HARTFORD, May 9 – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers that some “MeToo” clip-on table top chairs imported by phil&teds USA Inc., of Fort Collins, Colo. put young children at risk of serious injury due to multiple safety hazards, and urges consumers to stop using certain phil&teds clip-on chairs immediately.

The infant/toddler chair with a nylon fabric seat and a metal frame clamps onto tables using two metal vise clamps. The upper part of each clamp rests on the table top and has either a rubber clamp pad on its underside or a rubber boot covering it. The chair is sold in three fabric colors – red, black and navy.

The CPSC warning applies to the MeToo chairs that do not have plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar. However, even the chairs with plastic spacers are now under evaluation now by the CPSC. While the company refuses to agree to an acceptable national recall, and is offering a repair kit for the chairs, the kit has not been approved by CPSC as a means to making the chairs safe.

People should immediately stop using the affected “MeToo” chairs to prevent the risk of injury to children. The chairs pose serious fall and amputation hazards to children placed in them. Children can suffer impact and head injuries when the chair detaches from the table and falls with them in it. CPSC is aware of numerous incidents involving the “metoo” chairs without the plastic spaces.

Clamps can detach from a variety of different table surfaces, and when children move around or use their feet to push against other objects. Children’s fingers can be severely pinched, lacerated, crushed or amputated if caught between the bar and the clamp when the chair detaches.

Tens of thousands of MeToo chairs may have been sold since May 2006 for about $50 through Amazon.com, Buy Buy Baby, Target, Toys R Us, philandteds.com, other online retailers and a variety of independent juvenile specialty stores.

      Metoo chair with rubber boots covering the tops of themetal clamps       

   Black plastic spacer between the front horizontal bar and metal clamp

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