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TV Guard

CPSC Recall #98-172 - September 27, 1998

Recall Summary

Recall Number98-172
Recall DateSeptember 27, 1998
Remedy TypeRepair
Units AffectedAbout 70,000
Manufactured InUnited States

Where It Was Sold

Juvenile catalogs and juvenile product stores nationwide sold the TV Guard from April 1993 to September 1998 for about $10.

Product

TV Guard

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), TV Guard Inc., of Manalapan, N.J., is recalling to repair about 70,000 TV Guards, a plastic shield that attaches to a television to cover control buttons. Children can tip the television over onto themselves by pulling on the TV Guard, and sustain bodily injury. TV Guard Inc. has received three reports of young children suffering injuries when they pulled on the guard and the television fell on top of them. A broken leg, a severely bruised pelvic area, and facial cuts along with a bruised leg and foot have been reported. The TV Guard, measuring about 19 inches long, is made of clear plastic.One part of the shield fits under the television set and the other aligns itself across the front panel, where the controls are. A white sticker on the shield is labeled in part, "WARNING: Children can tip the television over onto themselves by pulling on the TV Guard...TV Guard Inc." The product was sold in a blue box labeled in part, "TV GUARD...Babies can't push buttons...No more interruptions...Childproof your television with our amazing plastic shield...Made in the USA." Juvenile catalogs and juvenile product stores nationwide sold the TV Guard from April 1993 to September 1998 for about $10. Consumers should immediately remove the guard from the television and call the company's 24-hour toll-free hotline at (877) TVGUARD. Consumers will receive a free, low-skid pad for use with TV Guard, to help prevent the television set from tipping.

Hazard

Children can tip the television over onto themselves by pulling on the TV Guard, and sustain bodily injury.

Incidents & Injuries

TV Guard Inc. has received three reports of young children suffering injuries when they pulled on the guard and the television fell on top of them. A broken leg, a severely bruised pelvic area, and facial cuts along with a bruised leg and foot have been reported.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should immediately remove the guard from the television and call the company's 24-hour toll-free hotline at (877) TVGUARD. Consumers will receive a free, low-skid pad for use with TV Guard, to help prevent the television set from tipping.

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.

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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 (Repair) 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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