CPSC, Crate & Barrel Announce Recall to Repair Toy Chests

July 22, 1998
Release # 98-146

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Crate & Barrel of Northbrook, Ill., is recalling about 7,000 toy chests for in-home repair of their lids. The toy chest's lid support can fail, allowing the lid to fall onto a child's head or neck. A child could become entrapped at the neck and strangle.

CPSC and Crate & Barrel have received two reports of lids falling. In one instance, a lid fell onto a woman's head, causing her chin to strike the front edge of the chest. Through their retail stores, Crate & Barrel has received about 116 consumer requests for replacement lid supports.

The Crate & Barrel toy chests also function as benches. The seat of the bench, which is the toy chest's lid, lifts up to store toys inside. The toy chests, measuring 29 inches long, 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep, are made of maple, birch or beech wood. A 2-inch high railing encompasses the sides and the back of the chest, along with spindle-type rails on the sides. These toy chests have either one or two metal lid supports.

Crate & Barrel stores and catalogues sold the toy chests nationwide from September 1994 through March 1998 for about $130.

Consumers should immediately stop young children from using the toy chests, and call Crate & Barrel at (800) 352-0688 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CDT Monday through Friday. Crate & Barrel will provide a new lid support, free of charge, to stop the lid from falling to prevent a child from being injured or fatally trapped. Consumers can make this repair easily using a regular screwdriver.

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 gopher.cpsc.gov. Consumers can report product hazards to info@cpsc.gov.