Ballard Designs Step Stool Recall: Falls, Injuries Reported

About 2,500 Ballard Designs step stools have been recalled after consumers reported instability, falls and minor injuries. 

The Ballard Designs step stools recall was announced on October 4, by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after the manufacturer received at least six reports that the stools were unstable. Two users reported falling and suffering a personal injury as a result of the step stools.

The CPSC said in the recall notice that the problem is linked to plastic tabs on the feet, which can cause the stools to become unstable. The CPSC has determined that the stools pose a fall hazard to consumers, and recommends that owners immediately remove the four plastic feet.

The recall affects Ballard Designs “Stafford” step stools with the model numbers 100097963, 100099019, 100097230, 100100584 or 100102942. The stools are wood and painted black or white and have “Ballard Designs” printed on a sticker under the bottom of the step, along with the model number and “Made in China.” All of the stools affected by the recall have plastic tabs on the feet.

The stools were sold at Ballard Design stores in Florida, Georgia and Ohio, as well as through the company’s website, www.ballarddesigns.com, through Ballard Designs catalogs and through the Home Shopping Network’s website, www.hsn.com. The stools sold for about $80 from July 2009 through May 2011.

The Ballard Designs website has instructions on how to remove the tabs on its Product Safety page. The company has announced that it is attempting to directly contact all known purchasers. Consumers with questions can call the company at (888) 606-2627.