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- October 2011
- Recall (free inspection and repair) of Dehumidifier Sold by Kankyo Co., Ltd.
(Joint press release with the Consumer Affairs Agency)
Recall (free inspection and repair) of Dehumidifier Sold by Kankyo Co., Ltd.
A serious product accident occurred with a fire breaking out from a dehumidifier sold by Kankyo Co., Ltd.
Although the cause of the accident is still under investigation, it was found that a component differing from the design specification was mounted on the circuit board used in the product and that the circuit board's resin case was made from a material having a low flame resistance, that was also different from the design specification. It is supposed, therefore, that the resin case was ignited by a fire breaking out from a mounted component due to a malfunction, resulting in the spread of fire.
To prevent further accidents of this kind, the company today posted a message on its website and will inspect and repair the recalled products free of charge.
The accident was reported to the Consumer Affairs Agency as a serious product accident under the provision of Article 35, Paragraph 1 of the Consumer Product Safety Law, and was announced before (Control No. A200900237).
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) urges consumers possessing this product to immediately discontinue use and have the product inspected and repaired free of charge by the company named above to prevent recurrence of the accident.
1. Accident phenomenon and recurrence prevention measures
(1) Accident phenomenon
A serious product accident occurred with a fire breaking out from a dehumidifier sold by Kankyo Co., Ltd. One serious product accident has been reported in accordance with the provision of Article 35, Paragraph 1 of the Consumer Product Safety Law (Control No. A200900237).
Although the cause of the accident is still under investigation, it was found that a component different from the design specification was mounted on the circuit board used in the product and that the circuit board's resin case was made from a material having a low flame resistance and that differed from the design specification. It is supposed, therefore, that the resin case was ignited by a fire breaking out from a mounted component due to a malfunction and that this resulted in the spread of the fire.
(2) Future recurrence prevention measures
To prevent further accidents of this kind, Kankyo Co., Ltd. today posted a message on its website and will inspect and repair the recalled products free of charge.
2. Recalled products: product name, model, manufacture period, quantity and appearance
(1) Product name and other data of the recalled products
| Product Name | Model | Manufacture period | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dehumidifier (Condenser dehumidifier) |
DBC | June 26, 2006 to December 20, 2007 | 18,179 units |
(2) Appearance
3. Actions by the company
Kankyo Co., Ltd. will inspect and repair the dehumidifiers free of charge.
4. Notice by the company
- Posting a message on the website: October 24, 2011
- Making telephone contact with customers in the list: October 24, 2011
- Sending direct-mail notifications: any time from the beginning of November 2011
5. Alert to consumers
Anyone who possesses the above product should immediately stop using it and quickly contact the company below:
6. Contact
Kankyo Service Center
- Telephone No.: 0120-173-877 (toll-free)
- Service hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays)
Website: http://www.kankyo-new.com/
Release Date
October 24, 2011
Division in Charge
Product Accident Information and Analysis Office, Product Safety Division, Commerce and Distribution Policy Group
Related Information
| Product Safety |