Polyconcept North America (PCNA), in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada, issued a product recall last Friday on one of its power banks as the lithium-ion battery can overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards. The New Kensington, Pennsylvania-based supplier has received one report of a fire, but no injuries have been reported.
In an exclusive interview with Larry Whitney, PCNA’s director of global compliance, he said, “This is a limited recall, affecting only one lot of the product. In the interest of caution, we want to do the right thing and have elected to do a recall of that specific lot.”
The recall involves white spare power banks with 10,000 mAh Grade A lithium ion batteries, LED indicator lights and a flashlight. P.O. number 1813582 is printed on the back of the power bank, and they are about 5.5 inches long by 2.5 inches wide.
Approximately 5,000 of the power banks were distributed as promotional products between July 2019 and September 2019 by PCNA subsidiary Leed’s (PPAI 112361, S13), including about 445 in Canada.
Whitney added, “After the report of the fire incident, we contacted all of the distributors who bought the product, told them about the report and not to distribute anymore they may have on hand. We also sent them a second notice ahead of the CPSC’s recall alerting them it was coming. The CPSC has a well-oiled process for these situations, and we’ve worked hand-in-hand with them to address all of the relevant issues.”
Consumers should immediately unplug and stop using the recalled power banks and dispose of them properly according to local laws for disposal of lithium-ion batteries. Reach the supplier at 800-860-1555, from 8 am to 9 pm ET, Monday through Friday, by email at CustomerService@leedsworld.com or online at www.pcna.com. At the bottom of the page, click on the “Recalls” link for more information.
