FOR KIDS' SAKE: THINK TOY SAFETY
Consumer Product Safety Commission
FOR KIDS' SAKE: THINK TOY SAFETY
CPSC Document #281
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.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY
Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and the Consumer
Product Safety Act, the Commission has set safety regulations for
certain toys and other children's articles. Manufacturers must
design and manufacture their products to meet these regulations
so that hazardous products are not sold.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Protecting children from unsafe toys is the responsibility
of everyone. Careful toy selection and proper supervision of
children at play is still -- and always will be -- the best way
to protect children from toy-related injuries. To report a
product hazard or a product-related injury, write to
the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C.,
20207, or call the toll-free hotline: 1-800-638-2772. A
teletypewriter for the deaf is available at 1-800-638-8270.
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
CHILD SAFETY PROTECTION ACT FACT SHEET
November 1995
- Effective January 1, 1995 products that are manufactured in
or imported into the United States on or after that date
must comply with the Child Safety Protection Act (CSPA).
- Any ball with a diameter of 1.75 inches (44.4mm) or less
that is intended for use by children younger than 3 years of
age is banned.
- Any ball with a diameter of 1.75 inches (44.4mm) or less
that is intended for use by children 3 years or older must
be labeled:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD-This toy is a small ball.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
- Any toy or game intended for children 3 years or older but
less than 8 years that contains a small ball shall bear the
following cautionary label:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD-Toy contains a small ball.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
- Toys and games with small parts intended for use by children
at least 3 years old but under 6 years must be labeled as
follows:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
- Any latex balloon, or toy or game that contains a latex
balloon, shall be labeled as follows:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD-Children under eight yrs. can
choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons.
Adult supervision required.
Keep uninflated balloons from children.
Discard broken balloons at once.
- Any marble intended for children 3 years or older shall be
labeled:
/!\ WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD - This toy is a marble.
Not for children under 3 yrs.
- Any toys and games intended for children at least 3 years
old but less than 8 years which contain a marble shall be
labeled:
/!\WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD - Toy contains a marble.
Not for children under 3 yrs.