Toy safety

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page.

Magnetix, a popular construction toy selling over 3.8 million units, was banned after injuries and a fatality when magnets came loose.

Toy safety is the practice of ensuring that toys, especially those made for children, meet set safety standards. In many countries, commercial toys must be able to pass safety tests in order to be sold. In the U.S., some toys must meet national standards, while other toys may not have to meet a defined safety standard. In countries where standards exist, they exist in order to prevent accidents, but there have still been some high-profile product recalls after such problems have occurred. The danger is not always due to faulty design; usage and chance both play a role in injury and death incidents as well.^[1]

[edit] Potential hazards

Small toys may be swallowed by children, such as this electronic button seen in the stomach. Toys stuck in the esophagus or too large to pass through the stomach may need to be removed with cameras known as endoscopes.

Common scenarios include:

• Choking or aspiration of small parts
• Strangulation
• Cuts by sharp parts of the toy
• Injury by projectiles
• Drowning
• Motor vehicle incidents involving toys

[edit] Accident frequency

Accidents caused by toys are quite common, with 40,000 happening each year in the United Kingdom.^[2] In 2005 in the U.S., 20 children under 15 years of age died in incidents associated with toys, and an estimated 202,300 children under 15 were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with toys, according to data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. ^[3]

[edit] Safety standards

In Europe toys must meet the criteria set by the EC Toy Safety Directive (European Standard EN71) in order for them to carry the CE mark. The British Safety Standards help to ensure that Toy (safety) Regulations 1995 act is followed for products on sale in the UK, and that they meet BS 5665 standards.^[4] Trading Standards Officers have the power to immediately withdraw a toy from sale on safety grounds.^[1] In Canada the government department Health Canada has the responsibility of ensuring product safety, just as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does in the United States.

[edit] Appropriate age

Manufacturers often display information about the intended age of the children who will play with the toy. In the U.S. this label is sometimes mandated by the CPSC, especially for toys which may present a choking hazard for children under three years of age. In most countries the intended age is either shown as a minimum age or as an age range. While one reason for this is the complexity of the toy and how much it will interest or challenge children of different ages, another is to highlight that it may be unsafe for younger children. Some manufacturers also explain the specific dangers next to the advised age. Many accidents occur when babies play with toys intended for older children.^[1]

[edit] International commerce

International commerce plays a big role in toy safety. In the first four months of 2006, China exported US$4 billion worth of toys. The United States contributed 70 percent of the global market by exporting US$15.2 billion in toys in 2005. The European Union and Great Britain account for 75% of the final disposition of these toys. From January 2005 through September 2006, products originating in China were responsible for about 48 percent of product recalls in the U.S., and a similar percentage of notifications in the EU. ^[5]

[edit] Product recalls and safety hazards

Many toys have been discovered to have been unsafe after the have been sold. Before the introduction of safety monitoring organisations the toys were simply stopped being manufactured if any action was taken at all, but since then there have been many toys that have been recalled by their manufacturer. Sometimes the problem has only been found after the injury or even death of a person that purchased the product.

[edit] Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids

The Cabbage Patch Kids dolls were very popular in the 1980s across North America and many parts of Europe. The "Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kids" line of dolls was an early 1990s incarnation designed to "eat" plastic snacks. The mechanism was a pair of one-way metal rollers behind a plastic slot and rubber lips, and there were 35 reported incidents where a child's hair or finger was caught in the mouths. On 31 December 1996, after 700,000 dolls were distributed in the United States in just five months, the CPSC along with manufacturers Mattel announced that they would place warning information labels on all unsold dolls.^[6] A week later, in January 1997, CPSC and Mattel announced that all Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kids Dolls were being removed from the market. ^[7]

[edit] Clackers

Clackers, briefly popular in the early 1970s, are formed out of two hard plastic marbles, each about two inches in diameter, attached to a ring with sturdy string. The player puts his or her finger in the ring, allowing the marbles or balls to hang below. Through a gentle up-and-down hand motion, the two balls swing apart and together, making the clacking noise that give the toy its name. The plastic parts of the product would sometimes shatter, with shards flying into the player's eyes.

[edit] Lawn darts

A safety warning given out by the CPSC.

Lawn darts are large, weighted darts intended to be tossed underhand towards a horizontal ground target. On 19 December 1988, all lawn darts were banned from sale in the United States by the Consumer Product Safety Commission after they were responsible for the deaths of three children.^[8]

[edit] Magnetix

One death and four serious injuries led to the recall of 3.8 million Magnetix building sets in March 2006. The magnets inside the plastic building pieces could fall out and be swallowed or aspirated.^[9]

[edit] Polly Pocket

In November 2006 4.4 million Polly Pocket play sets were recalled by Mattel after children in the United States swallowed loose magnetic parts. The toys had been sold around the world commencing three years previous.^[10]

[edit] Super Elastic Bubble Plastic

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Product safety recalls (in the United Kingdom, not limited to toys) at Trading Standards.
• Toy Hazard Recalls (in the United States) at the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Factsheet: Toys and accidents at the Child Accident Prevention Trust.
• Toy Safety Information - A guide at the British Toy and Hobby Association.
• Toy Safety Regulations at the Toy Retailers Association.
• The 10 most dangerous toys of all time at RadarMagazine.com.