Hand-held hair dryers
CPSC Recall #80-033 - September 7, 1980
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 80-033 |
| Recall Date | September 7, 1980 |
| Remedy Type | Replace, Repair |
| Units Affected | Approximately 87,000 |
Product
Hand-held hair dryers
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 8) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced that more than 87,000 additional hair dryers are being recalled because they were manufactured with asbestos. The majority of the dryers are professional hand-held models sold for use in barber shops and hair salons. The recalls are being conducted voluntarily by four companies, including the K-Mart Corporation, of Troy, Michigan: Rolf Brauchli, Inc., of Skokie, Illinois: Nino Originals, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Select Beauty Brands, Inc., of Carle Place, New York. K-Mart is recalling approximately 15,000 model 890 hand-held dryers supplied by Brother International, of Piscataway, New Jersey, and sold to consumers under the K-Mart label since 1972. Consumers whose dryers are in working condition can exchange them for a depreciated cash refund of $1.79, or a new Westminister brand AM/FM "Weather Band" radio (model TV1 or TV2). Dryers should be mailed by no later than February 15, 1981, to Service Center, Hiroaka New York, Inc., Room A22, 111 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10011. Postage costs will be reimbursed. The firm will replace each asbestos liner with a liner made from mica at no cost to consumers, who should return the dryer to the barber shop or beauty salon where purchased, or to Rolf Brauchli, Inc., 8044 N. Lawndale, Skokie, Illinois, 60076. Professionals should mail the dryers for repairs directly to the firm at the address listed above. Both professionals and consumers will be reimbursed for postage and insurance costs. The Nino Originals recall includes thousands of its "World Champion" 1300 watt and its "Nino 1000" brand 1300 watt hand-held dryers. Consumers should return the dryers to the place of purchase for free repairs to remove the asbestos liner. Professionals should mail the dryers for repairs to Nino Originals, 6632 Penn Avenue S., Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55423. Select Beauty Brands, Inc., also is recalling thousands of hand-held hair dryers, including the Royal model 550 and Royal model 1008. Professional hair stylists and consumers should mail the dryers to Select Beauty Brands, Inc., 333 Westbury Avenue, Carle Place, New York, 11514. The firm will replace the asbestos heat shield with a mica shield at no cost and will reimburse postage costs. Anyone needing to verify brand names and model numbers should contact CPSC's toll-free Hotline at 800-638-2772.
Hazard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced that more than 87,000 additional hair dryers are being recalled because they were manufactured with asbestos. The majority of the dryers are professional hand-held models sold for use in barber shops and hair salons.
Remedy Instructions
K-Mart: Consumers whose dryers are in working condition can exchange them for a depreciated cash refund of $1.79, or a new Westminister brand AM/FM "Weather Band'' radio (model TV1 or TV2). Dryers should be mailed by no later than February 15, 1981, to Service Center, Hiroaka New York, Inc., Room A22, 111 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10011. Postage costs will be reimbursed. Rolf Brauchli, Inc.: The firm will replace each asbestos liner with a liner made from mica at no cost to consumers, who should return the dryer to the barber shop or beauty salon where purchased, or to Rolf Brauchli, Inc., 8044 N. Lawndale, Skokie, Illinois, 60076. Professionals should mail the dryers for repairs directly to the firm at the address listed above. Both professionals and consumers will be reimbursed for postage and insurance costs. Nino Originals: Consumers should return the dryers to the place of purchase for free repairs to remove the asbestos liner. Professionals should mail the dryers for repairs to Nino Originals, 6632 Penn Avenue S., Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55423. Select Beauty Brands: Professional hair stylists and consumers should mail the dryers to Select Beauty Brands, Inc., 333 Westbury Avenue, Carle Place, New York, 11514. The firm will replace the asbestos heat shield with a mica shield at no cost and will reimburse postage costs.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Replace, 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 (Replace, 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.