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CPSC,
AARP ask consumers to pay attention to age labels.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Ask any
kid why, and getting toys is often a top reason. The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and
AARP are working together to make this holiday season
a safe one by warning all gift givers about the five
toy hazards that can take all the fun out of any celebration.
CPSC’s
Top Safe Shopping Tips for this year: (to
help reduce injuries and deaths)
Magnets
– For children under age six, avoid building sets
with small magnets. If swallowed, serious injuries
and/or death can occur.
Small
Parts – For children younger than age three, avoid
toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
Ride-on Toys – Riding toys, skateboards and
in-line skates go fast and falls could be deadly.
Helmets and safety gear should be sized to fit.
Projectile
Toys – Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts
and sling shots are for older children. Improper use
of these toys can result in serious eye injuries.
Chargers and Adapters – Charging batteries
should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters
can pose thermal burn hazards to children.
CPSC also recommends using the following
tips to help choose appropriate toys for children:
Be
a label reader. Look for toy labels that give
age and safety recommendations and use that information
as a guide.
Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills
and interest level of the intended child. Look
for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes,
noses and other potential small parts.
For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp
edges and points.
Once the gifts are open:
Immediately
discard plastic wrappings on toys before they become
dangerous play things.
Keep
toys appropriate for older children away from younger
siblings or neighbors.
Pay attention to instructions and warnings on battery
chargers. Some chargers lack any device to prevent
overcharging.
CPSC has reports of 20 toy-related deaths involving
children under age 15 that occurred in 2005. Nine
of these deaths occurred when a child choked or aspirated
on a small ball or other toy parts. Also, in 2005
an estimated 152,400 children under 15 years old were
treated for toy-related injuries in U.S. hospital
emergency rooms. The majority of these injuries were
not the result of a recalled or dangerous product.
Instead, injuries from riding toys such as falls,
made up a significant number of the injuries.
Consumers
who have already purchased gifts should make sure
they check that their gift lists do not include any
of the recalled toys or children’s products on CPSC’s
Web site. Canadians can get valuable recall
information at the Consumer
Product Safety web site.
Also,
at these web sites, consumers can keep up-to-date
on dangerous products by signing up to have recall
announcements sent directly to their email account.
To
report a dangerous product or a product-related injury,
call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter
at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html.
To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go
to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp.
Consumers can obtain this release and recall information
at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
Consumer
Product Safety: Children's Products (Canada)
Consumer
Product Safety: Toy Safety (Canada)
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