Health Canada announces recall of faulty sledgehammers

Several models of Stanley and DeWalt fibreglass sledgehammers are being recalled because the heads may come off.

In a recall notice issued Thursday, Health Canada said the hammers’ heads “can loosen prematurely and detach unexpectedly during use, posing an impact injury hazard to the user.”

The recall said people who own the affected hammers should immediately stop using them and contact Stanley Black & Decker – either by phone at 1-855-418-3032 or online – to get a refund.

Health Canada said that as of March 15, the company had received one report of a sledgehammer head detaching in Canada, but no one was hurt. In the United States, 191 incidents of sledgehammer heads coming off had been reported, with two injuries.

The company said 53,036 of the affected sledgehammers were sold in Canada between June of 2013 and November of last year.