Serious injury causes flare recall

VICTORIA, Australia – Pains Wessex, an Australian manufacturer of marine distress products, has issued a recall notice for one of the hand flares it manufactures, after a customer was injured while using the product in early April.

The company said in a release yesterday that investigations are ongoing into an incident on April 5 during which “a member of the public was seriously injured while using a Pains Wessex MK7 White Hand Flare.”

No further details of the incident were provided.

Pains Wessex said it is cooperating with the public authorities to investigate the incident and has commenced its own internal investigation.

“Although the cause of the accident is unclear, as a responsible company, Pains Wessex is recalling certain White Collision Warning (MK7) Hand Flares,” the company wrote in its release. “The lot numbers of the batches recalled are 2045 and 2046. This number can be found ink-jetted on the tube of the flare.”

Pains and Wessex said it has also suspended new shipments of the product.

The Pains Wessex White Collision Warning (MK 7) Hand Flare is sold on its own and it is also part of the Collision Warn-Off Kit and the ORC RORC Distress Kit.

The company asked customers to check and see if they have a flare with either lot number and, If so, to return it immediately to the place of purchase, where it will be replaced.

Anyone unable to return the products to the place of purchase is asked to take it to their nearest chandler, or telephone Pains Wessex + 44(0)2392 623962 or e-mail recall@pwss.com.

“Our thoughts are with the injured party and their family and we wish them a speedy recovery,” the company said.

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