Toy Safety Tips
WHEN BUYING TOYS
Choosing toys with care. Keep in mind the child's age,
interests and skill level.
Look for quality design and construction in all toys for all ages.
Make sure that all directions or instructions are clear -- to you,
and, when appropriate, to the child. Plastic wrappings on toys
should be discarded at once before they become deadly playthings.
Be a label reader. Look for and heed age recommendations, such as
"Not recommended for children under three". Look for other safety
labels including: "Flame retardant/Flame resistant" on fabric
products and "Washable/hygienic materials" on stuffed toys and dolls.
WHEN MAINTAINING TOYS
Check all toys periodically for breakage and potential hazards.
A damaged or dangerous toy should be thrown away or
repaired immediately.
Edges on wooden toys that might have become sharp or surfaces
covered with splinters should be sanded smooth. When repainting
toys and toy boxes, avoid using leftover paint, unless purchased
recently, since older paints may contain more lead than new paint,
which is regulated by CPSC. Examine all outdoor toys regularly for
rust or weak parts that could become hazardous.
WHEN STORING TOYS
Teach children to put their toys safely away on shelves or in a toy
chest after playing to prevent trips and falls.
Toy boxes, too, should be checked for safety. Use a toy chest that
has a lid that will stay open in any position to which it is raised, and
will not fall unexpectedly on a child. For extra safety, be sure there
are ventilation holes for fresh air. Watch for sharp edges that could
cut and hinges that could pinch or squeeze. See that toys used
outdoors are stored after play -- rain or dew can rust or damage a
variety of toys and toy parts creating hazards.
SHARP EDGES
New toys intended for children under eight years of age should,
by regulation, be free of sharp glass and metal edges.
With use, however, older toys may break, exposing cutting edges.
SMALL PARTS
Older toys can break to reveal parts small enough to be swallowed
or to become lodged in a child's windpipe, ears or nose. The law bans
small parts in new toys intended for children under three.
This includes removable small eyes and noses on stuffed toys and
dolls, and small, removable squeakers on squeeze toys.
LOUD NOISES Toy caps and some noisemaking guns and other
toys can produce sounds at noise levels that can damage hearing.
The law requires the following label on boxes of caps producing noise
above a certain level: "WARNING -- Do not fire closer than one foot
to the ear. Do not use indoors." Caps producing noise that can injure
a child's hearing are banned.
CORDS AND STRINGS
Toys with long strings or cords may be dangerous for infants and
very young children. The cords may become wrapped around an
infant's neck, causing strangulation. Never hang toys with long
strings, cords, loops, or ribbons in cribs or playpens where children
can become entangled. Remove crib gyms for the crib when the
child can pull up on hands and knees; some children have strangled
when they fell across crib gyms stretched across the crib.
SHARP POINTS
Toys which have been broken may have dangerous points or prongs.
Stuffed toys may have wires inside the toy which could cut or stab if
exposed. A CPSC regulation prohibits sharp points in new toys and
other articles intended for use by children under eight years of age.
PROPELLED OBJECTS
Projectiles -- guided missiles and similar flying toys -- can be turned
into weapons and can injure eyes in particular. Children should never
be permitted to play with adult lawn darts or other hobby or sporting
equipment that have sharp points. Arrows or darts used by children
should have soft cork tips, rubber suction cups or other protective
tips intended to prevent injury. Check to be sure the tips are secure.
Avoid those dart guns or other toys which might be capable of firing
articles not intended for use in the toy, such as pencils or nails.
ALL TOYS ARE NOT FOR ALL CHILDREN
Keep toys designed for older children out of the hands of little ones.
Follow labels that give age recommendations -- some toys are
recommended for older children because they may be hazardous
in the hands of a younger child. Teach older children to help keep
their toys away from younger brothers and sisters.
Even balloons, when uninflated or broken, can choke or suffocate
if young children try to swallow them. More children have suffocated
on uninflated balloons and pieces of broken balloons than on any
other type of toy.
ELECTRIC TOYS
Electric toys that are improperly constructed, wired or misused
can shock or burn. Electric toys must meet mandatory requirements
for maximum surface temperatures, electrical construction and
prominent warning labels. Electric toys with heating elements are
recommended only for children over eight years old. Children should
be taught to use electric toys properly, cautiously and under adult
supervision.
INFANT TOYS
Infant toys, such as rattles, squeeze toys, and teethers, should
be large enough so that they cannot enter and become lodged in
an infant's throat.
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