WASHINGTON – Mattel Inc.’s Fisher-Price subsidiary is recalling almost 11 million toys, including tricycles, after reports of children being cut or choking, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.
Fisher-Price notified the agency of certain design and manufacturing flaws, triggering an investigation of company products that found additional defects, said Scott Wolfson, CPSC spokesman. Fisher-Price wanted to do the four resulting recalls at the same time, he said. Mattel, which bought the company in 1993, said Thursday that removing the toys will trim 2010 per-share earnings by 1 cent.
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The recall is the largest for toys since Congress enacted a law two years ago beefing up the product-safety regulator’s powers. Mattel and Fisher-Price were fined $2.3 million in June 2009 for toys violating federal lead-paint laws, at the time the largest civil fine in CPSC history.
The recalls are led by 7 million Fisher-Price tricycles, after 10 injuries were reported when children struck a protruding plastic “ignition key” on the toy, the agency said. East Aurora, N.Y.-based Fisher-Price also is recalling 2.8 million infant toys, including the Baby Playzone Crawl & Cruise, for choking hazards.
The toy maker will recall 950,000 high chairs after reports of 14 injuries, including seven children who needed stitches and one treated for a tooth injury. The recalls also cover 100,000 toy cars with wheels that may detach, the agency said.
Fisher-Price said in a statement that it’s offering “simple fixes” to allow the recalled toys to be used without danger.
“We want to reassure parents that our products are overwhelmingly safe,” Fisher-Price spokeswoman Juliette Reashor said in an e-mailed statement. “If we see an issue with a product at any point, even after many have been sold and used safely, we take appropriate action.”
The agency urged consumers to stop using the toys immediately and contact Fisher-Price at 1-800-432-5437 for repair kits or replacements.
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