Hair Dryers Corrected by Manufacturers

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 1) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has voted unanimously to accept the voluntary corrective action plans of 26 manufacturers and importers of hand-held hair dryers made with asbestos.

The 26 companies account for nearly 10 per cent of those hand- held hair dryers manufactured with asbestos since 1969. The other 90 per cent were distributed by 11 manufacturers and private labelers whose corrective actions were approved by the Commission last May.

Among the 26 manufacturers and private labelers, eight have agreed to repair their hair dryers: three have agreed to refund the purchase price or replace the dryers with asbestos-free dryers: and 15 have agreed to exchange their dryers for refunds, new asbestos- free dryers or other products manufactured or imported by the firm. Nearly 100 different models and styles of hair dryers are covered under these corrective action plans.

Since May 1, 1979, CPSC has ordered 146 corporations to submit sworn information regarding the use of asbestos in their hair dryers.

The 26 companies listed below informed CPSC that the heat shields in their dryers contained asbestos (but that no other dryer parts exposed to the dryers' airstream contained asbestos). None of the remaining 120 firms reported having manufactured hair dryers containing asbestos.

The companies which have agreed to repair or accept returns of their hair dryers include:

Afro Products, Inc., of Ottuma, Iowa; Allied Stores Marketing Corp., of New York City; Arrow Trading Co., New York City; B&E Sales Co., of Detroit, Michigan; Brother International Corp., of Piscataway, New Jersey; Formac, Inc., of City of Industry, California; Hartman Products of Hawthorne, California; W.P. Hemenway Co., of Portland, Oregon; Hairaoka New York Inc., of New York City; Hitachi Sales Corp. of Compton, California; Interpur (a division of Dart Industries) of Orlando, Florida; and M.S.S. Direct Ltd., of Hauppauge, New York.

Also included are: Market Importing Services Inc., of New York City; New York Merchandise Co. of New York City.; Pace Setter of Burbank, California: Panasonic Co. of Secaucus, New Jersey; Pearlduck Inc., of Garden City, New York; Sanyei New York Corp. of New York City; Sanyo Electric Inc., of Compton, California; Save-Way Industries Inc. of Hialeah, Florida; Swank Co., Inc., of New York City; T.G. & Y. Stores Co. of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Wakefern Food Corp. of Elizabeth, New Jersey; Windsor Industries, Inc., of Melville, New York; F.W. Woolworth Co. of New York City; and Zayre Corp. of Framingham, Massachusetts.

Many of these companies maintain that hair dryers containing asbestos have not been proven to present a health hazard.

CPSC staffers have compiled a list providing the specific corrective actions which the 26 individual firms have agreed to perform. The list can be obtained free by writing to: Hair Dryers, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C., 20207.

Consumers also can obtain specific information about the plans by contacting CPSC's toll-free Hotline at 800/638-2772.