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Don't let toy recalls take the wonder out of the Holidays

Posted: January 24, 2011

Article reprinted from The Buffalo News

Unfortunately this year for parents, the wonder of the Holidays lies not in the mystery of the season, but rather in the mystery of how to find safe toys to buy their children. Fisher-Price recently recalled 10 million products including trikes, playground toys, and high chairs. Among other recalls, a few years ago seven million toys made in China were cited for excessive lead content in paint and for choking hazards.

Fisher-Price should be commended for removing its products from the shelves quickly and getting word out offering parents free replacements or repairs. Fisher-Price invests many hours designing safe toys and products, and many hours testing to ensure safety before a product or toy is ever sold. However, it is virtually impossible to test for and anticipate every possible risk or hazard. Parental supervision is expected.

Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) proposed new regulations and definitions for “children’s products.” Industry organizations -- Halloween costumers, model train makers, and sporting goods manufacturers – argued that their products are not “children’s products” to avoid the stricter regulations.

As a personal injury attorney I have handled many cases over the years where infants and children suffered severe injures or death in incidents involving a product classified as a “toy.” These cases are very sad, typically leaving parents questioning their own responsibility for their child being in harm’s way. Unfortunately, despite close supervision, parents cannot always keep their children from danger.

Based on my experiences as a personal injury attorney and a parent of three children, I offer these suggestions: Parents should check the age labeling on all product packaging, and only buy toys suitable for their child’s age group. Read the warnings and instructions both on the packaging and inside. Buy from reputable companies who work hard designing, testing, and manufacturing their products, and avoid cheaply manufactured toys. A toy may not be a choking hazard as a whole, but if it breaks into smaller pieces or the wheels come off -- a choking hazard exists.

The internet and the media can help parents learn about toy safety and how to protect their children from dangerous or inappropriate products. Parents can face the Holiday buying season with confidence instead of bewilderment. Check for toy and product recalls at www.CPSC.gov, and subscribe to recall notifications via email. Fisher-Price’s website provides buying guidelines for parents at www.fisher-price.com.

As parents, we must constantly supervise our children’s use of toys and products even when they are at play. This begins when we make the effort to buy safe and age-appropriate products and continues for the life of the products. However, not all risk can be designed out of a toy or product lest we lose the fun or function. As we remember our own hours of childhood play, we must protect our children but also protect the fun and learning of childhood. Happy shopping and Happy Holidays.

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