FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2007
Release #07-176 |
Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 345-4109
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
|
Graco Children's Products Recalls to Replace Soft Blocks Towers on Activity Centers Due to Choking Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of product: Soft Blocks Tower Toys (on Graco® Baby Einstein® discover and play™ Activity Centers)
Units: About 40,000
Manufacturer: Graco Children's Products Inc., of Exton, Pa.
Hazard: The plastic covering on the soft block towers can detach, posing a choking hazard to infants.
Incidents/Injuries: Graco has received 137 reports of infants mouthing and chewing pieces of the plastic film covering, some of whom required medical attention. Serious incident reports include 32 infants who gagged and 49 who choked on the plastic covering.
Description: The soft block tower is a stack of three different shaped stuffed fabric blocks in red, yellow and blue. Pictures of apples, fire engines, ducks, bananas, birds and blueberries on the blocks are covered in plastic film. The soft blocks are one of nine toys that snap onto the tray of the activity center. Only model number 4635BEE with serial numbers 012705 through 063005, which indicates the manufacture dates of January 27, 2005 through June 30, 2005, are included in this recall. Model and serial numbers are located underneath the activity center's tray.
Sold at: Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Babies "R" Us, Toys "R" Us, Meijer, Shopko, Target, and various specialty retailers nationwide, and on Wal-Mart.com and Target.com from February 2005 through about December 2005 for $80.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the Soft Blocks toy from the activity center and contact Graco for a free replacement Tower toy without the plastic film. Consumers can continue to use the activity center after the soft block tower has been removed.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Graco at (800) 345-4109 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or log on to www.gracobaby.com
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.