THE COMMERCE Ministry has halted the sale of Maclaren pushchairs in Cyprus after 12 children in the US allegedly had their fingertips cut off by the folding mechanism.
Christos Malikkides, Director of the Competition and Consumer Protection department at the Ministry said yesterday, “We have sent a notice to traders to stop selling these products until February 26 and only when they have been proven safe will they be allowed to be sold.
“We are also advising parents not to use the buggies.”
In the mean time, the European Commission will test the buggies and investigate the reports from the US.
The affected models, which sell for up to €271, include the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.
Maclaren, has stated the risk of injury from its folding pushchairs is “non-existent” if users follow the instructions, and they will not be recalling European buggies. However, they have recalled one million of them in the US and are issuing safety kits, which include fabric covers to keep little fingers away from the metal hinges.
The firm defended its decision not to recall European buggies, saying: “Maclaren buggies are safe when opened and closed correctly. As further reassurance we have updated our operating instructions and placed a warning label on the stroller to ensure that customers take care and keep children away from the stroller when it is being folded or unfolded.
“Our advice is that consumers should take the same level of caution and care as when opening or closing a car door, or any other moving part that can be found in many other baby and toddler products.”
“Recalling in America and in Europe mean different things. In Europe it means returning the product to be modified or refunded, but in the US a recall can be just a notice to customers and the provision of a safety kit.” Malikkides explained. “If traders can get these kits here, then we may reconsider allowing them to be sold.”
Marios Zorpas, an importer and distributor of Maclaren products in Cyprus, said yesterday “There really is no danger when the baby is in the stroller. Of course when folding it, it is important to keep your child’s fingers away from the hinges.
“However if you follow the instructions, which clearly state in capital letters to keep your child away from the hinges when folding, then there is zero risk.”
Asked about the risks of other stroller brands, Zorpas said “This could happen with any similar folding buggy as they all use the same mechanism. The key is to be careful and follow instructions.”
He added that the US recall may be more to do with their litigious culture than any real safety risk. “It is much easier to claim money in the US, and Maclaren are the number one US buggy manufacturer. If toddlers are hurt, then it is the parents’ fault.”
For some critics, updated instructions and advice to be careful are not enough. Jenny Driscoll, of the UK’s consumer group Which? told the Guardian yesterday
“Consumers in the US are being offered a free safety kit to add to their Maclaren pushchair and we think that British consumers should be offered the same protection. We’d like to see all manufacturers that produce pushchairs that use an umbrella folding mechanism to adopt this practice.”
