Recalled Bauer Hockey Goalie Masks Linked to Serious Eye Injuries

Bauer Hockey Corp., in cooperation with Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), has recalled hockey goalie masks with cages that have broken and caused serious eye injuries.

In March 2015, the manufacturer and the two government agencies issued a joint recall of three Bauer goalie masks and cages after the sporting-goods company found a potential quality issue in some of the titanium wire used in the cages, according to CBC News. The CPSC says the recalled goalie masks and cages do not provide adequate protection to the goalie in the event of impact from a puck and could pose a facial-injury hazard.

At the time of the recall, Bauer had received a report of the titanium wire cage cracking or breaking on impact with a puck, resulting in minor facial injuries. Health Canada has recently updated the recall to say that it has received two reports of serious injuries related to the products. Bauer has now received 11 reports —10 in Canada and one in the United States — of breaks or cracks that resulted in four minor and two major facial injuries.

An 18-year-old goaltender from Bay Roberts, Newfoundland, required emergency eye surgery after a piece of wire snapped from the cage of his Bauer mask, slicing into his face and cutting off a piece of the iris of his left eye, CBC News reports.

The recall covers about 1,300 units sold in Canada and about 1,200 units sold in the United States from April 2013 to February 2015. The recalled masks and cages are:

• Bauer Concept C1 Goal Mask with Certified Titanium Oval Wire
• Bauer NME 10 Goal Mask with Certified Titanium Oval Wire
• Bauer RP NME Ti Titanium Cage

The recalled equipment was manufactured in Thailand and China.

The Concept C1 and NME 10 goalie masks were sold in black or white with a titanium wire cage that attaches to the mask with two screws on each side of the mask.  The Concept C1 mask is a Senior mask in sizes S/M and M/L. Concept C1 is printed at the top of the shell.  A sticker inside the shell at the jaw also lists the model and size. The NME 10 Goal Mask is a Senior mask in sizes Fit 1, Fit 2, and Fit 3.  NME10 is printed at the top of the shell.  A sticker inside the shell at the jaw also lists the model and size. The RP NME Ti Titanium Cage is a replacement cage intended for the Concept C1 and NME 10 goalie masks.  A side plate reads Bauer Titanium Oval Wire and RPNME Ti Sr.

The CPSC advises anyone who has the recalled masks and cages to immediately stop using them and contact Bauer Hockey for a free replacement wire cage and complimentary throat protector.

from Parker Waichman http://www.yourlawyer.com/blog/recalled-bauer-hockey-goalie-masks-linked-to-serious-eye-injuries/