Just last week we wrote that more <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/product_liability">dangerous children’s hooded sweatshirts and jackets were sold in violation of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulations. Today, we are writing about two more similar recalls.
In 1997, industry adopted a voluntary standard for drawstrings that incorporated CPSC guidelines. In May 2006, the CPSC’s Office of Compliance issued an announcement that such outerwear with drawstrings at the hood or neck would be regarded as both defective and posing a substantial risk of injury to young children. The standards were imposed to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets or sweatshirts. Unfortunately, the CPSC guidelines are routinely ignored by the clothing industry, and that attitude has had deadly consequences for some children. From January 1985 through January 1999, the CPSC received reports of 22 deaths and 48 non-fatal entanglement incidents involving drawstrings on children’s clothing.
Fashion Options’ Boy’s Warm-up Sets Recalled Due to Strangulation Hazard
About 5,400 Fashion Options Boy’s Velour Warm-up Sets, which were manufactured by KT Group Inc., of New York, New York, are being recalled because the sweatshirts have drawstrings through the hoods, which pose a strangulation hazard to children. To date, no incidents or injuries have been reported.
This recall involves boy’s hooded sweatshirts style B639BC in colors black, chocolate, and charcoal. The velour sweatshirts were sold in sizes S, M, L, or XL and have the name “Beverly Hills Polo Club†on the hangtag and on the center back neck. The recalled boy’s hooded sweatshirts, which were manufactured in Bangladesh, were sold at the Burlington Coat Factory nationwide from September 2007 through October 2009 for about $15.
The CPSC is advising consumers to immediately remove the drawstrings from the sweatshirts to eliminate the hazard, or return the garment to any Burlington Coat Factory store for a full refund. Fashion Options can be reached by telephone by calling collect at (212) 947-2223 between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, or by visiting the firm’s Web site at www.fashionoptions.com
Allura Imports’ Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled Due to Strangulation Hazard
About 3,7000 Girl’s Hooded Sweatshirts, which were manufactured by Allura Imports Inc., of New York, New York have been recalled because the sweatshirts have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to young children. To date, no incidents or injuries have been reported.
The recall involves girl’s velour hooded sweatshirts with a zip front. The sweatshirts were sold as a part of a two-piece set. “Major Diva†is printed on the front of the sweatshirts. The tag on the inside of the sweatshirts reads, “2b REAL.†The sweatshirts were sold in hot pink, light pink, ivory, and khaki, and in sizes 4, 5/6, and 6X. The recalled girl’s hooded velour sweatshirts, which were manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at Burlington Coat Factory stores nationwide from October 2008 through July 2009 for about $11.
The CPSC is advising consumers to immediately remove the drawstrings from the sweatshirts to eliminate the hazard, or return the garments to either the place of purchase or to Allura Imports for a full refund. Allura Imports can be reached, toll-free, at (800) 695-4510 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Consumers can also visit the firm’s Web site at www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com
These recalled Allura Imports’ Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts were made in China and are just one of many recalls and issues on which we have written concerning defective products, food, and medicines imported into this country from China. Such defective imports have been making headlines in recent years; the recalled Allura Imports Children’s Hooded Sweatshirt recall is just another of many such issues. In 2008, nearly 80 percent of all product recalls in the U.S. involved imports from China. Products such as dog food, baby formula, toys with lead paint, and even pharmaceuticals like heparin have been found to have been made with toxic materials and other counterfeit ingredients that have long put American consumers at significant risk. Also making news is the ongoing and massive Chinese drywall disaster involving imports from that country.
