Exploding battery packs result in Rayovac recall

Power tools are dangerous enough without the threat of the cordless battery pack suddenly exploding! That’s the situation with this latest product safety recall.

BatteriesPlus, LLC is pulling back 111,800 of their Rayovac NI-CD Cordless Tool Battery Packs after they received five reports that the batteries were exploding.  The packs sold at BatteriesPlus retail stores across the USA and on the company online store for approximately $60 each.  Packs purchased from June 2008 through October 2011 are involved in this recall.

Photo: CPSC

Here’s what to look for:

• RAYOVAC-branded replacement battery
• RAYOVAC NI-CD printed on battery casing
• Part number beginning with “CTL” is printed on the product (see website link below for more details)
• Voltages ranging between 2.4 and 18 volts
• Variety of shapes and sizes

Sold as replacement batteries to these brand-named power tools: Black and Decker, Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Panasonic, Ryobi and Skil.

Stop using the battery immediately.  Remove the battery from the power tool. Contact BatteriesPlus for details on how to return the product for a store credit.

BatteriesPlus phone:  (877) 856-3232

BatteriesPlus website:  www.batteriesplus.com

Massage Pets find a kink they can’t work out!

 Red & black Ladybug  /   Yellow & Black Bee

UPC 0 49696 60453 6 / UPC 0 49696 60454 3

The hang tag states that these Handheld Massage Pets are a “fun way to massage away aches and tension." It’s likely that the Ohio-based distributor, Fourstar Group USA, Inc., is suffering with a big ache and pain, as 25,500 units were pulled off the shelves when reports of leaking batteries began to surface. Leaking batteries can pose a serious burn or skin irritation hazard to users.

Manufactured in China, these little massagers were sold exclusively through BJ’s Wholesale Club membership locations in fifteen states from Florida to Maine. Five of those stores reported customers complaining about the batteries leaking, but no injuries were indicated. They were sold briefly from September through December 2011.

Consumers who purchased these massagers should stop using them and return them immediately to the BJ’s Wholesale Club nearest them for a full refund. WARNING: To avoid exposure to any potential harm, do not touch the battery or open the battery compartment. 

Both products are 3 ½“ high and 5” wide and come with two Kendal-brand AA batteries.  The retail tag is printed with “Dating code 1210A.”

Fourstar Group can be contacted via phone at (866) 290-6191, but unfortunately there is no human customer service person available to take your call. In addition, the email address given in CPSC recall is no help in reaching a company contact for further information. Returning the unit to the store of purchase appears to be the only option given at this point.

Quality & Design Issues force recall of two infant rattle sets

Two collections of infant rattles were recalled from store shelves in Colorado and Dallas last week.  Distributed by Toy Distribution of Los Angeles, one set of five rattles and the other set of nine rattles were sold in toy stores in the two states from December 2009 thru December 2010 at the quality-assuring price of $2.00 a set.

Yes, the facetiousness does seep in here, I admit.  But really folks – how does it make sense that toys that cost less than a cup of coffee can actually be trusted to be safe for an active, teething infant, the most vulnerable of our consumers?  It’s obvious that price alone is not an indication of safety or quality, but certainly it should be one factor that caregivers use to guide their decisions. Quality, toughness and durability built into toys are costly, but for an infant toy, these features should top the list.  Chinese manufacturers, Winning Key Manufacturing and Topwin Toys, HK, produced these sets, and the December 13, 2011 CPSC announcement indicates that only 50 sets are involved.    

In the case of these rattles, small parts can break off creating a choking hazard for children under three years of age.  The plastic handles have a rounded shape at the ends that have the potential to become pushed into the back of the child’s throat, blocking the airway, also creating a choking hazard.  If the child is toddling and falls with the end of the handle in their mouth, this could cause harm to the roof of the mouth or soft pallet. 

Photo: CPSC

• Item name HANDBELL TOYS printed at the top left-hand corner of the boxes. 
• The name "JUNYI" printed on the front top right-hand corner of one box with item number 58083801 on a white sticker on the back of the box.
• The name "XIN DA MEI" printed on the front of the box in the top right-hand corner, with the item number 308363 on a white sticker on the back of the box.

Consumers who think they may possess these sets should remove the toys from  child use immediately and contact the place of purchase for refund or replacement. Toys Distribution can be reached directly at (323) 266-8088, or via email at mailbox@shoptdi.com .