Columbia Sportswear Reannounces Its Recall of Batteries Sold With Jackets Due To Fire Hazard

News provided by

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Jan 10, 2013, 02:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumers should stop using this product, which is being recalled voluntarily, unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030904/USCSCLOGO)

Recall Summary

Name of product: Omni-Heat™ Lithium-Polymer Rechargeable Batteries

Hazard: The batteries have a cell defect which can cause overheating, posing a fire hazard.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately check the battery packs included with the electric jacket to determine if they are part of the recall. Those with affected batteries should immediately remove the affected battery pack(s) from the jacket and contact Columbia Sportswear for a free replacement.

Consumer Contact: Columbia Sportswear Company at (800) 622-6953 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, by email at [email protected], or visit the firm's website at www.Columbia.com/Recall.

Firm's Media Contact: (503) 985-4584

Photos are available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml13/13089.html?tab=recalls.

Recall Details

Units: About 66 batteries - 33 jackets with two battery packs each (About 440 batteries - 220 jackets with two battery packs each were recalled in November 2011.)

Description: This recall involves battery packs that power heating systems in jackets. The black battery packs are 3.25 inches long by 2.3 inches wide by 0.7 inches deep and marked with "Columbia" on the top and "OMNI-HEAT™" on the bottom of the pack. Part number 054978-001 is printed on the side of the battery label.

Two battery packs were included with styles from:
Fall 2011 Mens: Electro Amp™ Jacket (SM7864) and Circuit Breaker™ Softshell (SM7855)
Fall 2011 Womens: Circuit Breaker™ Softshell (SL7856); Snow Hottie™ Jacket (SL7866), and Snow Hottie™ Parka (SL7853)

Incidents/Injuries: The firm received one report of an overheating battery in Europe. No incidents or injuries were reported in the U.S.

Sold at: The recalled battery packs were sold with Columbia electric jackets sold by Columbia online and at Columbia Sportswear stores in the cities and states listed below between September and November 2012 for about $260.

The nine Columbia Sportswear outlets that carried the jackets with battery packs are located in:

Sunrise, Fla. 33304
Wrentham, Mass. 02093
Birch Run, Mich. 48415-9496
Albertville, Minn. 55301
Central Valley, N.Y. 10917
Las Vegas, Nev. 89106
Grove City, Penn. 16127
Park City, Utah 84098
Pleasant Prairie, Wis. 53158-1705

Importer: Columbia Sportswear Company, of Portland, Ore.

Manufactured in: China

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov.

Media Contact
Please use the phone numbers below for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800

CPSC Consumer Information Hotline
Contact us at this toll-free number if you have questions about a recall:
800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054)
Times: 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime
Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products.

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products—such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals—contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission