[Archive] Killa Kans recalled (UK and Europe)

Grimstonefire:

Anyone who wants a box you’d better buy it now, as it could be a while before they come back with the new labels…

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?aId=9900052a

Da Crusha:

wait why are they being recalled? labels? or they are too difficult for 14 year olds to complete? that is kind of weird that they have decided that a 14 year old would need parental supervision to complete it. I wonder why.

Loki:

What happened to things being a challenge, i remember building air fix kits with loads of stupid small bits when i was 8, my grandfather cut all the bits off the sprue and taught me how to read the instructions but other than that i was left to my self to make it, they cant be that hard to build the death dread is so easy to put together compared to the old tank kits gw used to have.

Servius:

looking at mine… i didnt notice any phalic symbols or anything lude… probably some 12 year old cut his hand badly with an exacto or something because he was using it wrong and the parents are suing GW because they didnt have a warning on the box saying that Exactos are sharp…

snowblizz:

WTF?

Technically, if you ask me, the hobby at large is hardly suitable for anyone under 14 anyway. Glues, sharp knifes etc etc.

Maybe they can have a sale on them so people who actually have a brain and deserve this hobby can get them cheaper.

Grimstonefire:

The EU have extremely strict regulations on what labelling should be used on toys.  Someone obviously forgot to put a small symbol on somewhere, probably been fired now anyway.

They could actually get a small fine out of this.

Incidently something interesting is going on with GW stores around Reading, they are calling all staff in for meetings. I’m not sure how widespread this is, or even if it is because of the labelling fiasco.

Rhazzouth:

I have 14 and I can complete one or more.:mad

But as say Grimstonefire,the EU have extremely strict regulations on what labelling should be used on toys.And also the cutter cuts a lot x.x

,It’s very dangerous to use, but if you don’t cut upon your body, all thats correct:D.So, I’m not very happy but I’m not angry.

That’s all

Xander:

Man, I’d really like to buy these guys and do something fun with them.

Firehammer:

The shops can order the new labels next Tuesday (13th), then these kits are sold in webstores again. Of course, if you are older than 14, you can also buy them now at your FLGS. Shops are only advised to not display them until the labels are on.

The Killa Kan kit failed an obligatory EU security test and must therefore be labelled 14+ (instead of 12+ like all other GW miniatures). GW now works on modifying the mould to meet the security standards for 12+.

So no reason to panic. :wink:

Tarrakk Blackhand:

Security standard?

Aren’t most models rated 8+ anyway? I don’t understand at all.

I own a hobby shop and I don’t get it!

i wonder if this applies to Canada or not. Hopefully not!

Thommy H:

It’s pretty simple: the models are labelled 12+. It turns out they failed a test to determine their safety for 14-year-olds. Therefore, they should be labelled 14+. GW has to recall the product so they can redesign the packaging (changing “2” to “4”, one would assume) and then redistribute them. If they don’t, and a child between the ages of 12 and 14 is somehow injured by this product, they’d be liable because they didn’t take the necessary labelling precautions.

I’ve noticed a lot of people get very confused by “health and safety” warnings like this, but they exist for a very good reason: to cover the manufacturer’s ass. If someone puts a warning on a product that says, in big letters, “Don’t use this under these circumstances!” then, when someone does exactly that and hurts themselves, they can’t get sued. They warned the customer, after all. I work in an Occupational Health department in a pretty big hospital, so this kind of thing is my field: we provide a service to make sure that staff members are protected against injury, infection, etc. so that, when things go wrong (and in a hospital the size of ours, that’s almost inevitable) we can’t be accused to not taking precautions. We offered the service: if people don’t listen to us and use it, that’s their problem…

Auretious Taak:

So what happens when a 12 year old or 13 year old kid hurts themselves making the kit inside a GW store itself?

Grimstonefire:

Making this kit you mean?  At the moment if it is one of the badly labelled ones they could sue I think (within the EU).  No doubt the store managers have the new boxes lying around to make sure that cannot happen in the store.

Generally speaking, the stores are insured against all that stuff (or should be).

Edit.  For anyone who was curious, it looks like they will be rolling out the 1 man store format across the UK soon for smaller stores.  A load of guys just got made redundant around Reading with a weeks notice (possibly illegal), and it’s probably a sign of things to come.

slev:

I know of places where a 2one man store" is workable. I also know of one store where i worked at that only needed two staff to run it, save at weekends and school holidays, and so it effectively had six key-timers!

The legality of the notice period is complex with a variety of variables that are involved



I’ve noticed a lot of people get very confused by “health and safety” warnings like this, but they exist for a very good reason: to cover the manufacturer’s ass.



Thommy H
That’s why in this case “health & safety” is in inverted commas. Most “health and safety” thing are actually “insurance and liability” things, and have been on the increase since we allowed lawyers to start advertising and gave us a USA-style compensation culture.

Actually selling it as age restricted from behind the counter covers them under the Health & Safety at Work Act due to the clauses worded “so far as is reasonably practicable”, as do the stickers to go on the boxes. (guess what my qualifications are in :stuck_out_tongue: )

Joshmohr:

there the ORKS. ORKS are not renown for their building skill… Theres going to be sharp pieces. I will also comment that when i got my killa kans, I let me brother build one- He is 12 and had no trouble at all…

Thommy H:

That's why in this case "health & safety" is in inverted commas. Most "health and safety" thing are actually "insurance and liability" things, and have been on the increase since we allowed lawyers to start advertising and gave us a USA-style compensation culture.
Or, from another point of view, since we gave ordinary people the means to sue the rich and powerful. 150 years ago, if you lost your arm while toiling in a mill, there wasn't much you could do to the mill-owner who effectively owned you too. These days, if your employer (or someone selling you something) doesn't take the precaution of protecting you, you have the right to do something about it. I think that's a good thing, personally.

cornixt:

Actually selling it as age restricted from behind the counter covers them under the Health & Safety at Work Act due to the clauses worded "so far as is reasonably practicable", as do the stickers to go on the boxes. (guess what my qualifications are in :P )

slev
I can believe you too, safety standards are the only places I've ever seen the word "practicable" used. It's like they go out of their way to use more unusual words. "recordation" is another one I come across.

Swissdictator:

When I was in middle school I was using an exacto knife, on my own, and I accidentally cut myself on my thumb right next to the nail. I didn’t even realize it at first. Suddenly I notice all this red stuff and I wondered if I had broken a jar of paint! I realized it was blood, so I went to wash it off and put a band aid on it.

My mother freaked when she saw, and took my to the Mercy Clinic. I got, not stitches… but something that is submerged and water and it grafts to the skin or something. I had apparently cut a small vein or something. I still have a small scar.

It didn’t shake them in the sense they felt the hobby was dangerous, it was just part of life to them. Living life will lead to accidents of some sort, quite honestly. Walking my dog I could get injured for crying out loud. Common sense needs to apply, yes… sometimes people get small injuries like I did. No big deal, really.

Everytime I hear about lawyers suing over this type of thing, and they are even heard I want to quote Londo Mollari “Do you know what that CONVENTION of genetic defectives have decided to do?!”

Tarrakk Blackhand:

Well…these are different times Swiss. I was a Boy Scout and used pocket knives at age 8. I had my Dad and other adults to teach me knife safety.

Nowadays, no one seems to be teaching these kids, so saying that a model is safe for 8 and up may not apply anymore.

More power to our generation! Glad I was young back then.

Firehammer:

Different cultures deal differently with children security. In the USA there is a market for children sized hunting guns that can easily kill a man. See this promo-video (if you don’t mind seeing a ca. 10 year old shooting a gun and killing a deer):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAg4qDMVPV0&feature=related