Name of Product: Shindaiwa Backpack Blowers

Units: About 23,000

Importer: Shindaiwa Corp., of Tualatin, Ore

Manufacturer: Shindaiwa Kogyo Co. Ltd, of Hiroshima, Japan

Hazard: The blower’s impeller (fan) can separate from the base and break apart, causing plastic pieces to be blown out of the machine, and pose a laceration and impact hazard to consumers. The flying pieces also can cause property damage and injury to bystanders. Note: These backpack blowers were previously recalled due to a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Shindaiwa is aware of 13 incidents involving broken impellers. One incident involved a minor head injury and minor property damage to a nearby automobile.

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Name of Product: "Tall Red" Fuel Cells

Units: About 86,000

Manufacturer: Paslode, of Vernon Hills, Ill

Hazard: The fuel cells used to power cordless framing nailers can leak fuel, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

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Name of Product: Tumble Tower Infant Rattles

Units: About 7,000

Manufacturer: Manhattan Group LLC, of Minneapolis, Minn.

Hazard: The blue plastic end caps of the rattle can break, resulting in small parts, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: Manhattan Group has received two reports of the blue plastic end caps breaking. No injuries have been reported.

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Name of Product: FireX Branded 10000 Series Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms and 12000 Series CO/Smoke Combo Alarms

Units: About 280,000

Manufacturer: Maple Chase Company, of Plain City, Ohio

Hazard: The recalled alarms can sound a “double chirp”/fault alarm in the presence of CO, prior to going into full alarm. Upon hearing a double chirp, the Owner’s Manual instructions recommend a consumer take the alarm out of service, which could expose consumers to hazardous levels of CO and suffer injury or death.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

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Name of Product: Squeeze Kids Girl's Corduroy Jackets

Units: About 6,000

Distributor: Maran Inc., of North Bergen, N.J.

Hazard: The garments have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines (pdf) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

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This Travel Alert advises American citizens that a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck China’s eastern Sichuan province on May 12.  Due to rescue and relief operations, damage to infrastructure throughout the area, and the continuing potential for aftershocks, U.S. citizens are urged to defer travel to Sichuan province.  This Travel Alert expires on June 30, 2008.

The epicenter of the quake was near Wenchuan County, approximately 55 miles northwest of Chengdu, Sichuan’s provincial capital.  While there was less damage in Chengdu itself, cities and towns closer to the epicenter suffered significantly with thousands of casualties.  Chinese authorities report that over 13,000 people were killed, over 25,000 injured, and many more reported missing.  These figures are expected to rise as more information becomes available.

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This Travel Alert is being issued to update U.S. citizens on safety and security concerns throughout Zimbabwe due to ongoing political instability following the March 29 national elections, and recommends deferral of non-essential travel to Zimbabwe at this time.  This supersedes the Travel Alert for Zimbabwe dated April 11, 2008 and expires on July 1, 2008.

U.S. citizens should defer non-essential travel to Zimbabwe.  While the country prepares for a runoff of the presidential elections between President Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwean security forces, including some military and police, as well as so-called war veterans, are creating a climate of intimidation and fear across the country, particularly in rural areas and high-density suburbs.  There have been attacks on opposition supporters, renewed farm invasions, and arrests of election officials accused of vote tampering.  There is a continued risk of arbitrary detention or arrest.

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Name of Product: Air Pistols

Units: About 7,250

Distributor: Umarex USA Inc., of Fort Smith, Ark.

Manufacturer: DianaWerk GmbH & Co., of Rastatt, Germany

Hazard: The air pistols can accidentally discharge, posing a risk of serious injury if the air pistol is loaded and pointed at the user or another person when it discharges.

Incidents/Injuries: Umarex USA has received one report of an injury involving the recalled air pistols. The pistol reportedly fired a pellet unexpectedly and struck the user in the lower leg causing swelling.

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This Travel Warning is being issued to update information on security threats and ongoing political violence in Lebanon, and informs U.S. citizens of current safety and security concerns. The Department of State urges that Americans avoid all travel to Lebanon and that American citizens in Lebanon consider carefully the risks of remaining. This supersedes the Travel Warning for Lebanon issued on April 21, 2008.

Violence broke out on May 7, 2008 in the capital, Beirut, when Hizballah militants blocked the road leading to Rafiq Hariri International Airport.  As of May 12, 2008, the airport remains inaccessible.

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Name of Product: Children's Rain Ponchos

Units: About 24

Importer: Daiso LLC, of Burlingame, Calif

Hazard: The garments have a drawstring through the hood, posing a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines (pdf) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstrings in upper garments.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

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