TOPIC: Product Safety Recall

Digital Clamp Meters Recalled by Fluke Due to Shock Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Fluke Digital Clamp Meters

Units: About 52,000

Manufacturer: Fluke Corp., of Everett, Wash.

Hazard: The meters can fail to give an appropriate voltage reading, resulting in the operator falsely believing the electrical power is off, posing a shock, electrocution, or thermal burn hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Fluke has received three reports of clamp meters displaying an incorrect voltage reading. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Fluke Digital Clamp Meters with model and serial numbers listed below. The model number may be followed by an "A."

Model No. Starting With
Serial No. Starting with
Serial No. Ending In

333:
97010000
98880240

334:
97010000
98870101

335:
97010000
98860104

336:
96220000
98900400

337:
96070000
98890607

Serial numbers that begin with "S" or are followed by "R" are not included in the recall. "Fluke" and the model number are printed on the front of the unit and the serial number on the back. The instrument body is yellow, red, and black. The clamp meters measure 0 to 600 volts alternating current (VAC), 0 to 600 volts direct current (VDC) and 0 to 400, 600 or 1000 amps alternating current.

Sold at: Industrial distributors, electrical wholesalers and some hardware stores nationwide from January 2008 through February 2009 for between $150 and $375.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these recalled Digital Clamp Meters immediately and contact Fluke for a free replacement clamp meter.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Fluke toll-free at (888) 983-5853 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.fluke.com/33Xrecall

I got this email, along with many others.  China continues to do this.  Here is my blog entry on 22 January 09:

I Think We Need To Recall China

For a long time now, I am signed on to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to receive their emails. The send me recall notices. I told them which things I wanted notices on – consumer products, toys, tools, electrical, etc. – and they send me emails when testing orders a recall. I do it to help myself be a better home inspector.

Some days I get four or five. I get them nearly EVERY DAY.

I cannot keep up with it all! I do not know how the CPSC keeps up with it all! They must have a quillion employees. I am forever writing down products, brands, serial numbers – it is a never-ending effort.

And it is shocking!

Here is my problem – for the categories that I am emailed about, way over 90% of the recalled products are manufactured in China. Maybe 1 or 2% of the recalls are manufactured here. I realize that a huge portion of the Chinese economy comes from trade with the United States. You’d think they would want to be more careful. Enough of this could have a serious economic impact on them. Well, that is, if we wise up...

Question: The Chinese are NOT incompetent people. Why aren’t they more careful?

Answer: Since they are not incompetent people, it must be intentional.

It has been insidious. It is pervasive! So many of the products we use everyday are produced in China. It is a huge list. And a frightful one. Food (and DOG food) that is tainted and deadly. Clothing, and pajamas, and sheets, and curtain material and furniture material that will quickly and easily burn. Baby toys that are full of lead and mercury, and do not need to be. Video and computer games that have embedded programming worms that will damage computers, or make it easy to obtain information from them.  Light fixtures that have insufficiently-sized wiring and will burn. Circuit breakers, which look EXACTLY like those produced by American manufacturers, that are meant to cause a fire in time. Improperly sealed batteries that will leak poisons – poisons not found in our batteries. And these batteries look just like ours.

The list goes on and on.

It used to be that this, and other cultures of piracy, only used to mimic successful products for the profit of selling knock offs at a cheaper price (that is, after someone else’s brains, entrepreneurship, and risk taking got a popular product to market). Now the piracy seems intent on doing damage.

The emails continue to come.

One has to wonder – with all the good work the CPSC is doing to catch this stuff, what all is getting in that they are NOT catching?

One has to wonder.

When I see the sticker, “Made in China,” I shy away. But their products are impossible to avoid.

I think we need to recall China.

Jay, I always stick my nose into this discussion. I too am a Heritage.org member and see a good number of the articles on the Chinese economy. Look at the link below and scroll through it. Hillary Clinton did not visit China just for the Kung Pao Chicken. This is why as I said in the "At least we don't eat the Drywall" thread, I think we will accept all that China has to offer as long as they buy our debt.

I recieved that CPSC recall also and I cannot believe that a company like Fluke is involved in this mess.

chinadigitaltimes.net/china/hillary-clinton/