Lamorinda Moms Club - RC2 Voluntarily Recalls Two Styles of 3-in-1 Flush & Sounds Potty Training Seats

Tuesday, 02 December 2008

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RC2 Voluntarily Recalls Two Styles of 3-in-1 Flush & Sounds Potty Training Seats

Dec. 6, 2007 -- RC2 Corporation today announced that it is voluntarily recalling two styles of The First Years(R) 3-in-1 Flush & Sounds Potty training seats due to the discovery of excess levels of lead in surface paint on 5-inch rectangular plaques inserted into the backs of the training seats. Approximately 123,000 plaques were used in potty training seats sold to U.S. and Canadian mass and specialty retailers between April 2006 and August 2007. Approximately 37,000 additional plaques were not used in training seats and have been quarantined by the company. There have been no reports of illness or injury related to the plaques.

Working closely with the CPSC, RC2 determined that the potential safety issue can be readily corrected in the home with a clear protective cover available free-of-charge from the company. The easily-applied protective cover is a permanent solution that eliminates a child's access to the plaque. There is no need to return the recalled potty training seat to the company, and the potty training seat can continue to be used. Until the protective cover arrives, consumers should keep the seat away from young children when not in use. Instructions for ordering a protective cover are available on the company's website, www.recalls.rc2.com, or assistance is available by calling the RC2 Consumer Care Center at (866) 725-4407 toll free.

"We sincerely apologize for the worry this recall may cause parents and caregivers, but know that child safety must always be our single most important priority," said Curt Stoelting, chief executive officer of RC2 Corp. "Throughout the summer RC2 has worked very hard to establish new safeguards as part of our new Multi-Check Safety System. Today, all of RC2's contract manufacturers are fully engaged and implementing the Multi-Check's expanded testing program and paint control procedures along with several other preventative measures. Unfortunately, the plaques that prompted this recall were produced several months before the Multi-Check System was implemented."

Each potty training seat assembly has either a yellow chair with a green removable seat and a purple lift-out pot or a blue chair with a white removable seat and green lift-out pot. The potty makes flushing sounds and says words of encouragement when the handle on the side of the seat is pushed down. The plaque, picturing the "100 Acre Wood" from the Winnie the Pooh story, is molded on the chair back. The affected plaques were produced between December 2005 and March 2006 by a contract manufacturer in China and contain the Tigger character, which is painted with an orange color that may contain excess levels of lead. The contract manufacturer that produced these plaques is no longer making products for RC2.

Discovered during on-going product testing, results from an independent third-party testing laboratory indicated excess levels of lead in surface paint on a sample plaque. While many of the plaques conform to safety standards, testing as part of a subsequent internal investigation verified excess lead levels on plaques from three tracking codes.

Complete recall information, including full color photos of the affected products, is available on RC2's recall website, www.recalls.rc2.com, or from RC2's Consumer Care Center, which can be reached toll-free at (866)725-4407. As part of its public outreach efforts, RC2 is notifying retailers to remove the recalled items from their store shelves and inventories and post color posters that will assist customers in identifying the affected products.