May 17, 2012: Safety 1st Toilet and Cabinet Locks Recalled

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About 183,000 toilet locks and 685,000 cabinet locks have been recalled due to lock failure.

What's the Deal?

Image shown represents just one of the recalled products.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) Inc., of Columbus, Indiana, have recalled about 183,000 toilet locks and 685,000 cabinet locks. Young children can unexpectedly disengage the toilet locks and gain access to water in the toilet, posing the risk of drowning. The cabinet locks are being recalled because young children can disengage the lock, posing the risk of injury from dangerous or unsafe items stored in the cabinet.

DJG has received 110 reports of toilet locks that did not adequately secure the lid, including eight reports of children, under the age of 2, who were able to disengage or break the lock. In addition, DJG has received 278 reports of cabinet locks that did not adequately secure the cabinet, including 71 reports of children between the ages of 8 months and 5 years old who were able to disengage the cabinet locks. In one of the reported incidents, a 13-month-old boy swallowed small, toxic beads from a craft kit. The child was admitted to the hospital, observed overnight, and released the next day.

Do You Own It?

This recall involves Safety 1st Sure Fit toilet locks with model numbers 48003 and 48103. The toilet lock is attached to the tank behind the lid and is intended to prevent a child's access to the toilet bowl. This recall also involves Safety 1st cabinet slide locks with model numbers 12013 and 12014. The cabinet slide lock is attached to cabinet knobs or handles to prevent access to the contents of the cabinet. Model numbers can be found on the back of the locks.

The locks sold at Bed, Bath and Beyond, Burlington Coat Factory, Great Beginnings, Home Depot, Target, and Wal-Mart from January 2005 through April 2010 for between $8 and $20 for the toilet locks, and from January 2000 through March 2009 for between $2 and $11 for the cabinet locks. Amazon.com sold both locks through April 2012.

What Should You Do?

Consumers should immediately remove the recalled locks and contact DJG for a free replacement lock of a different model. When removing the recalled locks, consumers are urged to immediately store dangerous items out of reach of children and to prevent unsupervised access to bathrooms.

For additional information, contact DJG toll-free at (877) 416-8105 between 8 AM and 5 PM EST, Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.djgusa.com. In March 2012, 900,000 Safety 1st Push 'N Snap cabinet locks were recalled due to lock failure.

Click here to see the official recall.