The Latest Recalls from the US Consumer Safety Products Commission

With holiday shopping season coming up, consumers should be aware of recalls from the US Consumer Safety Products Commission.

For more information on recalls and stop sale order by the US CSPC, visit their website ... http://www.recalls.gov/recent.html

Name of Product: Young Artist Easels

Units: About 10,000

Manufacturer: MacPherson’s, of Emeryville, Calif.

Hazard: The chalkboard surface coating contains high levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves a children’s art easel which has a chalkboard surface on one side and a white board surface on the other side. The item number is AA13301 and the UPC number is 082435133010 which can be found on the original packaging.

Sold at: Art supply stores nationwide and online from July 2004 through June 2009 for about $75.

Manufactured in: China

ALSO

Name of Product: Adventure Playsets Wooden Play Sets

Units: About 275,000 in the United States and 6,800 in Canada

Distributor: Adventure Playsets, of Amarillo, Texas

Hazard: The plastic coated lumber on the horizontal ladder (monkey bar/swing beam) can weaken over time due to rotting of the whitewood (spruce, pine and fir species), resulting in a fall hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Adventure Playsets has received more than 1,400 reports of rotting ladders involving 16 injuries that resulted in nine emergency room visits. The injuries include two arm fractures, lacerations, scrapes, and bruises to children younger than 8 years old. Most of the reported injuries occurred when the swing came out of the monkey bar/ swing beam that had rotted.

TODAY: Consumer Credit Counseling

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CCCS offers around the-clock help by phone at 1-800-251-CCCS (2227), at www.cccsinc.org or www.cccsenespanol.org. Services are offered in English, Spanish and American Sign Language. You may contact us by email at info@cccsinc.org.

Coming Up today on Consumer Call-in: Disaster Relief

GPB's Consumer Call In returns this Friday. We'll have representatives in the studio from FEMA and the Small Business Administration to talk to you about disaster relief. And as always, if it affects your pocket or your pocket book - we're here to answer your questions. It all comes your way this Friday at 3 here on GPB.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program

By Valarie Edwards for GPB news.

State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said today that workers in two Georgia counties – Baker and Early -- have until Friday, July 24, 2009, to file initial claims for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits to compensate for loss of income, directly resulting from severe storms and tornadoes, which struck the area on March 26, 2009.

Federal DUA differs from the state’s regular unemployment insurance program in that it provides benefits to self-employed business people, farmers, diversified farming operations, loggers, commission paid employees and others who are not eligible for Georgia’s regular unemployment insurance benefits. The maximum weekly benefits amount is $330.

Potentially eligible workers should contact the nearest Georgia Department of Labor office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Workers may call the Georgia Department of Labor’s toll-free customer service line at (877) 709-8185 to obtain career center information