Recall: Beanbag Chairs Recalled by Baseline Design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28, 2003 Release # 03-076

Baseline Design Recall Hotline: (800) 497-3626 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063

CPSC Announces Recall of Baseline Design Beanbag Chairs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing the recall of about 30,000 beanbag chairs manufactured in 1999 by Baseline Design, of Linwood, Pa. Some of these beanbag chairs have zippers that can be opened, allowing access to the polystyrene beads inside the chairs. This poses a suffocation hazard to young children who can unzip the chair and inhale the small beads.

Baseline Design is aware of three incidents in which the chairs were unzipped freely. Two of the incidents involved young children who were able to open the beanbag chair zippers and handle the small polystyrene beads, including one child who received medical attention after inhaling the beads.

The recalled beanbag chairs are designed with 12-inch double zippers and have various designs, including a smiley face, a football- shape, a baseball-shape, a basketball-shape and solid green, yellow, pink and blue neon colors. The beanbags have a tag that states, in part, "Made by Baseline Design."

Wal-Mart stores located in the Northeast U.S. sold the beanbag chairs from September 1999 through December 1999 for about $30.

Consumers should check if they can unzip their Baseline Design beanbag chairs. If the zippers can be unzipped freely, Baseline Design will provide owners with a free replacement beanbag chair with zippers that do not open. Consumers should be sure young children cannot use the chairs if the zipper can be opened freely and should be sure children are not exposed to the beads inside the chair. For more information and instructions, consumers should call Baseline Design at (800) 497-3626, Ext. 3046, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's web site at www.foamex.com.

Baseline Design is cooperating with the CPSC and providing replacement beanbag chairs to consumers if the zippers can be opened freely. The firm previously notified owners of the recalled products through newspaper advertisements in the Northeastern U.S. where the beanbags were sold.