June
19, 2001
Nantucket Distributing Co. Inc., of South Yarmouth, Mass., is voluntarily
recalling about 28,000 Galileo thermometers. The thermometers are made of
glass. The thermometers contain a liquid that is flammable and a hazardous
substance that could be harmful or fatal if swallowed. Nantucket Distributing
Co. Inc. has received five reports of thermometers breaking resulting in two
injuries. A man suffered burns to his hands when the thermometer broke near a
stove and ignited his clothing. Another man suffered smoke inhalation when
extinguishing a fire caused by candles igniting a broken thermometer.
They are cylinder- shaped measuring about 17-inches
high. Inside the cylinders are floating small glass spheres filled with various
colors of liquid. Attached to each sphere is a metal disk with different
temperatures embossed on both sides. The spheres float up and down within the
cylinder to identify a temperature based on their position within the cylinder.
A small gold sticker that says "Made in China" is on the bottom of
the cylinder. The Christmas Tree Shops Inc. in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Albany, New York sold these thermometers from
June 2000 through December 2000 for $12.99.
Consumers should stop using these thermometers immediately and return them
to the Christmas Tree Shops Inc. where purchased for a refund. For more
information, consumers should call Christmas Tree Shops Inc. at (800) 876-9677
anytime, or visit the firm's web site at www.christmastreeshops.com.