by Millions of tip kits are being recalled because they can become brittle and break, posing a tip-over hazard on clothing storage units
HIGH POINT — Next month, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission plans to announce a recall involving millions of plastic anti-tip kits made by Vietnamese manufacturer New Age Industries that the agency said can become brittle and break, posing a tip-over/entrapment hazard for the same units they were designed to keep from falling on children.
More than two dozen furniture companies are expected to participate in the recall, in partnership with a group called Alliance4Safety. The alliance was created to help member companies navigate the recall process through a corrective action plan.
Companies involved in the recall have received two reports of the tip restraints breaking. No injuries have been reported at the time of a draft release Home News Now received in early December.
The recall impacts clothing storage units with a manufacture date of November 2019 or later that were sold at furniture stores nationwide and online. For those units made from that point forward with the New Age plastic tip kit, consumers have been advised to keep children away from the clothing storage units.
Officials have been discussing the recall for months and initially anticipated releasing the information earlier this fall. However, the process took time because of the creation of an in-depth corrective action plan and checklist for companies to follow in dealing with the recall.
For example, companies participating in the recall must place a link on the top of their landing page titled “New Age Recall Information” that must remain in place for 120 days. It also should link to the Alliance4Safety website recall page where consumers will find out how to receive a replacement tip kit and installation instructions for that particular kit.
After 120 days the link can be moved to the bottom of the page. However, it should remain active for 10 years.
Participating companies also are asked to post information about the recall on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram starting on the day of the recall and for a period of two weeks after the initial announcement. In addition, they have been instructed to provide a list to the Alliance4Safety of all known purchasers of the clothing storage units sold with the New Age tip kits as soon as they are able.
Other provisions in the checklist include the following:
+ Provide recall information to distributors, dealers and retailers to whom the kits were distributed.
+ Prepare internal customer service representatives to handle consumer inquiries. Consumers will be referred to the Alliance4Safety to order replacement tip kits, but may need help from a participating company in identifying whether they have a recalled tip kit.
+ Those companies operating retail stores, should distribute communications to the stores that until May 1, 2024, clothing storage units should be inspected before delivery to confirm that New Age tip kits are not on the unit. If a New Age tip kit is on the unit during the inspection, it should be replaced with a non-New Age tip kit.
A4S also said it has an obligation to work with participating companies to notify the CPSC within 24 hours if they become aware of a fatality associated with the failure of a recalled tip kit in the U.S. It also must work with each participating company to immediately notify the CPSC of any report of a fatality outside the U.S. for which it has information.
