Buggies blamed for cutting off fingertips in US 'are safe for UK'

Published on Tuesday 10 November 2009 21:31

PRAM maker Maclaren yesterday defended its decision not to launch a European recall of buggies at the centre of a safety scare despite doing so in America.

It announced a million folding buggies in the United States were being recalled after reports that 12 children had fingertips cut off from being caught in hinges.

All Maclaren single and double umbrella buggies, including the popular Volo and Techno models, were voluntarily recalled by the firm, which said it was providing customers and retailers with a kit to cover the elbow joint on the hinge.

But yesterday it said the recall would not apply to the UK or the rest of Europe and insisted the buggies were safe when opened and closed correctly.

A spokesman said the products fully complied with European safety legislation and if a buggy is folded or unfolded in line with instructions, the risk of injury is "non-existent".

He said: "We wish to reassure our customers they should continue to use their Maclaren buggies since they are safe when opened and closed correctly."

He said 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," he 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.

"In response to accidents which occurred when buggies where not operated in line with instructions and safety guidelines our US company decided to voluntarily supply kits to cover the elbow joint as a safety measure. If a buggy is folded or unfolded in line with our operating instructions the risk of injury is non-existent."

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said, in a joint statement with Maclaren USA: "The stroller's (buggy's] hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening it."

It said the firm had received 15 reports of children placing their finger in the buggy's hinge mechanism, "resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the US".

The recalled models in America include the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, Techno XLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA): "This should remind people of the need for care in putting buggies up and down and encourage children not to play with their buggies."