Ballard Designs Recalls Step Stools Due to Fall Hazard

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #12001) was formally reported on October 4, 2011. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Ballard Designs, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 2,500 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: Plastic tabs on the feet of the step stools can cause the stools to be unstable, posing a fall hazard to consumers. 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 immediately remove the four plastic tabs from the feet of their step stools. Instructions are available online at www.ballarddesigns.com under the Product Safety page or by contactin… — 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 6 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 15 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.