Product Recall – Digital Clamp Meters and Multimeters

Office of Information and Public Affairs - Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 14, 2010 Release #11-067	Firm's Recall Hotline: (855) 239-8324 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Extech Instruments Recalls Digital Clamp and Multimeters due to Electrocution Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Products: Digital clamp meters and multimeters
Units: 5,100 units

Manufacturer: Extech Instruments, of Waltham, Mass.

Hazard: When the battery runs low, the meters can fail to give an accurate voltage reading, resulting in the operator falsely believing the electrical power is off or low. This poses an electrocution hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Extech received one report of a meter displaying an incorrect voltage reading. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Extech digital clamp meters with model numbers EX612, EX613, EX622 and EX623 and multimeters with model numbers EX540, EX542 and EX570. “Extech” and the model number can be found on the front of the product and the serial number on the rear. Serial numbers that begin with "A" are not included in the recall.

Sold at: Industrial and electrical distributors and wholesalers nationwide and at online tool and test equipment retailers from January 2008 to November 2010 for between $150 and $300.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled digital clamp meters and multimeters and contact Extech for a free replacement meter.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Extech toll-free at (855) 239-8324 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company’s website at http://www.extech.com/recall

Link to the product recall notice on CPSC website: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11067.html

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.