The Law Blog of Oklahoma

Franklin and Ben Cribs Recalled for Fall and Entrapment Hazard

Friday, August 22, 2014

Franklin and Ben, a division of Bexco, has announced a recall of its Mason style 4-in-1 convertible crib. The recall affects roughly 1,100 cribs in the United States and Canada.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the crib front of these convertible cribs can separate from the rest of the crib, causing a fall hazard or entrapment hazard. The CPSC indicates that Bexco has received at least 14 complaints and incident reports about the crib front coming detached. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries.

To identify if their child's crib is affected by the recall, parents can look at the label attached to the crib for model number, manufacture date, and serial number. Recalled cribs should have the following information on the label:

  • Model number 5601
  • Manufacture date between January 2012 and August 2012
  • Serial number H004522, H004546, H004548 or H004777.

Consumers who have purchased a recalled crib are cautioned to immediately discontinue use of the crib, finding a safe sleeping alternative for their infants and toddlers. They should contact Franklin and Ben to receive a free repair kit. For recall information or to receive the repair kit, call the company toll free at (888) 673-6652 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. PT Monday through Friday. Alternately, consumers can visit www.franklinandben.com and click "Safety Recall" to request a repair kit.

In 2011, drop side cribs, or those which allowed the front of the crib to be raised or lowered, were banned in the United States after dozens of recalls. At issue in most of these recalls was the front, or drop side, of the crib becoming detached and causing an entrapment and strangulation hazard. After 32 infant deaths, the sell or resale of drop side cribs was forbidden in the United States, as was the use of existing drop side cribs in day cares, hotels, and other facilities.

Since that time, convertible cribs, often called 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 cribs, have become immensely popular. These cribs are designed to grow with the child, first as a traditional crib, then as a toddler bed or day bed when the front of the crib is removed, and finally as a full-size headboard and footboard when the sides of the crib are removed.

The problem with the recalled Franklin and Ben Mason crib sounds eerily like the issue with drop side cribs. Hopefully, the detached crib fronts on convertible cribs will not be as far reaching as the problem was on drop side cribs.

Finding timely recall information is critical for parents of infants and children. View our CPSC recall widget here, or visit CPSC.gov to sign up for recall email alerts.

LAW FIRM OF OKLAHOMA
625 NW 13th Street
Oklahoma City
,
OK
73103
(405) 608-4990
Copyright © 2012 - 2021
Law Firm of Oklahoma
All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy
|
Terms of Use