The Recall Desk
SevereCPSC·99152·Announced 1999-08-04

Mealane Recalls Star Fire Sprinklers for Failure Risk

Mealane Corp. is recalling up to 1 million Star brand fire sprinklers manufactured between 1961 and 1976 because they may fail to activate during a fire.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural safety defect in fire protection equipment that could lead to death or serious injury, and the source explicitly mentions a report of a sprinkler not functioning in a fire.

Plain-English summary

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Mealane Corp. of Philadelphia, Pa., is voluntarily recalling up to 1 million "Star" brand fire sprinklers. These dry-type sprinklers, including models D-1, RD-1, RE-1, E-1, and ME-1, were manufactured from 1961 through 1976. The recall is due to a risk that the sprinklers could fail to activate in a fire, potentially exposing the public to bodily injury or death.

These sprinklers have been installed nationwide, primarily in nursing homes, but may also be found in hospitals, schools, resorts, stores, office buildings, warehouses, and supermarkets. CPSC reports that 67 percent of the sprinklers removed from various locations and submitted to independent testing laboratories failed to activate as required. The agency has received one report of a Star sprinkler allegedly not functioning in a bedroom fire in a nursing home.

Consumers and property owners should determine whether their facilities contain these recalled sprinklers. If they do, they should call the Star Sprinkler Recall Hotline at (800) 866-7807 or access www.star-recall.com to participate. Mealane will provide free replacement sprinkler heads and reimburse labor costs for removing and replacing the old units. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is supporting the recall with CPSC.

The recalled product

Product
Star fire sprinklers
Manufacturer
Star
Category
Consumer Product — Fire Safety Equipment
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same hazard · fire

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