CPSC, Firms Announce Recall of Hand Trucks, Baby Walkers

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #01203) was formally reported on July 20, 2001. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. The recalling firm is not specified in the federal record. Federal records indicate About 32,000 hand trucks and 600 baby walkers units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: If the tires of the hand trucks are substantially over-inflated beyond the recommended maximum 30 P.S.I., the rims of the tire can separate under the intense pressure and strike the user or bystanders. The walkers will … Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should contact UnionTools, Inc. to receive a free repair kit. Consumers should only use a hand pump to inflate the tires. Consumers should stop using these baby walkers immediately and call… — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 25 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.