FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2012
Release #12-248 Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 314-9130
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
HC Media Contact: (613) 957-2983
Gerber Recalls Machetes Due to Laceration Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Gerber® Bear Grylls Parang Machetes
Units: About 119,000
Importer: Gerber Legendary Blades, of Portland, Ore.
Hazard: A weakness in the area where the handle meets the blade can cause the handle or the blade to break during use, posing a laceration hazard.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm received 24 reports of breakages, including one report of a laceration injury in Canada, which did not involve stitches.
Description: The recalled product is a curved blade machete with an overall length of 19.5 inches and a blade length of 13.5 inches. The handle is a dark gray textured rubber grip with wrist lanyard, orange trim and a stylized "BG" on it. The blade is marked with the "GERBER®" trademark and a stylized Bear Grylls trademark. The machete comes in a black nylon sheath with orange and gray trim. The machetes were sold separately or as one of the products in Gerber's Apocalypse Survival Kit. The model numbers are on the package. Model numbers are: 31-000698, which has "Survival Series" printed on the package; and 31-001507, which was sold only at Walmart. Model number 30-0006010 is for the Apocalypse Survival Kit, which includes a Parang machete among other items in a foldable black cloth case with "GERBER" printed in orange on the inside right.
Sold at: Sporting goods stores nationwide and online from January 2011 through June 2012 for about $43 for the individual Parang machetes and $349 for the Apocalypse Survival Kits.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Parang machetes and contact Gerber Legendary Blades to receive a free replacement.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Gerber Legendary Blades toll-free at (877) 314-9130 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at
www.gerbergear.com
Note: Health Canada's press release is available at
http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1665
Picture of recalled machete package Picture of recalled machete and sheath
Picture of recalled machete in a survival kit
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at
www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to
www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.
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