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Ballard Designs "Stafford" step stools

CPSC Recall #12-001 — October 3, 2011

Recall Summary

Recall Number12-001
Recall DateOctober 3, 2011
Remedy TypeNew Instructions
Units AffectedAbout 2,500
Manufactured InChina

Where It Was Sold

Ballard Design stores in Florida
Georgia and Ohio
through Ballard Designs catalogs
on www.ballarddesigns.com and www.hsn.com from July 2009 through May 2011 for about $80.

Product

Ballard Designs "Stafford" step stools

Description

Plastic tabs on the feet of the step stools can cause the stools to be unstable.

Hazard

Plastic tabs on the feet of the step stools can cause the stools to be unstable, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Incidents & Injuries

Ballard Designs has received six reports that the stools were not stable, including two reports of falls resulting in minor injuries.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should immediately remove the four plastic tabs from the feet of their step stools. Instructions are available online at www.ballarddesigns.com under the Product Safety page or by contacting Ballard Designs at the number below. Ballard Designs is directly contacting all known purchasers.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a New Instructions at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (New Instructions) at no cost to you.

Furniture tip-overs are a leading cause of pediatric injuries in the U.S., particularly dressers, bookcases, and television stands. CPSC data shows that a child dies approximately every two weeks from a furniture or TV tip-over. Unstable high chairs, baby swings, and bouncers are also frequent recall subjects due to fall risks. ASTM International standards now require that certain furniture must meet tip-over resistance standards, and CPSC has been actively pursuing mandatory requirements for dressers and chests. If you have furniture that was not recalled but feels unstable, wall-anchoring kits are widely available at hardware stores.

In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.

If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.

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