Friday, August 7, 2009

Ross StoresTo Pay $500,000 Civil Penalty For Failing To Follow CPSC Issued Drawstring Guidelines

In February 1996, CPSC issued drawstring guidelines (pdf) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled in the neck and waist drawstrings in upper outerwear, such as jackets and sweatshirts. In May 2006, CPSC’s Office of Compliance announced (pdf) that children’s upper outerwear with drawstrings at the hood or neck would be regarded as defective and as creating a substantial risk of injury to young children.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Ross Stores Inc., of Pleasanton, Calif. has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $500,000. The penalty settlement, which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, resolves CPSC staff allegations that Ross knowingly failed to report to CPSC immediately, as required by federal law, that children’s hooded sweatshirts it sold had drawstrings at the neck.

Children’s upper outerwear with drawstrings, including sweatshirts, pose a strangulation hazard to children which can result in serious injury or death. CPSC and the sweatshirts’ importers announced recalls (07-777, 08-121, 08-146, 08-192) of the products.

In agreeing to the settlement, Ross Stores denies CPSC's allegations that it knowingly violated the law.

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 it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx


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