Pushchairs 'are safe' says firm
Pushchair manufacturer Maclaren has explained its decision not to organise a European recall of the children's buggies at the centre of a safety issue – despite doing so in America.
The firm, based in Long Buckby, announced yesterday that more than one million folding pushchairs in the United States were being recalled after reports that 12 children had fingertips cut off when they were caught in the buggy's hinges.
The Maclaren umbrella pushchairs were voluntarily recalled by the firm, which said it was providing customers and retailers with a kit to cover the joint on the hinge mechanism.
Yesterday the company said the recall would not apply to the UK or the rest of Europe and insisted the pushchairs were safe when opened and closed correctly.
A spokesman for Maclaren said the products fully complied with European safety legislation and if a buggy was folded or unfolded in line with instructions, the risk of injury was "non-existent".
He said: "We wish to reassure our customers that they should continue to use their existing Maclaren buggies since they are safe when opened and closed correctly.
"As further reassurance we have updated our operating instructions and placed a warning label on the buggy to ensure that customers take care and keep children away from the buggy when it is being folded or unfolded.
"Our advice is that consumers should take the same level of caution and care as when opening or closing a car door or any other moving part that can be found in many other baby and toddler products."
Maclaren will be updating its UK website to give consumers clear advice and operating instructions.
"We would like to make clear this is not a European-wide product recall," the spokesman added. "In the US the term product recall has an entirely different meaning. It means corrective action or the modification of products which can be carried out in the home."
Maclaren has voluntarily added extra guides to UK products.
David Hedger, interim head of Northamptonshire Trading Standards, said: "The publicity this has received will go a long way to ensure that all parents and carers are aware of potential risks."
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