CPSC, Cosco Announce Recall for In-Home Repair of Full-Size Baby Cribs

July 9, 1997
Release # 97-154

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For Immediate Release;
Contact: Nychelle White
(301) 504-0580 Ext. 1192

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Cosco of Columbus, Ind., is warning consumers to check more than 390,000 full-size metal baby cribs, manufactured since January 1995, that may have been mis-assembled with the mattress platform being used as a side rail. The crib side rail and mattress platform are the same size and have been used in place of one another. CPSC standards limit the space between side rail slats to no more than 2 3/8 inches. If the crib's mattress platform is used as a side rail, the distance between the slats would be about 5 inches. Spacing this large enables an infant to become entrapped in the side rails, which could result in serious injury or death.

Cosco has received more than 47 reports of cribs being mis-assembled with the mattress platform being used as a side rail, including 27 reports of babies becoming entrapped, resulting in one death.

The Cosco cribs are on wheels and are made of tubular metal in a variety of colors. The cribs have date codes of 0195 or higher printed on a sticker located on the bottom of the end panel. List of model numbers and colors:

Consumers should check their Cosco cribs immediately to determine if they have been mis-assembled with the mattress platform being used as a side rail. Consumers can make this determination easily by trying to pass a soda can through the slats on the side rails. If the soda can passes through any of the slats, the crib has been mis-assembled and consumers should stop using it immediately and call Cosco at 800-221-6736 for instructions on properly re-assembling the crib or to arrange for an in-home repair. To prevent death or injury, do not use a mis-assembled crib until it has been repaired. Cosco is offering all owners of mis-assembled cribs a free gift to encourage them to repair their cribs.

Cosco is also offering all consumers who own these cribs an identification/warning sticker for placement on the mattress platform to prevent future mis-assembly. Consumers should call Cosco for this important sticker.

Major national retail stores and baby specialty stores sold the cribs beginning in 1995 for about $90 to $150.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury and for information on CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call CPSC's hotline at (800)638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To order a press release through fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine and enter the release number. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov or via Internet gopher services at cpsc.gov. Consumers can report product hazards to info@cpsc.gov.