Five bunk bed manufacturers are recalling approximately 3,100 wooden and metal bunk beds. They have openings on the top bunk that present a potential entrapment hazard to young children.
The spaces can be large enough for a child's body to pass through, but small enough to entrap the child's head.Since November 1994, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and 31 bunk bed manufacturers have recalled more than a half million wooden bunk beds with similar entrapment hazards.
Since 1990, the CPSC has received reports of 34 children who died from becoming caught in spaces in the top of wooden bunk beds. Thirty-three of those children were three years old or younger. The CPSC has received reports of four children dying from being caught in spaces in the top of metal bunk beds. All four of those children were 2 years old or younger.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) voluntarily set standards that require that there be guardrails on both sides of the top bunk and that all the spaces between the guardrail and bed frame, and in the head and foot boards on the top bunk, be less than 3 1/2 inches.
The CPSC and bunk bed manufacturers continue to urge parents not to put children under age 6 on the top bunk.
As far as we know, none of the bunk beds involved in this recall were distributed in Utah.
Wallpaper steamers
Wagner Spray Tech Corp. of Plymouth, Minn., is repairing about 44,000 wallpaper steamers sold under the brand name "Wagner Power Steamer" (model 700). Under certain conditions, steam and hot water can forcefully escape from the unit when the filler cap is opened. Consumers can be burned by the hot water and steam.
The company has received five reports of first- and second-degree burn injuries to consumers' hands, arms, legs and feet from forcefully escaping steam and hot water.
The plastic steamer is mainly gray and black with a round one-gallon water container measuring 6 1/2 inches in height by 9 1/2 inches in diameter. The steamer has an 1 11/2-foot hose that connects the steamplate to the steamer. The fill cap is yellow and is attached to the end of the hose that connects to the spout of the water container. The water container and the steamplate both have yellow labels displaying model number 700 and brand name "Wagner Power Steamer." Model 700 steamers have serial numbers beginning with K and ending with N, beginning with L and ending with N, or beginning with M and ending with N. The serial number is printed in blue ink on the bottom of the water container. Hardware and home supply stores nationwide sold the steamers from July 1994 through February 1997 for about $70. You should stop using the steamer and call Wagner at (800) 686-8525 to receive a free placement hose/filler cap.