Durham Recalls Holly Hobbie Toy Telephone Cords Due to Burn Risk
Durham Industries is recalling detachable cords for Holly Hobbie toy telephones because the plugs resemble electrical plugs, posing a shock and burn hazard.
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 reported injury (burn) to a child and a hazard capable of causing severe shock or burns, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating due to significant injury reports.
Plain-English summary
Durham Industries, Inc. is recalling detachable connector cords sold with approximately 97,000 Holly Hobbie dial/intercom toy telephone sets. The cords connect two battery-operated toy telephones, allowing children to communicate. The two-prong plugs at the ends of the cords closely resemble genuine electrical plugs, which may lead children to attempt to insert them into household electrical sockets.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, this design flaw can result in severe shocks or burns. An 8-year-old girl was burned earlier in 1979 after forcing one of the plugs into a wall electrical outlet. The affected toy sets, model 7028, are available in pink and blue and feature functional intercoms, signal lights, and buzzers with "Holly Hobbie" printed on the center dial.
The toy telephones were sold exclusively by K-Mart Corporation for approximately $9.95. Durham Industries imported the toys from Yugoslavia starting in 1977. Parents should return the cords to Durham Industries, Inc. at 41 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010, to receive free replacement cords that have been redesigned.
The recalled product
- Product
- Holly Hobbie dial/intercom toy telephone sets
- Manufacturer
- Kmart
- Category
- Consumer Product — Toys
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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