HSN said Thursday that it must pay a $875,000 civil penalty for failing to report “serious injuries and hazards” that resulted from Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cookers, which the home-shopping network sold.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the civil penalty settles allegations that HSN “failed to report in a timely manner” injuries that resulted from the pressure cooker. CPSC alleged that from September 2001 through about October 2004, HSN received at least 25 reports from consumers indicating that the pressure cookers contained a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or that the pressure cookers created an unreasonable risk of serious injury.
CPSC said that HSN reported information to the agency in February 2005. In June and October 2005, the pressure cookers were the subject of a recall.
“Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, manufacturers, distributors and retailers are required to immediately report to CPSC information about products that could create a substantial risk of injury to the public or that create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death,” CPSC said Thursday.
CPSC also said that in agreeing to settle the matter, HSN denied CPSC’s allegations that it violated the CPSA.
