How safe are your children's toys?

It's a sad fact that many of the most dangerous toys are favourites.  Thousands of cheap, unsafe toys are finding their way onto the market place with little being done to stop them. How many unsafe toys are there on the shelves that we just don't know about?  Potentially dangerous toys are a serious issue, but the scale of the problem is not yet big enough to spark an exodus of U.  Despite industry standards and ongoing improvements, dangerous toys are still widely available and sold.  Dangerous toys can be classed as toys with parts that young children can choke on, stick up their nose, or otherwise hurt themselves with: sharp corners, fast-moving, massive projectiles, etc.  Children's toys can become dangerous if they are misused or if they fall into the hands of children who are not old enough to play with them.  Just looking around car boot and garage sales will show you where most of the older and dangerous toys are bought and sold. People think they are getting a bargain but what is the real cost?

Millions of dangerous toys which are for sale on shelves are being recalled every day because of various reasons.  There are several different factors that can make a toy dangerous. Toys with magnets are high on the list due to the lead content, and the fact that young children can swallow, or push the small detachable parts in the toys where they shouldn't go. Many toys that are recalled have high levels of lead in the surface paint; lead being dangerous because it is poisonous. Any kinds of magnets in your toys should put the toy high on the dangerous toys list.  The majority of dangerous toys have little parts which can be removed and swallowed by a young child. Toy parts that can easily become lodged in a child’s throat have led to many incidents of death and brain damage yet can still be found in newly designed toys. You should check all toys for loose or small parts which you feel may be dangerous to your kids. It is also dangerous for your kids to play with toys which are meant for older children.  From time to time, inspect your kids' toys for any wear and tear which can make them dangerous.    .

Toys and games represent a thirty (30) billion-dollar-a-year industry.  Toys caused an estimated 150,000 visits to the emergency room last year.  Toys should be solid, strong and well made.  Toys should have lasting interest and not just be the latest on the market.  You can visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC website. They publish a list of toy recalls.  Parents and children alike have a right to expect that the toys they select and play with are designed with the child's safety in mind.  The first line of defence for toy safety must be safe design and manufacture. The current state is that many parents will never know when a product has been recalled.

Protecting our children from unsafe toys will always remain the majority of parent’s number one concern, but when will it become the number one priority within toy industry and the government regulatory bodies.  The toy companies, retailers and the Government must listen and act when dangerous toys are brought to their attention so that we don t see the same hazards and the same injuries reappearing year after year. Dangerous toys are not as common as they used to be, but they are still out there. Parents, guardians and carers still must continue to check that the toys they are buying are correctly labelled with the CE mark confirming the toy is safe.  Where, for example, dangerous toys are being sold that could cause serious injury to unsuspecting children, the Office of Fair Trading must be able to remove those toys from outlets.

By Rachel Hardingwww.yourkidsshop.com