Whalen Recalls Stainless Steel Tool Chests Due to Laceration Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Costco (Recall Alert)
Home product recall 14-729. Announced by CPSC on Apr 10, 2014.
- CPSC: stop using it
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own notice is on cpsc.gov.
The short answer
Announced by CPSC on Apr 10, 2014. Copied from CPSC on Oct 19, 2026.
- Stop using it what CPSC tells owners to do now (needs attention)
- Repair what’s offered
- About 20,000 units, as CPSC gives them
- Reported injuries, in the notice (needs attention)
Every line below is in CPSC’s own words, with its source beside it.
What’s wrong with it?
The inside of the right door has a metal stopper or flange with a sharp edge running the length of the door, which poses a laceration hazard.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What should you do?
Consumers should immediately stop using the product and contact Whalen for a free repair kit that includes a protective cover for the flange. Whalen is contacting all purchasers directly.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
- What the company offers to fix a recalled product or vehicle: a repair, a replacement or a refund, as the recall notice says. For a vehicle, dealers make the safety repair free. Follow the notice’s own steps, or contact the company it names. Source: CPSC; NHTSA (49 U.S.C. 30120).: repair.
- How to reach the firm: Whalen toll-free at (866) 942-5362 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or online at www.whalenstorage.com and click on “Recalls” for more information.
Which ones are recalled?
The recalled tool chests are about 72 inches long, 37½ inches high and 19 inches deep. They are made of stainless steel with a 1½-inch thick wooden block top and with ten storage drawers on the left and center in a variety of heights. The right side has a cabinet with shelves and peg board to hang tools on the inside of the door. The chest stands on swivel caster wheels and has handles on each end that can be used to move the unit. Whalen item number WSMTB72 and Costco item number 496675 are printed in the assembly instructions.
About 20,000 units, as CPSC gives them.
Stainless steel tool chests.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
CPSC’s photos
CPSC shows 3 photos on its notice. Hearth Record doesn’t copy them; each opens on cpsc.gov.
Who made and sold it?
- Made by Whalen Furniture Manufacturing, San Diego, Calif.
- Costco Wholesale Corp. from March 2010 through October 2013 for between $500 and $550.
- Made in China, as the notice gives it.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
Was anyone hurt?
Whalen has received 11 reports of injuries, including nine reports of minor cuts caused by the sharp-edged flange and two reports of cuts requiring stitches.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What the record doesn’t say
- The notice lists no UPCs, so check the model, the description and the photos.
- The notice lists no model numbers in a field of their own; its description may give them.
- How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Hearth Record wrote these lines.
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recalls API.
Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Recalls of kids’ and home products are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record. Copied on Oct 19, 2026.