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Slide 1: ==== ==== The information you need to make safe toy choices and valuable tips on what you as parents or caregivers can do to protect your children from unsafe toys http://bit.ly/PF2MadeSafe ==== ==== Toy injuries occur for a number of reasons. Some toys cause injury because the product is defective. In some cases, a toy is harmful not because it is defective, but because it is inherently unsafe. The most famous example of this type of toy is the lawn dart - a sharply pointed projectile that annually injured some 650 people, mostly children. Another such toy is the aluminized polyester film kite, banned by the CPSC after some users were electrocuted when their kites tangled in power lines. Most toys that harm children, however, do not cause injury through malfunction or unsafe design. They cause injury when used by children who are too young or inexperienced to play with them in the manner intended by the manufacturer. The toys are, in fact, perfectly safe when used properly. Balloons, for example, pose almost no health risk to children when used appropriately. Yet, balloons that are misused by children cause almost half of all choking deaths from toys. Nearly 50 children choked to death in the 1990's after stuffing balloons in their mouths, according to the National Safe Kids Campaign, a nonprofit organization that attempts to prevent childhood injury. Some toys that are safe for older children may pose a health hazard to younger children. Toys that contain small balls or parts are unsafe for small children, who could choke on the tiny pieces. Even button eyes on stuffed toys can choke a small child to death. Yet, the same toy may pose no choking danger to older children, who have larger throats and are less likely to mouth objects. Other toys may pose an invisible threat to children. Government studies show that hazardous chemicals can be found in or on some toys. As recently as 1994, for example, the CPSC discovered that certain brands of imported crayons contained hazardous levels of lead. Children who chewed on the crayons were at risk of developing lead poisoning, a condition that can cause damage to the brain, nerves, red blood cells, and digestive system. Research released by the nonprofit environmental groups Greenpeace and the National Environment Trust stated that numerous toys used by children contain a chemical that caused cancer in laboratory animals. The studies' figures proved that up to 20 percent of toys in the United States contain phthalates, a widely used plastic additive that gives plastic toys a softer, more pliable feel. By 1999, most large toy companies had stopped using phthalate additives. Pesticides (insect-killing substances) are another toxic risk. A study showed that pesticides tend to stick to toys at dangerously high levels. Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey sprayed an apartment with pesticide. An hour later, they placed toys throughout the apartment. Two weeks after spraying, the researchers examined the pesticide residue on the toys. They concluded that children playing with the toys would be exposed to 20 times the government-recommended daily amount of pesticide.
Slide 2: Industry safety controls The toy manufacturing industry is the first line of defense against toy injury. The Toy Manufacturers of America (TMA), an association that includes the producers of 85 percent of all toys sold in the United States, is the industry's most powerful regulatory arm. Safety experts rank the standards set by the TMA as the most comprehensive in the world. For example, the TMA requires that toy makers perform rigorous safety testing on products, sometimes requiring more than 100 safety tests on a single toy. Among other safety factors, manufacturers evaluate a toy based on a child's age and skill level. They then label the product with an age designation to help parents and other adults choose safe and suitable toys. Industry standards are sometimes tougher than safety laws. For example, the TMA prohibited its members from using any lead in toy production. In contrast, the Federal Hazardous Substance Act prohibits only hazardous amounts of poisonous material, such as lead, in toy manufacturing. Find the best sandals women's shoes at http://www.sandalswomensshoes.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Royce_Ramsey ==== ==== The information you need to make safe toy choices and valuable tips on what you as parents or caregivers can do to protect your children from unsafe toys http://bit.ly/PF2MadeSafe ==== ====