Craftsman 16-gallon and RIDGID 12- and 16-gallon wet/dry vacuums
CPSC Recall #04-053 - December 15, 2003
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 04-053 |
| Recall Date | December 15, 2003 |
| Remedy Type | Repair |
| Manufacturer | Emerson Tool Company, a division of Emerson Electric Co., of St. Louis, Mo. |
| Manufactured In | United States |
Where It Was Sold
| Home Depot stores and RIDGE Tool distributors nationwide from March 1999 through October 2002 and Sears Roebuck &. Co. stores nationwide from September 1998 through October 2002 for between $70 and $300. |
Product
Craftsman 16-gallon and RIDGID 12- and 16-gallon wet/dry vacuums
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Emerson Tool Company, a division of Emerson Electric Co., of St. Louis, Mo., is voluntarily recalling Wet/Dry Vacuums. The exhaust blower ports on the wet/dry vacuums are large enough for a small child to reach inside and touch the spinning blower wheel. This poses a laceration hazard to small children.Name of product: Wet/Dry VacuumsManufacturer: Emerson Tool Company, a division of Emerson Electric Co., of St. Louis, Mo.Hazard: The exhaust blower ports on the wet/dry vacuums are large enough for a small child to reach inside and touch the spinning blower wheel. This poses a laceration hazard to small children.Incidents/Injuries: Emerson Tool Company has received 10 reports of children inserting their arms into the ports and receiving minor cuts and abrasions to their fingertips.Description: The recall involves Craftsman 16-gallon and RIDGID 12- and 16-gallon wet/dry vacuums. The vacuums are used to pick up wet and dry debris. Another feature of the vacuum is the blower, which provides additional cleaning functions.Sold at: Home Depot stores and RIDGE Tool distributors nationwide from March 1999 through October 2002 and Sears Roebuck &. Co. stores nationwide from September 1998 through October 2002 for between $70 and $300.Manufactured in: United StatesRemedy: Consumers should contact Emerson toll-free number to request a free insert. The insert is installed inside the blower port to eliminate the hazard.Consumer Contact: For more information, consumers should call Emerson Tool Company toll-free at (866) 288-8143 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.wetdryvacrecall.com.Product DescriptionRetail Price*Model NumberSerial Number**RIDGID 12 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac$74.00WD1245001310-02193RIDGID 16 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac$94.00$119.00$119.00$139.00$139.00WD16350WD16600WD16650WD17350WD1735101309-0216899168-0215501311-0216201313-0204502043-02178Craftsman 16 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac$139.00$139.00$119.00$293.00$293.00113.170250113.170260113.17033113.292670C113.295670C02049-0221098240-0023602156-0221999281C-00319C00227C-02122C*Retail price listed in U.S. Dollars.**Serial Number Range provides the first five characters of the serial number/date code listed on the product's data plate.
Hazard
The exhaust blower ports on the wet/dry vacuums are large enough for a small child to reach inside and touch the spinning blower wheel. This poses a laceration hazard to small children.
Incidents & Injuries
Emerson Tool Company has received 10 reports of children inserting their arms into the ports and receiving minor cuts and abrasions to their fingertips.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should contact Emerson toll-free number to request a free insert. The insert is installed inside the blower port to eliminate the hazard.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
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 (Repair) at no cost to you.
Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product, whether recalled or not, you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.
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.