Home Depot Continued To Sell 28 Products After Safety Recalls
When a product is recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, it becomes illegal for a retailer to continue to sell that item. But Home Depot apparently wasn’t following that rule for the past three years, selling 28 different products after they were recalled.
The CPSC and Home Depot issued a warning on Wednesday that about 2,310 items – ranging from fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, power strips, vacuums, washing machines and portable generators – may have made their way into consumers’ homes despite being recalled between 2012 and 2015.
About 1,300 of the recalled items were sold by Home Depot, while another 1,010 were sent to salvagers or recyclers who could have sold them to consumers, the CPSC says.
The recalls were initiated for a variety of reasons, including fire risk, electrical shock hazards, increased risk of burns or injuries and failure to alert people of dangerous carbon dioxide levels, among other things.
The commission advises consumers who may have purchased one of the recalled products to stop using the item immediately “and contact the recalling firms to receive the remedies listed in the recall, which is either a refund, replacement or repair.”
It’s unclear whether or not Home Depot will face a fine for continuing to sell recalled products. In Sept. 2014, the CPSC announced that Michigan-based retailer Meijer agreed to pay a $2 million civil penalty to settle charges it distributed recalled items, many of which were children’s products.
CE Tech 1,000 Ft. Riser Cable
Recall Date: April 9, 2013
Original Sale Dates: Jan. 2013 through Feb. 2013
Hazard: The riser cable does not meet fire resistance standards for riser cable, posing a fire hazard.
Contact: Home Depot at 800-394-7519, or online at http://www.homedepot.com and click on Product Recalls for more information.
Cordelia Two-Lamp Fluorescent Shop Lights
Recall Date: May 22, 2014
Original Sale Dates: Aug. 2013 through March 2014
Hazard: The lamp sockets can allow loose connections, posing a risk of an electrical arc and fire.
Contact: Cordelia Lighting at 800-345-0542, extension 3001.
Easy Reach by Gorilla Ladders 3-Step Pro Series Step Stools
Recall Date: Oct. 25, 2012
Original Sale Dates: April 2012 through Aug. 2012
Hazard: The top step/standing platform can break, posing a fall hazard to consumers.
Contact: Tricam Industries toll-free at 855-336-0360, or http://www.gorillaladders.net, then click on Recall for more information.
Fiskars Bypass Lopper Shears
Recall Date: Oct. 8, 2014
Original Sale Dates: May 2011 through June 2014
Hazard: The lopper handles can break when attempting to cut branches, posing a risk of serious injury and laceration.
Contact: Fiskars toll-free at 855-544-0151 or visit Fiskars’ website at http://www.fiskars.com and click on “Product Notifications” for more information.
Genie Garage Door Openers
Recall Date: February 25, 2014
Original Sales Dates: Aug. 2011 through Oct. 2012
Hazard: The control board can overheat, posing a fire hazard.
Contact: Genie toll-free at (800) 488-9918, or online at http://www.geniecompany.com and click on “Recall Information” for more information.
Harris Products Group and Lincoln Electric Welding Torch Handles
Recall Date: July 31, 2014
Original Sale Dates: Dec. 2013 through May 2014
Hazard: The torch handles can leak oxygen or fuel, posing a fire hazard.
Contact: Harris Products Group at 800-447-6906, or online at http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com and click on Recall for more information.
HeathCo Motion-Activated Outdoor Lights
Recall Date: Oct. 30, 2013
Original Sale Dates: Dec. 2006 through July 2013
Hazard: The internal fixture wiring can energize the entire surface and fittings of the fixture, posing an electrical shock hazard.
Contact: HeathCo toll-free 855-704-5438, email hzproductnotice@heathcollc.com or online at http://www.heath-zenith.com and click on Recall Announcements at the bottom of the page for more information.
Homelite Electric Blower Vacuums
Recall Date: Feb. 21, 2013
Original Sale Dates: Feb. 2012 through Dec. 2012
Hazard: Objects that are drawn into the unit during vacuum mode can break through the plastic housing, posing a laceration hazard.
Contact: Homelite Consumer Products at 800-597-9624, or online at http://www.homelite.com and click on Safety Notices for more information.
Homelite Electric Blower Vacuums
Recall Date: April 16, 2015
Original Sale Dates: Jan. 2010 through March 2015
Hazard: The blower vacuum can overheat, spark and catch on fire, posing fire and burn hazards.
Contact: Homelite Consumer Products at 800-597-9624, or online at http://www.homelite.com and click on Safety Notices for more information.
Kidde Disposable Plastic Fire Extinguishers
Recall Date: Feb. 12, 2015
Original Sale Dates: Aug. 2013 through Nov. 2014
Hazard: A faulty valve component can cause the disposable fire extinguishers not to fully discharge when the lever is repeatedly pressed and released during a fire emergency, posing a risk of injury.
Contact: Kidde toll-free at 855-283-7991, or online at http://www.kidde.com and click on Safety Notice for more information.
Kidde Smoke and Combination Smoke/CO Alarms
Recall Date: Sept. 11, 2014
Original Sale Dates: Jan. 2014 through July 2014
Hazard: The alarms could fail to alert consumers of a fire or a CO incident following a power outage.
Contact: Kidde toll-free at 844-553-9011, or online at http://www.kidde.com and click on Recalls for more information.
Legrand Under-Cabinet Power Strips
Recall Date: Sept.r 6, 2012
Original Sale Dates: Feb. 2011 to Aug.2012
Hazard: The electrical wires are reversed on the receptacles on the power strips, posing a risk of electrical shock.
Contact: Legrand Wiremold toll-free at 800-617-1768, or at http://www.legrand.us/product-recalls.aspx for more information.
Legrand Under-Cabinet Power Strips
Recall Date: May 15, 2014
Original Sale Dates: Feb. 2011 to April 2014
Hazard: The internal electrical connections of the power strips are substandard, posing risks of overheating and fire.
Contact: Legrand Wiremold toll-free at (855) 692-4620, or at http://www.legrand.us/product-recalls.aspx for more information.
LG Electric Ranges
Recall Date: Nov. 8, 2012
Original Sale Dates: Jan. 2006 to June 2010
Hazard: Burners on the electric ranges can fail to turn off after being switched off and the temperature setting can increase unexpectedly during use, posing burn and fire hazards to consumers.
Contact: LG toll-free at (855) 400-4638, or http://www.lg.com/us and click on Public Notices for more information.
LG Top-Loading Washing Machines
Recall Date: Dec. 18, 2012
Original Sale Dates: April 2010 to Dec. 2012
Hazard: An unbalanced load can cause the washing machine to shake excessively and the drum to come loose during use, posing a risk of injury to consumers and property damage to the surrounding area.
Contact: LG toll-free at (855) 400-4639, or http://www.lg.com/us and click on Public Notices for more information.
Lithonia Quantum® ELM and ELM2 Two-Light Emergency Lighting Fixtures
Recall Date: May 28, 2014
Original Sale Dates: March 2010 through Feb. 2014
Hazard: The circuit board can overheat and cause the fixture to melt, catch fire and ignite nearby items, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.
Contact: Lithonia Lighting toll-free at 888-615-4501, or online at http://www.lithonia.com and click on “Quantum® ELM/ELM2 Recall Information” on the bottom of the page for more information.
MAT Industries HDX™ and Powermate® Two-Gallon Air Compressors
Recall Date: Feb. 12, 2014
Original Sale Dates: June 2010 through Oct. 2013
Hazard: The terminals of the pressure switch can come into contact with the motor housing and electrify the air compressors, posing a shock hazard to consumers.
Contact: MAT Industries toll-free at 855-922-2300, or online at http://www.homedepot.com and click on Product Recalls for more information or at http://www.powermate.com and click on Air Compressors, then VSP0000201.
Mohawk Altitude Gold Shag Rugs
Recall Date: Nov. 19, 2014
Original Sale Dates: Aug. 2013 through Sept. 2014
Hazard: The large rugs fail to meet federal standards for flammability and could ignite, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. The small rugs fail to meet federal labeling requirements.
Contact: Mohawk toll-free at 877-737-8343, or online at http://www.mohawkflooring.com and click on “Safety Recall” in the “Customer Care” section at the bottom of the page.
Nest Protect Smoke + CO Alarms
Recall Date: May 21, 2014
Original Sale Dates: Nov.15, 2013 to April 3, 2014
Hazard: Activity near the product during a fire can prevent the alarm from immediately sounding when the Nest Wave feature is enabled.
Contact: Nest Labs at 800-249-4280, or online at http://www.nest.com and click on Nest Protect Safety Notice for more information.
Nourison I-CANDI Collection Polyester Shag Rugs
Recall Date: May 23, 2013
Original Sale Dates: Sept. 2012
Hazard: The rugs fail to meet federal flammability standards, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
Contact: Nourison at 800-223-1110 ext. 2358, or online at http://www.nourison.com, then click on Recall Information at the bottom of the page for more information.
Pramac America Powermate Sx 5500 Portable Generators
Recall Date: Nov. 13, 2012
Original Sale Dates: Feb. 2012 through Aug. 2012
Hazard: The fuel filter on this generator allows gasoline to leak, posing a fire hazard.
Contact: Pramac America LLC at 800-445-1805, or http://www.powermate.com and click on the Generator tab and then the Expert Advice followed by the Service Notification link for more information.
RSI Glacier Bay® Bathroom Medicine Cabinets
Recall Date: Jan.16, 2014
Original Sale Dates: Aug. 2013 through Oct. 2013
Hazard: The mirror or its back panel can separate and fall out, posing an injury hazard to consumers.
Contact: RSI toll-free at 888-774-8062, online at http://www.homedepot.com and click on Product Recalls or e-mail RSIMedCab@rsihomeproducts.com for more information.
Soleil Portable Fan Heaters
Recall Date: July 25, 2013
Original Sale Dates: Sept. 2012 through May 2013
Hazard: The portable fans plastic housing can melt, deform and catch fire during use, posing a fire hazard.
Contact: Home Depot toll-free at 877-527-0313, or online at http://www.homedepot.com and click on Product Recalls for more information.
SoleusAir Dehumidifiers by Gree Electric Appliances
Recall Date: May 15, 2014
Original Sales Dates: Jan. 2005 through Aug. 2013
Hazard: The dehumidifiers can overheat, smoke and catch fire, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.
Contact: Gree toll-free at (866) 853-2802, or online at http://www.greeusa.com and click on Recall for more information.
Vornado Air Electric Space Heaters
Recall Date: Aug. 14, 2014
Original Sale Dates: June 2013 through May 2014
Hazard: The heater can overheat and cause the units to melt, catch fire and ignite nearby items, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Contact: Vornado toll-free at 844-205-7978, or online at http://www.vornado.com and click on the recall graphic in the lower right corner of the homepage for more information.
Waterloo Industries Husky® Securelock Vertical Bike Hooks
Recall Date: April 15, 2015
Original Sale Dates: April 2011 to March 2015
Hazard: The mounted bike hooks can unexpectedly detach, allowing the bike to fall. This poses a risk of injury to bystanders.
Contact: Waterloo Industries at 800-833-8851, or online at http://www.homedepot.com and click on “product recalls” for more information.
Westinghouse Lighting Glass Shade Holders
Recall Date: March 12, 2015
Original Sale Dates: Aug. 2014 through Jan. 2015
Hazard: The pull chain switch on the glass shade holder is incorrectly wired, posing a shock hazard to the consumer.
Contact: Westinghouse Lighting toll-free at 888-417-6222, or online at http://www.westinghouselighting.com and click on the safety notice at the top of the page for more information.
Wing Enterprises Switch-It Stepladder/Stepstools
Recall Date: Dec. 11, 2012
Original Sale Dates: Aug. 2012 to Oct. 2012
Hazard: When extended, the inner side rails can separate from the outer side rails causing the user to fall.
Contact: Wing Enterprises Inc. toll-free at 855-595-3378 , or online at http://www.littlegiantladders.com/switch-it-recall for more information.
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