A parent’s job is to feed, bathe and clothe their children, making informed decisions about ingredients, products and materials every day. Every parent’s worst nightmare is realizing that one of those decisions may have been compromised.
An email obtained by Global News, sent to employees at Mountain equipment company On December 13, it was confirmed that mold was found on some of its children’s and infant costumes.
The email also requests that items from two separate purchase orders be removed, meaning all toasters and banners will be removed from the floor. However, on Monday December 16, many costumes were still on display in the Kelowna location on Cooper Road.
The email follows two recalls issued earlier this month – one for certain mittens and gloves and one for men’s “Borderlands Pants” due to a mold risk.
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However, no recalls have been issued for contaminated children’s clothing.
A statement from MEC said it was aware of the presence of mold on toasters and banners sold from August this year until today. He also indicates that he has removed the products concerned from the ground.
He also noted that the company says the products Global News saw on the floor Dec. 16 are either last year’s model or have been inspected and are not affected. MEC also indicated that to date it is not aware of any health concerns reported by staff regarding mold.
A source told Global News that many staff members at the Kelowna location have been sick, but she cannot confirm if it is due to mold.
The source also claims that safety precautions conveyed by the company in emails to staff are not fully followed and that many staff members are unaware of the mold.
There are also concerns about having tightly packaged merchandise in the store because the spores could easily spread to the rest of the children’s clothing and other sections of the store.
Some MEC locations in Victoria and the Lower Mainland are unionized, but the Kelowna location is not. A union representative says he is following up with the employer to understand if workers have been affected and know the next steps.