FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 1997
Release # 98-024 |
Company Phone Number: (888) 274-6869
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063
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CPSC, BRIO Announce Recall of Wooden Clown Toys to Replace Hats
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), BRIO Corp. of Germantown, Wis., a subsidiary of BRIO AB of Sweden, is voluntarily replacing the hats on about 79,000 wooden clown toys. The hats present a potential choking hazard to young children.
BRIO has received one report of a 22-month-old child in Germany reportedly choking to death on the clown's hat. No other injuries or complaints have been reported.
The clown is a 9-inch high wooden stacking toy consisting of 12 brightly colored pieces, including the base. When all of the pieces are stacked in order, the toy resembles the figure of a clown with a yellow cone-shaped hat. The words, "BRIO...MADE IN SWEDEN" are stamped on the bottom of the toy's base. The toy is packaged in a red, white and yellow cardboard box. Pictures of the toy, model number 30130 and the words "BRIO...CLOWN" appear on the box.
Specialty stores and mail order catalogs nationwide sold the toy from 1977 through September 1997, most recently for about $19. BRIO clown toys currently being sold have the redesigned hat and are in boxes labeled, "CONTAINS NEW HAT DESIGN."
Consumers should take the clown's hat away from children immediately and send the hat to BRIO Corp., N120 W18485 Freistadt Road, Germantown, WI 53022. BRIO will send consumers a redesigned replacement hat and postage reimbursement. Consumers with questions should call BRIO toll-free at (888) 274-6869 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST Monday through Friday.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @OnSafety or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.