BICYCLE HELMETS About 31,100 Bell Sports full-face bicycle helmets sold by Walmart stores nationwide and Amazon.com between August 2009 and March 2011 for between $50 and $60. The plastic buckle that connects the chin straps can fail, causing the helmet to come off the wearer's head. This poses a head injury hazard to riders in the event of a fall. The firm has received one report of a buckle failing during an accident, resulting in an injury that required stitches below the wearer's eye.
IF YOU OWN ONE Stop using it and contact Bell Sports at 866-892-6059 or via email at answer_desk@bellsports.com, for information about a replacement or refund.
NOTEBOOK BATTERIES About 162,600 additional lithium-ion batteries used in HP and Compaq notebook computers (54,000 and 70,000 batteries were previously recalled in May 2010 and May 2009, respectively) sold at computer and electronics stores nationwide, hp.com, and hpshopping.com from July 2007 through July 2008 for between $500 and $3,000. The battery packs were also sold separately for between $100 and $160. The recalled lithium-ion batteries can overheat and rupture, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. Since the May 2010 recall expansion, HP has received 40 additional reports of batteries that overheated and ruptured, resulting in seven burn injuries, one smoke inhalation injury, and 36 instances of property damage.
IF YOU OWN ONE Remove the battery from your notebook contact HP to determine if that battery is included in this recall. Consumers who had previously checked their batteries and were informed they were not included in previous announcements are urged to check again. For complete details, including a list of specific batteries, visit the HP Battery Replacement Program website or call 888-202-4320. Consumers with recalled batteries will receive a free replacement battery.
FOOD PROCESSORS About 255,000 GE food processors sold exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide and Walmart.com from September 2009 through February 2011 for a retail price of about $50. The safety interlock system on the recalled food processor can fail; allowing operation without the lid secured which poses a laceration hazard. In addition, the product can emit smoke, or catch fire, posing a fire hazard. Walmart has received a total of 58 incident reports: 24 reports of the food processor operating without the lid in place, of which 21 resulted in injuries to fingertips; and 34 reports of the unit smoking, including 3 reports of fires.
IF YOU OWN ONE Stop using it and return it to any Walmart for a full refund. For more info, call 877-207-0923 or go to Walmart's website.
For the latest information on all recalls, go to Recalls.gov. There you'll find recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, among others.
