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Toy Safety Month: Carnivorous dolls, flying threats, and battery burn-ups - what's YOUR child playing with?

By Megan Roth

Reviewed and reviewed again – the issue surrounding lead paint and the toy manufacturing industry. We all know it’s a BIG problem that is continuously being addressed (not necessarily amended, but addressed nonetheless).

However, despite recent controversies surrounding lead and toys, parents shouldn’t be fooled into thinking this is the only issue they should be concerned with. (Ideally, they wouldn’t have to be concerned with any as we’d hope the Consumer Product Safety Commission would identify potential threats before the toys hit the market; however, as has been demonstrated in recent years, this isn’t the case).

Now, that’s not to say all of the toys are sold and distributed to a loving home. Actually, many of the products are often recalled before they even leave the shelves.

However, many products are also recalled after the shelves have been stocked and boxes have been sold. In this case, it’s necessary for the children who may have been exposed to the toxin to undergo testing to determine the potential risks they face (you know, because having Dora the Explorer ripped from their death-like grip wasn’t bad enough…)

Like I said, it’s unfortunate, but unfortunately, things can be worse. Which gives parents a whole new realm of issues to think about.

Five of these issues are highlighted on the slightly cynical 5 Least Surprising Toy Recalls of all Time (just for the record, I owned four of the five! Evidently my parents were quite tuned in to product safety when I was growing up…)

One such product dealt with battery-operated and electronic products. In such items, parents need to be aware of the fact that their little prince or princess may become entrapped (either partially or wholly) in the moving parts. It makes for a slightly grotesque thought, if you ask me. Now, not to say I plan on having children, but if I ever do, I certainly don’t want to worry that little unnamed will get stuck in her favorite toy every time I leave her alone in her Playpen.

In another product, issues revolved around tiny sky dancers dancing right into the face of tiny tots (I attest! Granted, my injuries weren’t serious and they weren’t enough to deter me from playing with the device again; however, certain others weren’t so lucky).

And in yet another recall, the infamous flying lawn darts, three children were actually killed by the spiked fun-providers (at least, three deaths were reported…who knows how many others went unaccounted for). The deaths alarmed policy-setters (rightfully so) and, in 1988, the game was banned in both the U.S. and Canada.

Though the death darts – I mean, lawn darts are still sold illegally, the threat they pose has been recognized by those involved in the safety industry. Similarly, the threat posed by the other aforementioned toys were recognized as dangerous as well.

So it isn’t as if the Consumer Safety Administration isn’t doing anything. Unfortunately, however, they don’t (and aren’t able to) catch all toys that pose a threat before they go to market. Thus, it’s important parents be leery – okay, maybe skeptical is a better word – it’s important parents be skeptical when toy-shopping for their wee ones.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on December 16, 2008 (boomark / email).