The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Recall of the Week: CR Brand’s mean green cleaner and degreaser due to chemical hazard

CR Brands is recalling about 83,800 containers of its Mean Green Super Strength Cleaner & Degreaser and Mean Green Industrial Strength Cleaner & Degreaser.

The products are labeled “Does not contain Ammonia,” but they may contain it. The mislabeling of the bottles can pose a chemical hazard to consumers, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

If ammonia is mixed with bleach or other household chemicals, irritating or toxic gases could be produced. No incidents or injuries have been reported.

Recall of the Week: Pro Performance Sports all-position resistance trainers due to risk of severe injury

Pro Performance Sports is recalling about 52,000 SKLZ recoil 360 all-position resistance trainers.

A weld on a ring on the resistance trainer’s belt can break during use and cause the resistance trainer’s flexible cord to quickly and unexpectedly retract and hit an exercise partner who is holding the other end, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The firm has received three reports of the weld on the resistance trainer breaking and resulting in serious injuries, including blunt trauma to a lower leg, a puncture wound, and a laceration.

Recall of the Week: DD brand candles sold at Hobby Lobby due to fire hazard

CoScentrix is recalling about 168,000 DD brand candles.

The company recalled about 256,000 candles sold in jars and tins November 2014 and about 126,000 candles sold in tins in April 2014.

The candle's high flame can ignite the surface of the wax, posing a fire hazard, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

CoScentrix has received one additional report of a candle’s surface igniting and no additional reports of injury or property damage. In the two previous recalls CoScentrix received a total of 31 reports of the candle's surface igniting, one report of injury, and 10 reports of property damage.

Honda fined $70 million for unreported safety issues

Honda will pay $70 million for failing to report deaths, injuries, and warranty claims to the federal government in violation of the TREAD Act.

In the settlement, finalized just before the New Year, Honda also agreed to increased  oversight U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and audits to ensure that all required reporting is completed now and into the future.

In 2014, NHTSA issued more than $126 million in penalties, which is more than the total amount collected by the agency during its 43-year history.

Recall of the Week: Keurig coffee brewers due to burn hazard

Keurig Green Mountain is recalling about 6.6 million of its Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System in the United States and 564,000 Canada 

Water can overheat during brewing, spray out, and burn consumers, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Keurig has received about 200 reports of hot liquid escaping from the brewer, including 90 reports of burn-related injuries.

This recall involves Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System with model number K10 – previously identified as model number B31.

No recall yet in caramel apple listeriosis outbreak, but consumers advised not to eat commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples

Five people have died from an outbreak of listeriosis. An initial investigation indicates that commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples are the likely source, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Twenty-eight people in 10 states have been reported as being infected with the outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes, according to the CDC. The agency reports that 26 ill people have been hospitalized.

Listeriosis contributed to at least four of the five deaths reported, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. Nine illnesses were pregnancy-related. Four illnesses were among otherwise healthy children ages 5 to 15 years.

The CDC reports that 15 of the 18 ill people interviewed reported eating commercially-produced, prepackaged caramel apples.

The Minnesota Department of Health has reported four illnesses. The individuals involved in the Minnesota cases purchased caramel apples from Cub Foods, Kwik Trip, and Mike’s Discount Foods, which carried Carnival brand and Kitchen Cravings brand caramel apples. These two brands are no longer available for purchase at retail locations, the FDA said.

Dangerous toys still on the market, consumer group finds

Even though Buckyballs have been recalled, U.S. PIRG staff are able to buy them on the Internet

For nearly 30 years, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund has conducted an annual survey of toy safety, and each year it continues to find harmful toys for sale.

Among the toys surveyed this year, it found many toys with choking hazards and five toys with toxins exceeding federal standards.

Standards for toy safety are enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safety standards include limits on toxics in children’s products, size requirements for toys for small children, warning labels about choking hazards, measures to keep magnets and batteries inaccessible, and noise limits.

The problems the staff who conducted the review found include:

• Lead. Childhood exposure to even low levels of lead can undermine development, damaging academic achievement and attentiveness. The staff found unsafe levels of lead in one set of play sheriff and police badges.

Recall of the Week: Lenovo AC power cords due to fire and burn hazards

Lenovo is recalling about 500,000 AC power cords in the United States and 44,000 in Canada.

The AC power cord can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

No incidents or injuries have been reported in the U.S. or Canada. However, Lenovo has received reports from outside the U.S. of 15 incidents involving overheating, sparking, melting, and burning. No injuries were reported.

Recall of the Week: Airbags in Honda, Ford, and Chrysler vehicles due to exploding shrapnel hazard

Honda North America said Wednesday it would expand its recall of potentially explosive driver-side airbag inflators nationwide as requested by federal regulators.

Previously, Honda vehicles in high humidity areas of the United States were subject to the airbag recall. Now, the recall has been expanded to all U.S. vehicles, according to the Autonews article “Honda to Expand Recalls of Driver-side Takata Airbags.”

Due to limited availability of replacement parts, Honda will prioritize vehicles in the high-humidity areas of the U.S. that were previously recalled, the article said.

Ford and Chrysler also said Wednesday they will recall more vehicles with Takata Corp passenger-side air bags, due to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration request, according to the Reuters article “Ford Expands Recall of Takata Airbags.”

The NHTSA said that defective Takata air bag inflators in certain vehicles can rupture and spray metal shards.

The agency said its decision on driver’s side air bags is based on the its evaluation of a recent air bag failure in a vehicle outside the regional recall area.

Consumers can determine if their vehicles are being recalled by going to www.safercar.gov/vinlookup and entering their vehicle identification number or VIN.

Copyright 2014, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Bob-Cat riding mowers due to crash hazard

Bob-Cat is recalling about 4,900 Bob-Cat zero turn riding mowers.

The steering control arm component can break under normal use, causing the driver to lose control and crash, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Control arm failure has been reported in 22 incidents, including failure during use and initial set-up. There have been no reports of injuries.

The CRZ and XRZ model riding mowers have a chassis with an adjustable10-gauge green steel mower deck. The frame, fuel tank, engine compartment, and side discharge chute are made of black metal and plastic components. They have four black wheels, two user-operated lever-arm controls, and a gray adjustable high-back seat.