Wednesday, February 13, 2002
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Wednesday, February 13, 2002 |
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Your cedar chest may not be safe Lane Home Furnishings Urges Public's Support In Locating 177,000 Cedar Chests in Georgia Company Wants to Outfit Airtight Chests With Free, New, Safer Locks
If you have a cedar chest made between 1912 and 1987, the chest may not be safe for your children, according to Lane Home Furnishings. The firm is seeking public help in finding and making safer approximately 177,000 high-quality, airtight cedar chests in Georgia. Lane, based in Tupelo, Miss., manufactured about 12 million cedar chests during the 75-year period under the Lane and Virginia Maid brand names, and it is believed that, on average, one in 17 households in the area still has one. "We're focusing our search for these pre-1987 chests because we are offering owners in the region a new, safer lock absolutely free of charge," said Tom Foy, president and chief executive officer of Lane. "The locks installed prior to 1987 automatically engage when the lid is closed. The new locks, which we've used on all our chests since 1987, must be latched manually from outside the chest and will not be engaged automatically when the lid is closed." When the chests are used as intended protecting family heirlooms, blankets, quilts and other keepsakes there is no problem. Consumers like the airtight quality of the chests because it protects against moths, mildew and similar problems, Foy said. "But, long after these chests have passed from generation to generation or through estate sales, the chests are sometimes being used as toy boxes or left empty in basements, garages and sheds," said Carol Ball of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and SAFE KIDS of Georgia. "This is a potential danger because unsupervised children playing in a chest can close and lock the lid, making an airtight seal. The new, safer locks on the cedar chests will help prevent a potential tragedy." For information phone toll-free 1-888-856-8758, or register at Lane's Web site, http://www. newlock.net.
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