Echo PB-770H / PB-770T / PB-580H / PB-580T gas-powered backpack-blower shoulder-strap suction laceration and impact hazard (CPSC March 5, 2020)

## Affected machines This bulletin covers the **Echo** portion of a joint Echo + Shindaiwa recall (the Shindaiwa portion is covered as TNB02600130). ### Affected Echo models - **PB-770H** (hip-throttle) - **PB-770T** (tube-throttle) - **PB-580H** (hip-throttle) - **PB-580T** (tube-throttle) The blowers are 2-cycle gas-powered commercial backpack blowers with shoulder straps. The model and serial numbers can be found on the blower's engine block. Sold at independent Echo outdoor power equipment dealers and online at HomeDepot.com and Grainger.com between **August 2018 and February 2020** for about $600 for blowers and $30 for replacement straps. The recall also covers replacement shoulder straps sold separately. The replacement strap part number appears on the plastic bag at the time of sale. ## Issue The blower's **shoulder straps**, **plastic buckles**, or the **anti-static ground wire** can be drawn into the blower fan and fan housing while the unit is operating. The drawn-in components are broken into pieces by the fan and **plastic pieces are expelled from the machine**, posing laceration and impact hazards to the operator and bystanders. The hazard mode applies to: - Original shoulder straps that came with the blowers - Replacement shoulder straps sold separately as a service part Reported field incidents at time of recall: - 62 reports of pieces being expelled from the machine - 1 minor injury (consumer struck in the neck) ## What to do 1. Identify the unit by model and serial number on the engine block. 2. Identify any replacement strap by the part number on the plastic bag. 3. **Stop using the backpack blower immediately.** 4. Return it (or the strap) to an authorized Echo dealer for free repair. 5. Contact Echo at 800-432-3246 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit https://www.echo-usa.com/recall. ## Hazard Severity is rated **warning** because: - 1 confirmed minor injury (low severity) - 62 incidents across 67,700 blowers (~0.09% incident rate) - The hazard mode is observable (operator can see/hear when something is drawn into the fan) This severity calibration is consistent with similar accessory-suction laceration bulletins in the library. ## Related bulletins The **Shindaiwa portion** of this same joint recall is covered as **TNB02600130**. The Shindaiwa portion uses different model numbers (EB770, EB810) but the same hazard mode and remedy. Other Echo backpack-blower bulletins in this migration: TNB02600127 (PB-251/PB-265L fuel-line fire), TNB02600129 (PB-5810H/T fuel-supply-line leak). ## Source - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "ECHO Recalls Backpack Blowers and Replacement Shoulder Straps Due to Laceration and Impact Hazards," March 5, 2020. - Echo: https://www.echo-usa.com/recall