Firms Agree to Pay $85,000 in Civil Penalties for Failing to Report Drawstrin
NEWS from CPSCU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public AffairsWashington, DC 20207FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2009
Release #09-339 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Firms Agree to Pay $85,000 in Civil Penalties for Failing to Report Drawstrings in Children抯 Outerwear
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that two firms, Maran Inc., of North Bergen, N.J. and K.S. Trading Corp., of Moonachie, N.J., have agreed to pay a total of $85,000 in civil penalties. The penalty settlements (Maran and K.S. Trading, pdf), which have been provisionally accepted by the Commission, resolve CPSC staff allegations that the firms knowingly failed to report to CPSC immediately, as required by federal law, that children抯 hooded sweatshirts or jackets they sold had drawstrings at the neck.
Children抯 upper outerwear with drawstrings, including sweatshirts or jackets, poses a strangulation hazard to children which can result in serious injury or death. CPSC and the firms announced recalls (Maran and K.S. Trading) of the products.
CPSC issued drawstring guidelines (pdf) in 1996 to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstrings in upper outerwear, such as jackets and sweatshirts. In 1997, industry adopted a voluntary standard for drawstrings that incorporated the CPSC guidelines. In May 2006, CPSC抯 Office of Compliance announced (pdf) that children抯 upper outerwear with drawstrings at the hood or neck would be regarded as defective and as presenting a substantial risk of injury to young children.
Federal law requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to report to CPSC immediately (within 24 hours) after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with any consumer product safety rule or any other rule, regulation, standard, or ban enforced by CPSC.
In agreeing to the settlement, the firms deny CPSC抯 allegations that they knowingly violated the law.
---Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
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