As consumers across the nation do their holiday shopping, federal regulators at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are working to prevent dangerous and illegal toys from getting onto retailers’ shelves – and ending up under Americans’ Christmas trees.
In fact, this is the third consecutive year that CPSC officials have joined forces with federal regulators from Canada and Mexico to block harmful and/or illegal toys from entering North American borders. And this year’s efforts, which were kicked off in November, have some specific goals, including (but not exclusive to):
- Educating the public about harmful toys
- Getting the word about toy recalls out in a more efficient, effective manner
- Enforcing strong safety standards for toys – both for domestic and international toymakers
- Conducting thorough, effective inspections of toys at points of import.
According to the CPSC, over the past six years, regulators’ efforts have resulted more than “17 million units of about 6,200 different toys that violated application standards from coming into the United States.”
Commenting on this ongoing effort, CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye explained:
Despite our real advances in toy safety, we are still finding too many violative toys at our borders. All consumers, regardless of which of our three nations they come from, deserve us working together to protect them. This is why working toward seamless surveillance across North American borders is a critical part of our collaboration with Health Canada and PROFECO.
Give the Gift of Safety this Year with these 3 CPSC Toy Safety Tips
While regulators focus on preventing harmful and illegal toys from entering North America, it’s important to also be aware that legal, seemingly harmless toys can sometimes cause real danger to children. So, if you will be giving even one child a gift this holiday season, keep these tips in mind, the CPSC says:
- Look for toy manufacturers’ guidelines about appropriate ages for toys – And only get toys that are recommended for the age of the recipient.
- Avoid giving children under 8 certain types of toys – Specifically, don’t give kids under 8 years old toys with small parts, high-powered magnets or balloons, all of which can cause choking and/or serious internal injuries.
- Give safety gear with gifts – When gifts for children include bicycles, skateboards or other “riding” gifts, try to also gift the appropriate safety gear with it so that the little recipient can safely enjoy the gift.
Contact a Portland Personal Injury Lawyer at the Savage Law Firm
If you or someone you love has been harmed by an illegal, faulty, toxic or dangerous product, you can rely on a Portland personal injury lawyer at the Savage Law Firm for experienced help and aggressive legal advocacy. Since 1977, our lawyers have been dedicated to providing each of our clients with personal attention and the highest quality legal services. And they are ready to get to work helping you with your financial recovery.
To learn more about our legal services and what we can do for you, call us at 503-766-5337 (in Portland) or at 503-766-5337 (in Seattle). You can also email us using the form on this page. We represent clients in communities in both Oregon and Washington from our offices in Portland and Seattle.