Among the recent positive news regarding toy safety is that the Chinese government signed new agreements to conduct pre-export inspections to prevent lead-painted toys and other unsafe toys from being exported to the U.S., according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Many of the toys cited as hazardous over the past few months have been imported to the U.S. from China.
As part of the campaign, the CPSC is highlighting awareness of the CPSC’s existence and its role in protecting consumers. The agency is also encouraging parents to find out what parts or characteristics of toys pose the greatest risks to children.
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The increased scrutiny of toys has led to benefits to consumers, the agency noted. The CPSC has ramped-up the agency’s inspections of toys and is taking the action needed to remove products that violate safety standards from the marketplace. More companies are testing their products and reporting possible safety problems.
The recalls also sparked a massive toy retesting program by retailers and manufacturers, according to Joan Lawrence, vice president for standards and government affairs for the Toy Industry Association.
“They are pulling samples of everything [for testing]," Lawrence told Education World. “The only way we can reassure people is if we do a thorough job. That’s what we’re aiming to do."
To improve overall toy safety, the association is creating procedures for an industry-wide testing protocol, which it wants Congress to adopt, Lawrence said. As part of the assessment program, only accredited labs would be permitted to do the testing.
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Too Little, Too Late?
Some U.S. consumer groups think toy safety should have been addressed years ago.
