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"Hedstrom Big T" swing sets, Blazon-Flexible Flyer "T-Type Play Centers," and Sears brand T-style...

CPSC Recall #93-074 - May 26, 1993

Recall Summary

Recall Number93-074
Recall DateMay 26, 1993
Remedy TypeDispose, No Remedy Available
Units AffectedApproximately 1.5 million

Product

"Hedstrom Big T" swing sets, Blazon-Flexible Flyer "T-Type Play Centers," and Sears brand T-style gym sets

Description

PRODUCT: "Hedstrom Big T" swing sets, Blazon-Flexible Flyer "T-Type Play Centers," and Sears brand T-style gym sets. Approximately 1.5 million sets were sold between 1973 and 1991. PROBLEM: Strings from children's clothing may become entangled in the area where the handrail attaches to the slide. This presents a strangulation hazard. This notice, originally released in August 1992, is being reissued now to reach consumers who did not receive the earlier announcement. WHAT TO DO: Hedstrom, Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc. and Turco are out of business. Consumers should discard or destroy these products immediately. WASHINGTON, DC -- CPSC, Hedstrom Corporation of Bedford, PA, Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc. of West Point, MS, and representatives of Turco, a firm that went out of business in 1986, reissued a notice to provide consumers with guards for the handrail attachment area on certain home playground slides. These guards prevent the entanglement of strings from children's clothing, which could result in strangulation. The firms renewed this offer because of low consumer response to the initial notice. Only about 5,000 consumers have called for retrofit kits so far. Altogether, about 1.5 million sets were sold between 1973 and 1991. A child's clothing may catch and possibly result in strangulation. The slides involved are on the "Hedstrom Big T" swing sets and the Blazon-Flexible Flyer "T-Type Play Centers," and on Sears brand T-style gym sets manufactured by all three firms. They should be discarded immediately. The Hedstrom Corporation received a report that a three-year-old-girl strangled when her mitten strings, which were strung through her coat, caught at the point where the handrail attaches to the Big T slide. In addition, the Commission is aware of a hood string of a child's jacket that became entangled in the handrail attachment area of an older, similarly-designed slide whose brand could not be identified. While Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc. and Turco are unaware of any reports of entanglement, they are offering the guards along with Hedstrom because their slide/handrail attachment is considered by CPSC to be functionally identical to that of the Hedstrom Big T slide involved in the incidents. Hedstrom Big T and Blazon-Flexible Flyer T-Type Play Center swing sets with slides were sold nationally in retail stores from 1986 through 1991. They sold for approximately $100-200 each. Turco swing sets were sold from 1973 to 1987. Hedstrom, Blazon-Flexible Flyer and Turco also sold their T-style swing sets under the Sears labels with various model numbers. Consumers are urged to stop use of this product immediately. Hedstrom, Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc. and Turco are out of business. The remedy is no longer available. Consumers should discard or destroy these products immediately. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced this modification program as part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's objective is to reduce the estimated 28.6 million injuries and 21,700 deaths associated each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction.

Hazard

Strings from children's clothing may become entangled in the area where the handrail attaches to the slide. This presents a strangulation hazard.

Incidents & Injuries

The Hedstrom Corporation received a report that a three-year-old-girl strangled when her mitten strings, which were strung through her coat, caught at the point where the handrail attaches to the Big T slide. In addition, the Commission is aware of a hood string of a child's jacket that became entangled in the handrail attachment area of an older, similarly-designed slide whose brand could not be identified. Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc. and Turco are unaware of any reports of entanglement.

Remedy Instructions

Hedstrom, Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc. and Turco are out of business. Consumers should discard or destroy these products immediately.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Dispose, No Remedy Available 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 (Dispose, No Remedy Available) 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.

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