Sam's Club Ceramic Outdoor Torch Lamps Recalled

The store chain Sam's Club has recalled approximately 138,000 outdoor ceramic oil torch lamps, due to the risk of fire, burns, cuts, and damage to property. Two injuries involving the lamps have been reported.

According to a press release issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Wednesday, the ceramic torch head can separate from its base while being used, which causes it to break and then spill torch fuel. Two people have been injured by these lamps, including a child who was cut on the scalp by the separated torch head and received a skin rash from the oil. Another customer's hands were cut by the broken pieces of the lamp. One-hundred and seven reports of the torch separating from its base have been received by Sam's Club.

The lamps, which were manufactured in China and imported by Wal-Mart, are six feet tall and were sold in sets of four. The units consist of a green bowl-shaped lamp and a brown-colored pole/stand made of cast iron. They were sold from February through July at Sam Club's stores nationwide, and were priced at approximately sixty dollars. Customers who own these lamps are called upon to immediately stop using them and return them to a Sam's Club store, where they will receive a refund.

This recall comes as many Chinese-made products are being recalled due to various safety issues, including such items as lead-painted children's toys, contaminated toothpaste, partially defective weather alert radios, unsafe pet food, and faulty tires. However, a news story from the Reuters news agency on Thursday indicated that the deputy U.S. trade representative has assured China that product safety issues would not be used as a reason to reduce imports.

According to the Sam's Club web site, they have five-hundred and eighty stores nationwide, as well as one-hundred stores in other countries. Forty-seven million Americans are Sam's Club members. The stores offer multiple membership levels and sell a wide variety of products, including food, clothing, electronics, appliances, and other items. The first Sam's Club store opened about twenty-four years ago (1983) in Oklahoma.

The recall press release indicates that customers can contact Sam's Club at (800) 828-9316 between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM eastern time (Monday through Friday), if additional information is needed. The Wal-Mart web site has a copy of the press release, but does not appear to provide any more information on the product.

Sources:

1. Consumer Product Safety Commission, http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07572.html
2. Sam's Club, http://pressroom.samsclub.com/content/?id=3&atg=524
3. Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSKLR19101520070830