Holiday Toy Safety

As the holiday season approaches and you are out shopping for gifts for your little ones, try to keep in mind safety issues when making selections of toys, clothing and accessories. This time of year the U.S. Public Interest Research Group releases its "Trouble in Toyland" list of Potentially Dangerous Toys for children. Although it is not meant as a comprehensive list, their goal is to show examples of toys that could be potentially dangerous, particularly for small children.

The following is a list of the PIRG Tips for Toy Safety taken from the toysafety.net website. You should also keep these guidelines in mind when donating new or used toys to charity. It is always a good idea to check recalls on all product before giving or accepting them as gifts, particularly on used items. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a comprehensive database on recalled products at www.recalls.gov

Tips For Parents Of Infants & Toddlers

1. Avoid choking hazards. Do not buy small toys or toys with small parts for young children. Choking is the most common cause of toy-related deaths. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least eight children choked to death in 2002 on toys or toy parts.

2. Read and heed warning labels. Toys that pose choking hazards for young children are required by law to be labeled with warnings, like this one:

A toy with this warning should not be given to a child younger than three. Be careful to keep toys for older children away from younger ones.

3. Never give young children small balls or balloons.
- Small balls, balloons and pieces of broken balloons are particularly dangerous, as they can completely block a child's airway.
- Make sure balls for children under six years old are more than 1.75 inches in diameter.
- Never give latex balloons to children younger than eight years old. Mylar balloons are a safer alternative.

4. Avoid strangulation hazards.
- Keep mobiles out of the reach of children in cribs. Remove mobiles completely before the child is five months old or can push up on hands and knees.
- Keep cords short or out of children's reach.
- Check the ends of pull toys. Remove knobs or beads from cords longer than one foot to prevent the cords from tangling into a dangerous loop.
- Check openings on cribs and play gyms to be sure that a child's head cannot be trapped.

Noise
Children's ears are sensitive, and their hearing is easily damaged. To protect children from loud toys, you can:
- Use your own ears as a guide. If a toy seems loud to you, it is probably too loud for a child.
- Take the batteries out of loud toys or cover speakers with tape.

Toxic Chemicals
Some children's toys, such as play cosmetics or art supplies, may contain toxic chemicals. Parents and consumers should:
- Read labels carefully and only purchase toys labeled non-toxic.
- Contact manufacturers with any questions about a product's ingredients.

Toys On The Internet
The labels and warnings required on toys in stores are rarely repeated on web sites that sell toys. Parents and consumers using the Internet to buy toys should remember:
- Some toys sold on the Internet may be manufactured by companies that do not comply with U.S. toy regulations.
- Toys sold on discount or auction sites may have been recalled by CPSC as hazardous.

Children Accessories For Safety
Toys like bicycles, scooters, skateboards and inline skates are safer when children wear protective gear. If you plan to give any of these toys as gifts, make them safer by also giving a CPSC-approved helmet with a bike; a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads with a scooter or skateboard; and a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards with inline skates.

Stay Informed Of Recalls
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls numerous toys and children's products each year. Click Here to search the CPSC website by recall category

Six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to create www.recalls.gov -- a "one stop shop" for U.S. Government recalls. Check www.recalls.gov for an archive of old recalls and to sign up to receive e-mail alerts of new recalls.

Report A Dangerous Toy
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has the authority to recall dangerous toys and products from the market. If you think a toy or product is hazardous, contact the CPSC and submit a report by:

Phone: 1-800-638-2772
Web: https://www.cpsc.gov/incident.html

Click her for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group website Toysafety.net They have a full downloadable report in PDF format of dangerous toys plus the list of safety tips.

The U.S. PIRG list of dangerous toys can be found here.

Click here for a CNN/Money article on the U.S. PIRG list

If you have any comments or feedback on this page, send them to Steve Walkowiak: swalk@hobokenfamily.com