S26B

June 9, 1992 Release # 92-095 PRODUCT: Yazoo "high wheel" gasoline powered walk-behind lawn mowers, manufactured and purchased since June 1982. The mowers were sold through retailers in the southern, southeastern, and northeastern United States. PROBLEM: The mowers were intended for commercial use and were not equipped with a blade control device. As a result, consumers who may have purchased the mowers may be injured from contact with the rotating mower blade. WHAT TO DO: Yazoo is no longer in the mower business. Repairs are no longer available. Consumers should not use the product. WASHINGTON, DC -- As the summer lawn mowing season swings into gear, Yazoo Manufacturing Company, Jackson, MS, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is again announcing a safety modification program for certain models of its commercial "high wheel" gasoline powered walk-behind lawn mowers purchased by consumers since June 1982. The safety modification program was originally announced in a December 1991 press release. These lawn mowers are not equipped with a blade control device that stops the blade within three seconds after release of the controls, as required for consumer mowers by CPSC's Safety Standard for Walk-Behind Lawn Mowers. As a result, consumers may be injured from contact with the rotating mower blade. The lawn mowers were manufactured beginning in 1982 and involve the following push and self-propelled big wheel models: S22B, P22B, P22W, S22W, S24B, P24B, P24W, S24W, S26B and S26W. The mowers are labeled with a bright yellow decal that states: "NOTICE. THIS MOWER DOES NOT MEET CPSC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. COMMERCIAL USE ONLY." These mowers have a suggested retail price of between $750.00 and $900.00 and were sold to retailers in the southern, southeastern and northeastern United States. Although the lawn mowers were intended for sale to commercial operators, Yazoo and CPSC are concerned that a number of mowers have been purchased by consumers. Neither CPSC nor the company is aware of any consumer injuries resulting from the lack of a blade control device on these mowers. Yazoo is no longer manufacturing any high wheel lawn mowers without a three-second blade-stopping mechanism. The company will voluntarily modify those lawn mowers that were purchased by consumers since June 1982, the effective date of the lawn mower standard. This modification program covers only those lawn mowers purchased by consumers for their personal use and does not include lawn mowers purchased for industrial, commercial, or professional uses. The company has developed a kit consisting of a blade brake and engine-stopping device that will be installed on the lawn mowers to make the blade stop within the required three seconds after release of the controls. Yazoo has previously informed its dealers that these mowers are only to be sold to commercial users. Yazoo also has initiated a certification program to ensure that the remaining mowers in inventory are sold only to commercial customers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing this safety modification program as part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's objective is to reduce the estimated 28.5 million injuries and 21,600 deaths associated each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction

December 10, 1991 Release # 92-030 WASHINGTON, DC -- Yazoo Manufacturing Company, Jackson, MS, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced today that it is implementing its safety modification program for certain models of its commercial "high wheel" gasoline powered walk-behind lawn mowers purchased by consumers since June 1982, as previously announced in a September Press Release. These lawn mowers are not equipped with a blade control device that stops the blade within three seconds after release of the controls as required for consumer mowers by the CPSC Safety Standard for Walk-Behind Lawn Mowers. As a result, consumers may be injured from contact with the rotating mower blade. The lawn mowers were manufactured beginning in 1982 and involve the following push and self-propelled big wheel models: S22B, P22B, P22W, S22W, S24B, P24B, P24W, S24W, S26B and S26W. The mowers are labeled with a bright yellow decal which states: "NOTICE. THIS MOWER DOES NOT MEET CPSC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. COMMERCIAL USE ONLY." These mowers have a suggested retail price of between $750.00 and $900.00 and were sold to retailers in southern, southeastern and northeastern United States. Although the lawn mowers were intended for sale to commercial operators, Yazoo and the CPSC are concerned that a number of mowers have been purchased by consumers. Neither CPSC nor the company is aware of any consumer injuries resulting from the lack of a blade control device on these mowers. Yazoo is no longer manufacturing any high wheel lawn mowers without a three-second blade stopping mechanism. The company will voluntarily modify those lawn mowers which were purchased by consumers since June 1982, the effective date of the lawn mower standard. This modification program covers only those lawn mowers purchased by consumers for their personal use and does not include lawn mowers purchased for industrial/commercial or professional uses. The company has developed a kit consisting of a blade brake and engine-stopping device which will be installed on the lawn mowers to make the blade stop within the required three seconds after release of the controls. Yazoo has previously informed its dealers that these mowers are only to be sold to commercial users. Yazoo also has initiated a certification program to ensure that the remaining mowers in inventory are sold only to commercial customers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing this safety modification program as part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's objective is to reduce the estimated 28.5 million injuries and 21,600 deaths associated each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction

September 6, 1991 Release # 91-118 CPSC Warns Of Safety Risk With Yazoo Brand Walk Behind Lawn Mowers NOTICE: Yazoo is no longer in the mower business. Repairs are no longer available. Consumers should not use the product 5/3/2000. WASHINGTON, DC -- Yazoo Manufacturing Company, Jackson, MS, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is issuing a warning to consumers concerning its commercial "high wheel" gasoline powered walk-behind lawn mowers in advance of a retrofit program under development. These lawn mowers are not equipped with a blade control device that stops the blade within three seconds after release of the controls as required for consumer mowers by the CPSC Safety Standard for Walk-Behind Lawn Mowers. As a result, consumers may be injured from contact with the rotating mower blade. The lawn mowers were manufactured beginning in 1982 and involve the following push and self-propelled big wheel models: S22B, P22B, P22W, S22W, S24B, P24B, P24W, S24W, S26B and S26W. The mower is labelled with a bright yellow decal which states: "NOTICE. THIS MOWER DOES NOT MEET CPSC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. COMMERCIAL USE ONLY." These mowers have a suggested retail price of between $750.00 and $900.00 and were sold to retailers in southern, southeastern and northeastern United States. Although the lawn mowers were intended for sale primarily to commercial operators, Yazoo and the CPSC are concerned that a number of mowers may have been purchased by consumers. Neither CPSC nor the company is aware of any consumer injuries resulting from the lack of a blade control device on these mowers. Yazoo is no longer manufacturing any big wheel lawn mowers without a three-second blade stopping mechanism. The company will voluntarily retrofit those lawn mowers which were purchased by consumers. This retrofit will cover only those lawn mowers which were purchased by consumers for their personal use and does not include lawn mowers which are intended for industrial/commercial or professional uses. The company is developing a retrofit kit which consists of a blade brake and engine-stopping device installed on the lawn mower to make the blade stop within the required three seconds after release of the controls. The company will publish a supplemental notice after the retrofit is developed. Because the unit does not have a three-second blade stopping device, consumers who purchased one of these lawn mowers should use the lawn mower only with extreme caution. Yazoo has previously informed its dealers that these mowers are only to be sold to commercial users. Yazoo also has initiated a certification program to ensure that the mowers in question are sold only to commercial customers in the future. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing this notice as part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's objective is to help reduce the estimated 28.5 million injuries and 21,600 deaths that are associated each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction