The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently re-announced the recall of 321,160 Generac and DR 6500-watt and 8000-watt portable generators sold in the United States, and another 4,575 sold in Canada. This second recall came in the wake of a finger amputation and crushing injury following an original recall of the same generators in July of last year. An unlocked handle can pinch users’ fingers against the generator frame when the generator is moved, posing finger amputation and crushing hazards, the announcement said.
According to the CPSC, Waukesha, Wis.-based Generac Power Systems, which owns the DR brand, has received a total of 37 reports of injuries, 24 resulting in finger amputations and five in finger crushings. The original, 2021 recall reported eight injuries—seven resulting in finger amputations and one in a crushed finger. A Generac spokesperson told CR that of the 37 total incidents, one occurred after the original recall—and remedy—were issued.
Judy Echavez, a spokesperson for the CPSC, said the agency reannounces recalls from time to time, and the reasons vary. “It could be a slow response to the first recall, or additional incidents,” she said. “Sometimes the companies request a reannouncement.”
The Generac spokesperson said the company has developed a new repair kit consisting of a set of spacers that can be added to the unit to move the handle away from the frame.
