The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereCPSC·01057·Announced 2000-12-20

DEWALT and Black & Decker battery chargers recalled due to fire and burn risks

DEWALT and Black & Decker are recalling about 1.7 million battery chargers because they may fail to shut off, causing batteries to burst and posing fire, burn, and electrical shock hazards.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural defect in a power supply that poses fire and burn hazards, and the source text explicitly reports two instances of battery bursts resulting in consumer injuries, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

DEWALT Industrial Tool Co. is recalling approximately 1.7 million DEWALT and Black & Decker battery chargers used with cordless power tools. The affected units include DEWALT models DW9107 and DW9108, as well as Black & Decker Industry & Construction models 97015 and 97016. These chargers were sold nationwide at home center and hardware stores, and bundled with some cordless tools, from May 1996 through August 2000 for between $50 and $60.

The recall is being issued because the chargers can fail to automatically shut off after the battery is fully charged. This malfunction can cause the battery to burst, posing fire, burn, and electrical shock hazards to consumers. DEWALT has received two reports of batteries bursting, resulting in consumer injuries including minor lacerations and a minor burn.

Consumers should stop using these battery chargers immediately. They should take the chargers to a DEWALT or Black & Decker service center for a free replacement. To locate the nearest service center or for more information, consumers can call DEWALT toll-free at (866) 543-3401 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit www.dewalt.com.

The recalled product

Product
DEWALT and Black & Decker battery chargers used with cordless power tools
Manufacturer
DEWALT® Industrial Tool Co., of Baltimore, Md.
Category
Consumer Product — Power Tools & Accessories
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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