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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO NATIONAL, AND RETAILING EDITORS:
CPSC Warns Consumers of the Deadly Dangers of Storage and Toy Chests;
34 Deaths Reported
WASHINGTON, March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following the
deaths of two siblings in Massachusetts, the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC) is renewing its warning to consumers about
the dangers associated with storage, cedar, hope and toy chests. Lids
on millions of storage chests and trunks can automatically latch shut,
locking children inside and suffocating them. In addition, the lid
supports on older toy chests can fail to prevent the lid from closing
suddenly, entrapping or strangling children by the head or neck.
Storage and toy chest incidents have occurred when children climbed
into chests to hide or sleep. The children could not get out and
suffocated in the enclosed space because these spaces are airtight
with no ventilation. Other children were strangled while reaching for
items in a chest and the lid fell onto them or because their necks
became entrapped between the chest's walls and its lid.
CPSC has received reports of 34 deaths since 1996 involving children
younger than 18. Tragically, in January 2014, a brother and sister in
Franklin, Mass. suffocated to death after becoming trapped inside a
75-year-old Lane cedar chest recalled in 1996.
Types of chests with these hazards include toy chests, cedar chests,
cedar trunks, cedar boxes, hope chests, blanket chests, storage
benches, and storage trunks. These chests may be located in living
areas or bedrooms and used daily, or stored in attics, basements or
garages. They often are passed down as family heirlooms or found in
resale stores.
CPSC is working with and appreciates the cooperation of the National
Association of Resale Thrift Shops (NARTS), Goodwill Industries, and
the Salvation Army to take steps to ensure that resale store managers
and staff do not accept or sell chests that have been recalled or pose
a danger to children. Consumers are also urged not to purchase or sell
any recalled chest that has not been repaired. About 27 companies have
taken action to correct more than 14 million toy and storage chests
that posed a suffocation, strangulation or injury risk.
CPSC is advising consumers to remove the latch from the recalled Lane
and Virginia Maid brand cedar chest made between 1912 and 1987 and to
contact Lane for free replacement hardware. Twelve million chests were
recalled in 1996.
For all other chests that have not been recalled but have an automatic
latch/lock, disable or remove the lock and check with the chest
manufacturer to see if the manufacturer is offering replacement
hardware.
If the lid support does not keep the lid open in every position, you
should remove the lid's support or replace it with a spring-loaded lid
support that will keep the lid open in any position. Remove or replace
an unsafe adjustable lid support on these toy chests. In addition,
all toy chests should have ventilation holes that are not blocked by
the floor or against the wall. These are key safety provisions of the
federal toy standard, ASTM F963-07.
Photos are available at
CPSC Consumer Information Hotline Contact us at this toll-free number
if you have questions about a recall: 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054)
Times: 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime Call to get
product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe
products.
Media Contact Please use the phone numbers below for all media
requests. Phone: (301) 504-7908 Spanish: (301) 504-7800 Link Text:
View CPSC contacts for specific areas of expertise
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030904/USCSCLOGO
SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
-0- 03/05/2014
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030904/USCSCLOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
/Web Site: http://www.cpsc.gov
CO: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
ST: District of Columbia
IN: HOU REA FRN
SU: RCL CHI
PRN
-- DC77305 --
0000 03/05/2014 15:30:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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