ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 4, 1996 TAG: 9609040098
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
The Lane Co. will voluntarily replace locks on cedar chests made before 1987, because they latch automatically when the lid is closed, posing a hazard to children, the government said Tuesday.
Six children, ranging in age from 21 months to 10 years, became trapped and later suffocated while playing in the chests between 1977 and 1994, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
The Altavista, Va., company made about 12 million chests with automatic latches between 1912 and 1987, when the locks were redesigned. Furniture stores sold them nationwide, and some may have been handed down through families.
Consumers can determine whether their chest has an old lock by closing the lid, without pressing a special lock button. If the lid doesn't open, they should contact Lane at (888) 856-8758 for a free replacement. The old locks also click loudly when the lid is shut.
-Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB