Homelite Recalls Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner Attachments Due to Laceration Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Home Depot

News provided by

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Jul 21, 2011, 11:30 ET

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

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Name of product: Homelite Surface Cleaner Attachments
Units: About 40,000 in the United States and 1,200 in Canada
Manufacturer: Homelite Consumer Products Inc., of Anderson, S.C.
Hazard: The surface cleaner attachment's nozzle and spray bar can break and detach, striking and/or breaking the unit's plastic housing. The broken nozzle, spray bar and/or plastic housing can strike consumers, posing a laceration hazard.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received nine reports of incidents involving the recalled surface cleaner attachments, including one laceration injury and three reports of minor property damage.
Description: This recall involves drum-shaped surface cleaner attachments for pressure washers. The pressure washer attachments were sold in orange or red colors and have hexagonal brass-colored nozzles inside a 15-inch plastic drum holding the spray bar. They were sold with Homelite pressure washer models HL80833 and HL80835. They were sold separately as Powercare model AP31022A and EZ Clean model AEZ231022.
Sold exclusively at: Home Depot stores nationwide from February 2010 through June 2011 for about $70 when sold as an attachment and about $450 when sold with a pressure washer.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled surface cleaner attachments, and contact Homelite to receive a free replacement surface cleaner attachment.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Homelite toll-free at (800) 867-9624 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET or visit the firm's website at www.homelite.com.

Note: Health Canada's press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1373

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.

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 (800) 638-8270 for the hearing 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.

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 867-9624
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
HC Media Contact: (613) 957-2983

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission