CPSC Announces Recall of Baseline Design Beanbag Chairs
CPSC recall 03076 · announced January 28, 2003 · Baseline Design · 30,000 units affected
The product
The recalled beanbag chairs are designed with 12-inch double zippers and have various designs, including a smiley face, a football shape, a baseball shape, a basketball shape, and solid green, yellow, pink and blue neon colors. The beanbags have a tag that states, in part, "Made by Baseline Design."
The hazard
Some of these beanbag chairs have zippers that can be opened, allowing access to the polystyrene beads inside the chairs. This poses a suffocation hazard to young children who can unzip the chair and inhale the small beads.
What to do (per CPSC)
Consumers should check if they can unzip their Baseline Design beanbag chairs. If the zippers can be unzipped freely, Baseline Design will provide owners with a free replacement beanbag chair with zippers that do not open. Consumers should be sure young children cannot use the chairs if the zipper can be opened freely and should be sure children are not exposed to the beads inside the chair.
Notes
Incidents (per CPSC): Baseline Design is aware of three incidents, in which the chairs were unzipped freely. Two of the incidents involved young children who were able to open the beanbag chair zippers and handle the small polystyrene beads, including one child who received medical attention after inhaling the beads.
Sold at: Wal-Mart stores located in the Northeast U.S. sold the beanbag chairs, from September 1999 through December 1999, for about $30.
Consumer contact: For more information and instructions, consumers should call Baseline Design at (800) 497-3626, Ext. 3046, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's web site at www.foamex.com
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission public recall data. This page reports official records and is not legal, medical, or repair advice.