U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex

Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex Inc. Agrees to Pay $1.2 Million Civil Penalty

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex Inc., (HB/PS) of Glen Allen, Va., has agreed to pay a $1.2 million civil penalty. The penalty, which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, settles allegations that the company failed to report to CPSC in a timely manner defects with three separate products: countertop toasters, juice extractors, and slow cookers. Under federal law, manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers must immediately report information about potentially hazardous products to the Commission.

“Companies who report late to CPSC about incidents or injuries involving their products prevent us from taking action to protect consumers from harm,” stated CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. “CPSC will not hesitate to enforce the law against those companies who do not report critical safety information in a timely way, but our goal is to have companies work cooperatively with us to keep consumers safe.”

In agreeing to settle this matter, HB/PS denies that it violated the Consumer Product Safety Act by failing to report its countertop toasters, juice extractors, and slow cookers in a timely manner. HB/PS says it continues to improve its methods for satisfying all CPSC reporting requirements.

Countertop Toasters

CPSC alleged that certain models of HB/PS toasters could remain “on” even after the food in the toaster “popped up.” This could set whatever was in the toaster on fire. These toasters were manufactured for HB/PS by Durable Electrical Metal Factory Ltd., of China, from March 1997 to October 1999.

Between 1997 and 1999, HB/PS received about 230 consumer complaints involving toasters that may have failed to turn off and three consumer reports of damage to kitchen cabinets or countertops due to fires. The company also knew of product changes to attempt to correct the problem.

HB/PS reported this product to the Commission in November 1999 and voluntarily recalled 95,000 of its countertop toasters in April 2000. HB/PS offered consumers a replacement toaster.

Juicers

HB/PS distributed the defective juice extractors between 1992 and October 2001. CPSC alleged that the juicer strainer baskets could break apart, posing a risk to nearby consumers who could be struck by pieces of metal or plastic. Between 1992 and 2001, HB/PS received 59 consumer complaints related to the alleged defect. The injuries included four consumers who received lacerations requiring stitches and five consumers alleging eye injuries.

HB/PS reported this product to the Commission in October 2001 and voluntarily recalled 2.4 million juice extractors in November 2001. HB/PS offered consumers a replacement strainer basket, a replacement juicer, or a $10 refund, depending upon the model of juicer the consumer owned.

Slow Cookers

HB/PS imported and distributed from 1999 through December 2002, 18 different models of slow cookers manufactured by Huamei Electronics Co. Ltd., in China. CPSC alleged the slow cookers were defective because their handles could break off when the product was lifted, exposing consumers to a risk of burns. Between 1999 and 2001, HB/PS received over 2000 complaints of cracked or broken slow cooker handles, including two reports of consumers who required medical attention for burns from hot food, as well as information regarding product changes to attempt to address the problem of handles breaking.

HB/PS first notified the Commission about this product in February 2002 and voluntarily recalled 2.7 million slow cookers in July 2003. In January 2005, Wal-Mart recalled an additional 600,000 slow cookers imported by HB/PS. Consumers were offered a replacement slow cooker base.

Consumers who have any of these recalled products should call the company toll-free at (800) 672-5872.

IMAGES: toaster 1 -- toaster 2 -- slow cookers -- Juicers

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at cpsc.gov/talk. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to cpsc.gov/cpsclist. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at cpsc.gov.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 30, 2005 Release #05-144 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contacts: Leonardo Alcivar or Scott Wolfson (301) 504-7908 or (301) 504-7051

NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207

Mrs. Bush's Remarks Women's Teacher in Training Institute Kabul, Afghanistan

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at the Women's Teacher in Training Institute in Kabul, Afghanistan

Thank you for your warm welcome. It is, indeed, an extraordinary privilege to be with you today to celebrate the incredible progress that has been made by the people of Afghanistan over these past four years. I have especially watched with great pride as courageous women across your country have taken on leadership roles as teachers, students, doctors, judges, business and community leaders, and politicians. And no where is that more evident than on this University campus. The United States Government is wholeheartedly committed to the full participation of women in all aspects of Afghan society, not just in Kabul, but in every province.

The National Women's Dormitory and the Women's Teacher Training Institute will allow women to come from every corner of the country and have a safe place to stay and study so that they can return home and share one of life's greatest gifts with their communities - the gift of an education.

I want to thank Mina Sherzoy, the Head of the Afghan Business Women's Council, for organizing the marketplace today which showcases some of the local wares being produced by women entrepreneurs. Mina recently led a delegation of 14 exceptional women entrepreneurs to the U.S. to participate in a mini MBA program spearheaded by Barbara Barrett and Thunderbird University - one of our nation's top international business schools. One of these exceptional women, Hamira Nassary, was my guest at President Bush's State of the Union address in the United States Capitol.

I would also like to thank Dr. Ashraf Ghani, the President of Kabul University for the opportunity to speak with you today. You are doing such important work and we greatly appreciate your devotion to the education of the people of Afghanistan.

It is said that big things have small beginnings. Two years ago, the teacher training institute was just a dream. In July of 2003, the US-Afghan Women's Council visited one of my husband's top advisers, Karen Hughes, in her home town of Austin, Texas. As Karen talked with them about the most pressing needs facing the women of Afghanistan, the consensus from her Afghan counterparts, including the Women's Minister, Habbiba Sarabi, was a dire need for teachers in the remote and rural communities. Karen was told that women hoping to attend the University did not have a place to stay. The dormitories had historically only been for men. Karen told me of these needs, and as a teacher and librarian myself, I hoped that the United States Government could help build this institute. Many of you here today have all played a critical role in making this dream a reality. And from today's small beginnings we expect the Institute will yield great things

There is much more to this place than the bricks and mortar you see around us. The ordinary business that will take place here is, in fact, a symbol itself of the extraordinary leap forward Afghan women have taken.

We are only a few years removed from the rule of the terrorists, when women were denied education and every basic human right. That tyranny has been replaced by a young democracy, and the power of freedom is on display across Afghanistan.

We must be mindful though, that democracy is more than just elections. The survival of a free society ultimately depends on the participation of all its citizens, both men and women. This is possible if institutions like this exist to give women the basic tools they need to contribute fully to society-and the most critical tool of all is an education.

So the hard work of the Institute has begun. Future teachers will come here for an innovative teacher training course. The Afghan Literacy Initiative, an accelerated literacy, math, and life skills curriculum for remote rural communities, where many girls still do not have access to schools, should have over 2,000 pupils by the end of the year. These students will be trained in their communities, as a result of a cascading system of training that begins with the development of the master trainers, here with us today.

Another program is Learning for Life, a health-focused course that is designed to help reduce maternal and child mortality. This program addresses two critical needs for Afghan women: literacy and healthcare. It will help people learn to read with materials that are focused on health. This makes literacy directly relevant to something women care about greatly-the well-being of their families. Over the next two years, Learning for Life will reach 8,000 women, and of those, 5,500 young women across thirteen provinces will qualify to be trained as health care workers and midwives.

The Teacher Training Institute is public-private partnership and it will continue to require the assistance of the Ministry of Education, numerous private donors, non-governmental organizations, and of course, the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council.

I would also like to extend a special thanks to two United States corporations - Microsoft and Dell Computers - for their extraordinary generosity on behalf of both the Teacher Training Institute and the International Association of Women Judges. These companies heard that the women of Afghanistan had a need for technology assistance and they immediately provided computers, printers, and teaching application software. This is just one more example of the American people's commitment to the success of the people of Afghanistan.

Today I am proud to announce the United States' commitment to another initiative. The United States is supporting the establishment of the American University of Afghanistan with a multi-year commitment of more than 15 million dollars. This will provide a modern facility with an international faculty to educate future leaders.

The American University will aggressively reach out to young Afghan women, to ensure they feature prominently in the school and bring to it their invaluable perspective and determination. There will be appropriate facilities and housing for women, and care will be taken to be sure the faculty of this co-ed institution is inclusive of women. The school will also offer scholarships to outstanding young women who otherwise may not able to attend. Classes will be offered in business, management, information technology, and other professional areas of study.

Finally, I'm pleased to announce the development of another education initiative- the International School of Afghanistan. The school will provide Afghan children from kindergarten through high school with a first-rate education through a classical curriculum including mathematics, language, literature and grammar, the sciences, social studies, culture and arts. We have dedicated $3.5 million for the establishment of this school.

These three initiatives are each significant. They are all part of an overall commitment by President Bush to Afghan education projects totaling 80 million dollars.

These are more than just development projects-they also signify the bond between the American and Afghan people. They are symbols of our shared hopes and dreams for the future. That dream is of a prosperous, peaceful, and above all, a free Afghanistan, where both men and women stand upright in equality.

As we have worked together these past years, we have accomplished much and launched projects that will yield great results in the coming years. We have also learned a great deal about each other. We have come to know what is in each other's hearts, and is so doing, come to understand that we are very much alike.

At this time, I would like to invite Margaret Spellings, America's Secretary of Education, Noor Mohammed Qarqeen Afghanistan's Minister of Education, and Dr. Sayed Amir Shah Hassanyaar, Afghanistan's Minister of Higher Education to join me on the stage to sign an agreement between our two governments on these important initiatives. I would also like to ask the American Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, Paula Dobriansky, United States Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs, and Jim Kunder, Assistant Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to join us for the signing ceremony.

# # # For Immediate Release SOURCE: Office of the First Lady March 30, 2005 Kabul, Afghanistan