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Old home freezers recalled
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October 24, 2000: 4:17 p.m. ET
Industry group seeks up to 9M chest freezers to prevent child entrapment
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Safety regulators announced a recall initiative Tuesday of up to 9 million older chest freezers that pose a suffocation threat to small children.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) are warning consumers to carefully inspect any freezers they own that were manufactured between 1945 and 1970, before voluntary safety standards went into effect. Those safety measures allow the appliances to open from the inside.
According to the CPSC, the recall advisory was issued because children playing "hide-and-seek" sometimes use old freezers as a place to hide. When the lid closes, they can be trapped inside; death by suffocation can occur in less than 10 minutes.
 The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said 27 children have died from suffocation between 1980 and 1999 after becoming trapped in the freezers.
AHAM spokeswoman Jill Notini said the association has been unable to determine how many of the 9 million chest freezers in question are still being used. The units were made by more than 40 different manufacturers, many of whom are no longer in business. Notini added many of the units no longer work, but are kept in basements and garages for storage.
"Many people think it's like a closet," she said. "Unfortunately, it's an airtight closet."
Consumers should properly dispose of these non-working freezers immediately or disable the closing latch. Notini said consumers should stand in front of the unit and pull on the corners. If you are able to lift up the lid, the unit is not a safety hazard. If you have to use the handle to open the lid, then the unit could entrap and suffocate a small child.
Consumers can call AHAM's toll-free hotline at (800) 267-3138 for detailed information on identifying the affected units and locating the agencies in their area who will remove the units. AHAM will also send information on how to disable the latch, which is also available on AHAM's Web site.
To disable the latch on a chest freezer, AHAM said consumers should do the following:
- Examine the handle and catch to determine the type of screwdriver you will need to remove the screws on the catch of the handle.
- Use a screwdriver to remove the screws on the lower portion of the freezer or the screws from the handle.
- Remove at least one part of the lock so that the lid can be opened from the inside. Then test the lid to see if it opens by lifting on its four corners.
- Use a utility knife to remove the rubber gasket that surrounds the perimeter of the freezer lid. Removing the gasket will help create an air space.
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CNNfn: recalls
CPSC
AHAM
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