| Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2004 Release #04-114 |
CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns school administrators, school personnel, and parents about the use of folding mobile tables that can tip over and seriously injure or kill children. Do not allow children to push, pull, or ride on these folded mobile tables.
CPSC first warned about this hazard in 1989. Six mobile table manufacturers joined in a Commission program to place permanent, uniform, warning labels on all folding mobile tables (50 inches or higher when folded) in elementary, junior, and senior high schools nationwide.
CPSC has reports of nine deaths since 1971 when children moved or played with folding mobile tables and the tables tipped over on them. The victims ranged in age from 19-months to 9-years-old. Many of the injuries occurred when an adult asked a student to move a folded table in a school cafeteria or a conference room. One of the table’s wheels may have hit an obstruction on the floor and the heavy folded table tipped over and crushed the student. School administrators should warn school personnel about the tip-over hazard and keep students away from tables when the tables are in the upright folded position.
The Commission urges school administrators to contact the manufacturer of their folding mobile tables to order free warning labels for tables currently without labels or where the labels are torn or illegible. If the manufacturer is unknown, free generic warning labels are available from certain manufacturers. School administrators should specify how many folding mobile tables they have. The free warning labels should be prominently affixed.
The six manufacturers listed here will provide free warning labels for folding mobile tables. The manufacturers in bold will provide free generic warning labels.
Biofit Engineering Seating, PO Box 109, Waterville, OH 43566. (800) 597-0246
KI, PO Box 8100, Green Bay, WI 54308. (920) 468-8100
Midwest Folding Products Mfg. Corp., 1414 S. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608. (312) 666-3366
Palmer Snyder Furniture (formerly Mesa), 143 S. Jackson St., Elkhorn, WI 53121. (262) 723-8200
Sico, Inc. 7525 Cahill Rd, Edina, MN 55440. (952) 941-1700
Virco Mfg. Co., 2027 Harpers Way, Torrance, CA 90501. (310) 533-0474