The truth about safe toys

With the recent rash of toy recalls, most parents must be wondering what is exactly safe to buy for their children. Don’t assume that any toy made outside of the United States isn’t safe. It’s not that simple. Many of the component parts of U.S.-made toys are actually manufactured in other countries. Many toys are also made inside and outside the U.S. with the strictest safety guidelines in place to protect children. So how do we buy the safest toys for our children?

Facts about toys

Toy recalls account for about 1 percent of the 3 billion toys sold in the U.S. each year. The U.S. imports 86 percent of the toys sold in the U.S. from China. This staggering number only shows a small part of the picture. Who produces the other 14 percent of imported toys? India and South Korea top the list after China. According to a recent study by Canadian researchers, countries other than China had a higher rate of toy recall.

U.S. toy companies contract the toy component assembly and construction to other countries. In fact, the U.S. company is responsible for quality control and correctly meeting safety standards. Many injuries could be prevented if companies chose to do quality control before placing their products on store shelves.

The truth about toy injuries

Protections are already in place to prevent lead paint in toys. U.S. law prohibits the use of lead in the paint and surface coatings of any toys sold in the U.S. However, lead paint is not the primary cause of toy injuries. In toy recalls from 1988 to the present, 77 percent involved design-related defects. Design defects include small beads or detachable parts that can cause choking or strings that cause strangulation. Injuries from toys usually involve choking on small parts, ingesting detached magnets, and falling from rides-on toys. Despite the media frenzy about lead paint, toy recalls involving design flaws are far more risky to our children.

Independent labs frequently find problems with toys well before manufacturers. This sobering fact points to the very complaint that many parents have in the first place. Companies usually don’t test toys before placing them on the market. In an effort to reassure parents, toy companies are now putting their own quality testing specifications on their web sites. Many companies are performing reassurance testing on existing toys for quality control. Product safety and quality assessment should be the foremost concern for every toy manufacturer.

How to avoid bad purchases

Parents have some options. We can buy U.S.-made toys with the complete understanding that some or all of these toys might be manufactured outside the country. Many U.S. toy companies provide toy recall information directly on their web sites. One toy retailer actually provides a country of origin list for every toy it sells. Parents can also keep up to date with information provided from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). The commission’s recall alerts and a searchable recall database are available at CPSC.gov . Visit Toyinfo.org for extensive information on toy recalls and answers to toy safety questions.

Proactive parents

Parents need to be vigilant. Toys should be age-appropriate and used in a safe environment under supervision. Periodically, all toys should be checked for breakage and wear. When purchasing new toys, parents need to read labels carefully for correct assembly and use instructions. If toys fall apart, contact the manufacturer directly for a replacement. By working together with the toy industry, we can provide the safest toys for our children.

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