U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2007
Release
#07-307 Simplicity’s Recall Hotline: (888) 593-9274
CPSC Hotline: (800)
638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Simplicity Media Contact: (713)
301-0733
About 1 Million Simplicity Cribs Recalled
Due To Failures Resulting in Infant Deaths WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing today a voluntary recall with Simplicity
Inc., of Reading, Pa., of about 1 million cribs. The drop-side can detach from
the crib, which can create a dangerous gap and lead to the entrapment and suffocation
of infants. CPSC is aware of two deaths in Simplicity manufactured cribs with
older style hardware, including a 9-month-old child and a 6-month-old child, where
the drop-side was installed upside down. CPSC is also aware of seven infant entrapments
and 55 incidents in these cribs. CPSC is also investigating the death of
a 1-year-old child in a Simplicity crib with newer style hardware, in which the
drop-side was installed upside down. CPSC is warning parents and caregivers to
check all Simplicity cribs to make sure the drop-side is installed right side
up. The drop-side failures result from both the hardware and crib design,
which allow consumers to unintentionally install the drop-side upside down. This,
in turn, can weaken the hardware and cause the drop-side to detach from the crib.
When the drop-side detaches, it creates a gap in which infants can become entrapped. CPSC
is also aware of two incidents that occurred when the drop-side was correctly
installed with older style hardware, though the upside down installation greatly
increases the risk of failure. The recalled
Simplicity crib models include:
Aspen 3 in 1
Aspen 4 in 1
Nursery-in-a-Box
Crib N Changer Combo
Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1.
The
recall also involves the following Simplicity cribs that used the Graco logo:
Aspen 3 in 1
Ultra 3 in 1
Ultra 4 in 1
Ultra 5 in 1
Whitney
Trio. The
recalled cribs have one of the following model numbers, which can be found on
the envelope attached to the mattress support and on the label attached to the
headboard: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800, 8740, 8910, 8994, 8050, 8750,
8760, and 8996. The cribs, which were made in China, were sold in department
stores, children’s stores and mass merchandisers nationwide from January
1998 through May 2007 for between $100 and $300. As an immediate precaution,
consumers should check to see if the drop-side is installed right side up. To
do this, check to see that the slightly rounded rail with the decorative groove
is installed at the top and the plain rail is on the bottom. Next, consumers should
make sure the drop-side is securely attached to the tracks in all four corners.
Close-up of a Correctly Installed Drop-side (Below)
Close-up of an Incorrectly Installed Drop-side (Below)
 If
the drop-side is installed upside down or not securely attached, consumers should
stop using the crib immediately. Incorrect installation can cause permanent damage
to the hardware and re-installing the drop-side using the same hardware is unsafe. Consumers
should check to see if their crib contains the recalled hardware. Recalled hardware
has a flexible tab at the bottom of the lower tracks and the top of the lower
tracks are open. Newer hardware, which is not subject to the recall, has the flexible
tab located at the top of the lower track, and a permanent stop at the bottom. Photo
of Older Style Hardware (Below)
Photo of Newer Style Hardware (Below)
Consumers
who have a crib with older style hardware can receive a free repair by immediately
contacting Simplicity toll-free at (888) 593-9274 between 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m.
ET Monday through Thursday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, and between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, or by visiting the firm’s Web site at www.simplicityforchildren.com Consumers
who have a crib with newer style hardware and have installed the drop-side upside
down or have broken hardware, should also contact Simplicity immediately. Consumer
Action Guide
Older Hardware Recalled: Consumers should contact Simplicity
immediately for a free repair.
Newer Hardware Warning: Consumers should
check crib’s drop-side to ensure it is assembled right side up and inspect
for broken hardware. Video News Release for Media Use: The above video is
also available in broadcast quality on Pathfire DMG: 26927. Search within the
PR Newswire or MultiVu section by story ID # 26927 or by headline. For technical
assistance call Pathfire Customer Care at 1-888-345-0489 or e-mail support@pathfire.com. --- The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public
from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types
of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property
damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion
annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products
that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children.
The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs,
power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly
to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer
products over the past 30 years. To report a dangerous product or a product-related
injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800)
638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email
subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain
this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov. <
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