Twister portable lamps

CPSC Recall #02-032 — October 30, 2001

Recall Summary

Recall Number02-032
Recall DateOctober 30, 2001
Remedy TypeNew Instructions, Repair
Units AffectedAbout 480,000
Manufactured InChina

Where It Was Sold

Retail stores and catalogs nationwide sold the lamps between January 1997 and June 2001 for about $18.

Product

Twister portable lamps

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C.- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Emess Lighting Inc. and SLI Lighting Solutions Inc. are voluntarily recalling about 480,000 Twister portable lamps and will provide consumers with an in-home repair kit. The lamp's bulb can become hot, presenting a risk of burn injuries to consumers, and the risk of fire if the bulb comes in contact with combustible materials.Emess Lighting, SLI Lighting Solutions and CPSC have received five reports of injuries to consumers (including four burns and one laceration) and 12 reports of property damage due to the bulb coming in contact with bedding, carpeting, and upholstered furniture.The recalled Twister™ lamps are 38 inches tall, have a flexible neck, and Looney Tunes™ or Disney™ cartoon characters on the plastic shade. Some lamps have no cartoon characters, but have black, white, blue, green, yellow, red or purple plastic shades. A silver label near the bulb reads in part, "Caution: To Reduce the Risk of Fire Use 40 Watt MAX. Made in China."Retail stores and catalogs nationwide sold the lamps between January 1997 and June 2001 for about $18.Consumers should not use these lamps near bedding, carpeting, or upholstered furniture. To receive a free retrofit kit, consumers should contact the Twister Lamp Recall Hotline at (800) 366-2579 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Consumers also can receive the repair kit by logging on the company's website at www.twisterlamp.com or writing to: Twister Lamp Recall, One Early Street, Ellwood City, PA 16117. The in-home consumer repair kit includes a wire bulb guard and enhanced safety instructions.

Hazard

The lamp's bulb can become hot, presenting a risk of burn injuries to consumers, and the risk of fire if the bulb comes in contact with combustible materials.

Incidents & Injuries

Emess Lighting, SLI Lighting Solutions and CPSC have received five reports of injuries to consumers (including four burns and one laceration) and 12 reports of property damage due to the bulb coming in contact with bedding, carpeting, and upholstered furniture.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should not use these lamps near bedding, carpeting, or upholstered furniture. To receive a free retrofit kit, consumers should contact the Twister Lamp Recall Hotline at (800) 366-2579 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. The in-home consumer repair kit includes a wire bulb guard and enhanced safety instructions.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a New Instructions, 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 (New Instructions, Repair) at no cost to you.

If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident — they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.

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.