138,000 Entertainment Centers Recalled

Ameriwood Industries, which is based in Ohio, has recalled one-hundred and thirty-eight thousand home entertainment centers which were sold through the Ridgewood/Charleswood brand. They have the potential to collapse and cause injury or even death. The manufacturer is supplying a free repair kit to customers so that the problem can be corrected.

According to a press release issued on Wednesday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the centers may collapse if they have a back panel which isn't secure. It has been reported that a 19-month old child was killed by a collapsing entertainment center, and three incidents involving minor injuries have also been reported. The recalled entertainment centers have a black exterior, multiple doors, and storage racks for holding compact discs. The model number is 93956, and can be found on the entertainment center's instruction manual. This model has a width of 54", a depth of 20", and a height of 71" in.

The entertainment centers were sold by "mass merchandisers" throughout the nation, which included the K-Mart chain of stores. The centers were made in the United States. They were priced at approximately 200 dollars and became available in the month of June, 2000; they stopped being sold at the end of May, 2005. The unit's doors include two in the lower corners which are miter framed, and two at the top which are made of glass. See the photo on the left to help identify the recalled model.

Customers are urged to stop using the entertainment centers right away and contact the manufacturer to request a free repair kit for fixing the support panel. Ameriwood Industries can be contacted by telephone at (877) 732-8252 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central time, on weekdays.

Ameriwood's web site provides additional information on the recalled product. It indicates that collapse may be caused by the back panel being loose, not properly attached, or unattached. It also states that the free repair kit can be ordered through their web site, or by telephone. The web site provides instructions for using the repair/support kit as well, along with an order form for the kit. Other Ameriwood products include tables, microwave carts, chairs, cabinets, and various other types of furniture.

Ensuring the safety of customers with regard to over fifteen thousand product types is under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, according to their web site. The site also points out that "incidents" caused by consumer products cost the United States over 700 billion dollars each year.

Sources:
1. CPSC, http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08114.html
2. Ameriwood, http://www.ameriwood.com/recall.html
3. CPSC, http://www.cpsc.gov/about/about.html