The Helmet Update
Volume 18, #8 - November 19, 2000
All issues index
CPSC Announces Three Helmet Recalls
Dateline will Feature them at 7 PM Tonight, Sunday, November 19
The CPSC press release below is
nicely explanatory, including the three manufacturers involved in this latest recall and the fact that CPSC was tipped
off by test results provided by the Good Housekeeping Institute and a competing helmet company. You should probably keep
an eye out for more about this subject very soon in Good Housekeeping.
In short, there have been no injuries reported, but the helmets do not meet the CPSC standard and would not provide the
full extent of protection required. They are brands you are not likely to recognize, and most are "skateboard" style
helmets that were also labeled as meeting the CPSC bicycle helmet standard.
If you miss Dateline on NBC tonight, we will post a
summary in text on our web page.
Dateline did a lot of taping in the CPSC test lab, so this could be an interesting segment. In our market it will appear
between 7 and 8 PM.
Here is the press release.
For Immediate Release - - November 17, 2000 - - Release # 01-032 CPSC Contact: Kim Dulic - - (301) 504-0580 Ext. 1183
CPSC, Three Firms Announce Recall of Bicycle Helmets
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Variflex Inc., of Moorpark, Calif.; NHS Inc., of Santa Cruz, Calif.; and First Team
Sports Inc., of Anoka, Minn.; are voluntarily recalling about 243,000 bicycle helmets. These helmets fail impact testing
required under CPSC's Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets, violating the Consumer Product Safety Act. Riders wearing
these helmets are not adequately protected from falls, and could suffer severe head injuries or death. The recalls are
the result of a CPSC investigation, test results provided by the Good Housekeeping Institute and a helmet company's
report to CPSC.
CPSC and these firms are not aware of any injuries or incidents involving these helmets. This recall is being conducted
to prevent the possibility of injuries.
Variflex Inc. "X-Games Aggressive" Bicycle Helmets
Variflex Inc. is recalling about 240,000 "X-Games Aggressive"
bicycle helmets, which are either black, white or chrome. They have a red "X-Games" insignia on the front and "X-Games"
is written on the back. A large label inside these helmets reads "SGS CPSC CY50159." And "Variflex Inc." "Static" and
"Made in Taiwan" are written on the packaging.
Sporting good and discount department stores nationwide sold these helmets from October 1999 through September 2000 for
about $20. Consumers should stop using these helmets immediately, and return them to the store where purchased for a
refund or replacement helmet. For more information, call Variflex at (800) 248-5327 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday
through Friday.
NHS TSG Helmets
NHS Inc. is recalling about 1,100 "TSG Metallic Gold," 1,000 "TSG Gloss Black" and 500 "TSG
Foundation Blue" helmets. The Metallic Gold and Gloss Black helmets have "TSG" written on the front and rear of the
helmet. The Foundation Blue helmets have the word "Foundation" across the front and a star and moon on the side of the
helmet. They have serial numbers beginning SN: 00170 or SN: 00171, and a date code of January, February and April 2000
written on the white label inside the helmets.
Sporting good stores nationwide sold these helmets from February 2000 through October 2000 for between $35 to $45.
Consumers should stop using these helmets immediately and return them to NHS Inc., not to the store where purchased, for
a refund. For more information and instructions on how to return the helmet, call NHS at (877) 743-7820 between 9 a.m.
and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
First Team Sports "Guardian Junior Helmets"
First Team Sports Inc. is recalling about 1,000 "Guardian Junior
Helmets." They are slate blue, and have "Guardian" written on the front and rear of the helmets. They have model numbers
007471, 007958, 009437 or 009455, and date code "2000/04" written on a label inside the helmets.
Sporting goods stores in the eastern and north eastern U.S. sold these helmets from February 2000 through October 2000
for about $25.
Consumers should stop using these helmets immediately, and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For
more information, call First Team Sports at (800) 528-5872 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.
To see a picture of the recalled products and/or to establish a link from your website to this press release on CPSC's
website, link to
this address.
The Helmet Update - Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Randy Swart, Editor
4611 Seventh Street South
Arlington, VA 22204-1419 USA
(703) 486-0100 (voice)
(703) 486-0576 (fax)
www.helmets.org