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Products to Pay $500,000 Civil Penalty for Failure

to Report Defective Fans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Lasko Products Inc., of West Chester, Pa., has agreed to pay a $500,000 civil penalty. The penalty (pdf), which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, settles allegations that the company failed to immediately report incidents about its defective portable fans. recall of about 5.6 million fans.

These box and floor fans were sold between 2000 and 2004. In February 2006, CPSC and Lasko announced the

CPSC alleged that Lasko failed to report to the government in a timely manner that fans sold by the firm could overheat, smoke, or catch fire, and pose fire and burn hazards to consumers.

Between November 2002 and September 2005, Lasko received about 42 reports of fans overheating, smoking, melting, or catching fire, which resulted in nine personal injuries and property damage. Lasko did not fully report the incidents to CPSC until September 2005.

Consumers who have the recalled fans can still receive a free fan cord adaptor, designed to shut off the fan motor if overheating occurs. Contact Lasko at (800) 984-3311, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.laskoproducts.com/recall/recall_fans.html

Federal law requires firms to report to CPSC immediately (within 24 hours) after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or violates any consumer product safety rule, or any other rule, regulation, standard, or ban enforced by CPSC.

In agreeing to settle the matter, Lasko denies that it knowingly violated the law.

Released January 13, 2009

Release #09-090

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.

Name of Product: Roman Shades and Roll-up Blinds

Units: About 692,400

Distributor: Cost Plus Inc., of Oakland, Calif.

Hazard:

Roman Shades: These shades have a looped pull cord and exposed inner cords on the back of the shade. Looped pull cords and exposed inner cords on roman shades present a strangulation hazard. 

Roll-up Blinds: These blinds have a looped pull cord and two lifting cord loops that run around the bottom rail. Looped pull cords and exposed lifting loops on roll-up blinds present a strangulation hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: No incidents or injuries have been reported with the Roman shades and roll-up blinds involved in this recall. However, CPSC is aware of the death of a child who became entangled in the lifting cord of a roll-up style blind whose manufacturer and retailer has not yet been identified and at least two deaths involving exposed inner cords on various styles of roman-style shades.

Description: This recall involves four styles of shades, the “Canvass Roman Shade” available in four different sizes (4’x 6’, 5’x 6’, 2.5’ x 6’ and 3’x 6’) with sku numbers 376983, 376984, 376985, 384870; the “Sari Roman Shade” available in two colors (berry and chocolate) with sku numbers 394700, 394701; and the “Buddha or Floral Matchstick Blinds” sku numbers 407376, and 407221. A small tag on the back of the Canvass and Sari Roman Shades states “World Market© Cost Plus, Inc., Oakland, CA 94607, Made in India, 100% Cotton.” In addition, this recall involves other styles of wooden roll-up blinds, with or without valances, that have the following SKU numbers: 404991, 404992, 404993, 400742, 499743, 400744, 400745, 400746 and 358064, 358065, 358066, 358067, 358068.

Sold at: Cost Plus and World Market stores nationwide from February 2006 through August 2008 for between $25 and $60.

Manufactured in: India and China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled window blinds/shades and return the product to any Cost Plus/World Market store to obtain a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Cost Plus toll-free at (877) 967-5362 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET daily, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.worldmarket.com

Note: CPSC reminds consumers to examine all Roman Blinds and Roll-up shades in their homes. If looped pull cords, exposed inner cords, or exposed lifting loops are found and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, please consider replacing the blinds or shades with products that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords.

The Atlanta home inspector wanted you to know about the following GE recall for your safety purposes.

When I do an Atlanta home inspection, I tried to find all the serial numbers, model numbers and other information for all the appliances located in the home during the home inspection, just in case something like this comes up.