hazard: The nailers could have a faulty feeder that can allow nails to be ejected sideways, posing a serious injury hazard to the user or bystanders.
Description: The coil nailers are used to project nails into drywall, wood or other materials. The model number is NV83A2 and can be found on the body of the product. Only those units manufactured between October 2002 and September 2005 are included in this recall. The manufacturing date can be identified by the serial number engraved at the end of the handle, the first digit representing the month (1 for January, 2 for February, 3 for March, 4 for April, 5 for May, 6 for June, 7 for July, 8 for August, 9 for September, O for October, N for November and D for December) and the second digit representing the year (2 for 2002, 3 for 2003, 4 for 2004 and 5 for 2005).
Sold at: Lowe’s, Home Depot, other home improvement and building supply stores and online at Amazon.com nationwide from November 2002 through March 2006 for between $350 and $400.
Please see the CPSC website for more detailed information: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10163.html

Name of Product: Fluke VoltAlert® Voltage Detector
Hazard: The testers can fail to give an indication of live voltage, resulting in the operator falsely believing the electrical power is off, posing a risk of serious injury or death from electrical shock or thermal burns.
Description: The Fluke voltage testers look like a pen with a yellow, white and gray body. The testers measure 90 to 1000 volts alternating current (VAC). “Fluke” and the model number are printed on the front of each unit. The recall involves Fluke 1AC-A1-I VoltAlert® tester with the following model and item numbers:

Sold at: Industrial distributors and electrical wholesalers nationwide from September 2009 through February 2010 for about $25.
Please see the CPSC website for more detailed information: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10164.html