CPSC Launches Holiday Toy Safety Campaign

Against the backdrop of Washington's colorful Capital Children's Museum, the Consumer Product Safety Commission today launched its annual holiday toy safety campaign to provide guidelines for holiday shoppers to purchase toys that will be safe for their loved ones.

The toy safety campaign is being sponsored nationwide jointly by CPSC and the Toy Manufacturers of America, the toy industry trade association. According to CPSC and TMA there are approximately 150,000 different toys on the market. Making the proper selection of a toy is often difficult for consumers. Although children's products are required to meet mandatory CPSC safety standards, serious accidents can occur if toys are not selected with the right child in mind or used under adult supervision.

Based on hospital emergency room reports monitored by CPSC in 1981, more than 385,000 children under age 15 were hurt while riding their bicycles. Another 29,000 children under 15 were injured through the use of sleds. Accidents involving skates accounted for 97,000 injuries to kids under 15; another 24,000 injuries resulted from using skateboards.

CPSC also estimates that every year between 125,000 and 130,000 children receive injuries requiring hospital emergency room treatment from accidents involving toys.

CPSC and TMA recommend these guidelines for selecting a safe toy:

- Select toys to suit the skills, abilities and interests of the individual child. Federal safety requirements concerning sharp points and sharp metal and glass edges apply to all toys for children under eight years of age. Toys intended for children under three by law cannot be so small or contain parts so small to be swallowed or to become lodged in a child's windpipe, ears or nose.

- Be a label reader. Look for and heed age recommendations, such as "Not recommended for children under three," Look for other safety labels such as "Flame retardant/Flame resistant."

- Make sure that all instructions are clear to you -- and when appropriate, to the child.

- Discard plastic wrappings on toys immediately, before they become deadly playthings.

- Toys with long strings or cords are not recommended for infants and very young children because they can cause strangulation.

- Electric toys with heating elements are recommended only for children over eight years old.

- Arrows or darts used by children should have soft cork tips, rubber suction cups or other protective tips. Check to be sure the tips are secure.

- When buying toy guns and caps, be wary of those that can produce sounds at noise levels that can damage hearing. Federal law requires this warning on boxes of caps producing loud noises: WARNING - Do not fire closer than one foot to the ear. Do not use indoors." Parents should not give these caps to children too young to understand this warning.

CPSC also recommends the following steps to promote toy safety in the home:

- Check all toys periodically for breakage and potential hazards. Broken toys can develop sharp edges or create small parts. A toy that cannot be repaired should be thrown away immediately.

- Teach children to put their toys safely away on shelves or in other storage areas after playing to prevent trips and falls. Many accidents occur when toys are left out causing someone to fall.

- Take care to explain to children how to use their toys properly and how to take care of them.

- Keep toys designed for older children out of the hands of little ones. Chemistry sets, hobby items and toys with small parts, particularly games, can be extremely dangerous if used by younger children. Never hang toys with long strings, cords, loops or ribbons in cribs or playpens where children can become entangled.