It probably goes without saying that power tools and other machinery sold at Home Depot and Lowe's require proper handling and care. You need protective equipment when using something like a band saw or power sander—neither of which you'd be quick to hand off to someone with little experience. But one product sold at these stores may not seem all that dangerous, and is nevertheless posing a startling risk to consumers—even when they think they're taking the necessary precautions. Read on to find out which item is being recalled after reports of 24 finger losses.
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Several products have recently led to injuries.
Anna Hoychuk / ShutterstockThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was established to do just as its name suggests—protect customers. Recalls are generally announced every Thursday, and just last week, the agency confirmed that Empower Brands recalled specific Black+Decker Garment Steamers after 32 burn injuries. Two of the burns were second-degree, resulting from steamers spraying or leaking hot water during use.
In September, the CPSC also announced that Murphy beds manufactured by Cyme Tech were pulled from Walmart, Amazon, and other online furniture retailers. According to the recall notice, the beds could "break or detach from the wall and fall onto those nearby," and had already led to 62 reports of broken bones, bruises, cuts, and concussions.
Now, the CPSC issued another warning to consumers, adding that you'll want to proceed with extra caution to keep your hands protected.
You might have this in your garage in case of an emergency.
U.S. CPSCOn Nov. 10, the CPSC issued a recall notice for Generac and DR 6500 Watt and 8000 Watt portable generators, equipped with gasoline-powered engines. Affected products include Generac generators with unit type numbers XT8000E XT8000EFI, GP6500, GP6500E, GP8000E and HomeLink 6500E portable generators, per the CPSC. Recalled DR models include the PRO 6500M and PRO 6500E portable generators. A complete list of model and serial numbers is listed on the recall notice, and you can match them with those printed on the label of your generator or via Generac's website.
Roughly 321,160 generators were sold in stores and online at nationwide retailers, including Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Amazon, Blain's Farm & Fleet, City Electric Supply, Costco, Do it Best, Fastenal, Napa Auto Parts, Northern Tool & Equipment, Orgill, Power Equipment Direct, Ravitsky Bros., True Value, and W.W. Grainger. An additional 4,575 generators were sold in Canada. The machines were priced anywhere between $790 and $1,480.
A total of 37 serious injuries were reported.
VanoVasaio / ShutterstockIf the power has gone out due to severe weather or another issue, you're already concerned for your safety and well-being; the last thing you want to worry about is your emergency generator introducing another hazard. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case with the Generac models. According to the CPSC, "an unlocked handle can pinch consumers' fingers against the generator frame when the generator is moved, posing finger amputation and crushing hazards."
To date, the company has received 37 injury reports, 24 of which resulted in finger amputations and five that led to finger crushing.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time these generators have been cited for safety issues. They were previously recalled in July 2021. At the time, eight injuries—including seven finger amputations and one finger crushing—had been reported.
Stop using the generators and contact Generac.
Radovan1 / ShutterstockThe recall applies to generators sold from June 2013 through June 2021, as well as those that were purchased from July 29, 2021 through Nov. 3, 2022. The latter were equipped with full cover handle guards, per the recent recall notice.
Just as they were last year, consumers are asked to "immediately stop using" the generators unless the locking pin is properly inserted to secure the handle before and after moving it. In the meantime, you can contact Generac for a free repair kit with spacers that "move the handle away from the frame, eliminating the pinch point." The company can be reached at 844-242-3493 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, or online.
Those who responded to the first recall received a handle guard kit and are now on a list to receive the additional handle spacer. According to Generac, these consumers will automatically receive the kit and don't need to take any additional steps.
