Don’t assume toys are tested, safe

An Atlanta toy firm recalled more than 100,000 remote-controlled Thunder Wolf helicopters this summer because they could catch fire. Six months later, only 16 have been returned, company officials said last week.

The helicopters were just a few of the nearly 8 million toys recalled so far this year because they may choke, poison, strangle, impale, burn or cause potentially fatal bowel perforations in children, according to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission records.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found some being offered for sale at bargain prices on the Internet.

While many toys provide safe fun, consumer advocates urge shoppers to be careful as they scoop up gifts and stocking stuffers in the final days before Christmas — as well as throughout the year.

“Do not assume that anyone — government, manufacturer, retailer — has done any safety checks on the toys,” said Don Keenan, an Atlanta attorney and founder of Keenan’s Kids Foundation, which has a list of toys it considers most dangerous.

The CPSC is a small federal agency of only about 420 employees — down from about 980 in 1980. It largely relies on manufacturers and distributors to ensure their products are safe — and report problems when they arise. Ninety percent of all toys purchased in the United States are made abroad, particularly in China. In 2008, regulators tested just 937 samples of imported consumer products of all types, according to the agency’s annual report.

Parents should trust their instincts, Keenan said, and err on the side of caution if the parts seem so small they could be swallowed or if anything else seems potentially dangerous.

Toy industry officials disagree with critics like Keenan and say reports about unsafe toys needlessly frighten parents.

“Consumers should know that toys sold in the United States are the most highly regulated — and safest — consumer products,” the Toy Industry Association said in a written statement.

Problems with toys containing high levels of lead, a neurotoxin, and other hazards prompted Congress this year to pass the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The law increases requirements for safety testing, though some provisions relating to toys won’t take effect until next year.

Even with the new law, consumers should take a few minutes to check out toys and other children’s items (at www.cpsc.gov) to ensure they haven’t been recalled.

“There are products out there that have killed children in the past,” said Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The CPSC estimates there were 170,000 toy-related injuries among children under age 15 treated in hospital emergency departments during 2007. The agency received 18 reports of toy-related deaths last year. Riding toys and small toy balls were involved in most of the deaths.

In 2008 the CPSC announced 64 recalls involving 7.8 million toys. Those numbers don’t include more than 100 additional recalls involving other kinds of children’s products, such as kids’ jewelry, bicycles, clothing and cribs.

Toys recalled this year include:

• About 1 million Little Tikes Chit ‘N Chat toy cellphones, which had a hinge cover that could detach and cause choking.

• About 1.1 million Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school Magnetic Toys, which had magnets that could detach. Toy distributor MEGA Brands America and the CPSC had received 19 reports of magnets coming loose at the time of the recall in March. In one case, a 3-year-old boy needed medical treatment to remove a magnet from his nasal cavity.

• About 64,000 Cinderella 12-volt electric ride-on vehicles were recalled in February for fire and burn hazards after 40 incidents of the car’s wiring overheating were reported to the CPSC and manufacturer Dumar International USA. In one case, flames shot from under the hood as a 4-year-old girl was riding the light blue car, which resembles a Pontiac Solstice.

It was a particularly bad year for toy helicopters containing batteries that could overheat or catch fire. More than 1 million of the toys were recalled by six companies, CPSC records show.

Westminster Inc. of Atlanta recalled 102,000 Thunder Wolf helicopters in June after getting seven reports of helicopters overheating or melting. One case involved flames and two reports involved minor property damage, according to the CPSC’s recall.

Company president Max Ker-Seymer, in a written statement to the AJC, said the helicopters used a “new and innovative micro lithium battery” and emphasized the small number of reported problems.

He said consumers have returned 16 helicopters, “none of which showed any evidence of battery failure.”

When product recalls are announced, on average there’s only a 15 percent to 30 percent response rate, the CPSC’s Wolfson said. Recalls involving well-known brands, large numbers of products, essential appliances or potentially deadly consequences can result in more returned items. Others can have far lower return rates.

The result is that potentially dangerous toys can remain in homes for years and be offered for sale at garage sales, stores and on the Internet.

The AJC found on eBay some Sky Scrambler wireless indoor helicopters that were among 685,000 recalled in July by Innovage after two caught fire. Some sellers didn’t respond to the newspaper’s inquiries. One seller wrote back: “I checked these and they are part of the recall. Thanks for asking. I will end these items immediately.” This seller said they acquired the helicopters at a Mississippi store that had many for sale.

One of the fire-risk Cinderella cars also was for sale on eBay, although that seller discloses information about the recall in the ad and says a repair kit has been ordered.

Rich LaMagna, eBay’s online safety adviser, said the company takes action against users who violate its policy against selling recalled items and works closely with the CPSC to identify and remove unsafe products from its listings. But it’s difficult to filter for every recall, he said, with 7.1 million new items listed daily and some recalls applying only to certain model numbers.

The new consumer product law made it illegal as of August to sell a recalled product, Wolfson said, adding that such sales are usually unintentional. He urged online sellers as well as buyers to check the CPSC’s Web site to ensure items aren’t covered by a recall.

“In the past year and a half, we’ve had two of the biggest crib recalls in our history. Those recalls were based on the tragic deaths of babies,” Wolfson said. Other toys have contained dangerous chemicals, such as the 4.2 million Aqua Dots craft kits recalled in 2007 after two children became ill and went into a comatose state after swallowing beads coated with a toxic substance. “It’s imperative that no one try to resell these products,” Wolfson said.

To keep kids safe, consumers should scrutinize the items they purchase. Common hazards include:

CHOKING

The risk: A leading cause of toy-related deaths and injuries involves children swallowing small parts or small toys. In 2007, four children died when their airways were obstructed by toy balls; two died from airway obstructions with uninflated balloons.

The recalls: At least 17 recalls involving 1.5 million toys this year were due to choking hazards. They include Alpharetta-based Kids II Inc.’s recall in January of about 15,000 Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Soothing Seascape crib toys, with date code BJ7. Before the recall, the company had received 23 reports of anchors breaking from straps on the turtle’s back; none involved injuries. Company officials declined to answer questions about the recall. In a written statement they said they had an “acceptable response” to the recall but wouldn’t say how many toys were recovered.

LEAD PAINT AND METALS

The risk: Lead is a heavy metal that can accumulate in a child’s body, damaging the developing brain. Yet lead-based paints and metals containing high levels of lead continue to be found in many toys — including on paints used on fabrics. Children’s jewelry is often the subject of recalls due to high lead levels, though it’s not technically a toy.

The recalls: At least 23 recalls involving more than 350,000 toys this year involved items with excessive amounts of lead. In September, for example, TCB Imports recalled 3,000 toy police cars that had red paint with excessive amounts of lead.

MAGNETS

The risk: If more than one magnet is swallowed, they can attract each other, causing potentially fatal intestinal perforations and blockages.

The recalls: At least six recalls involving 3.6 million toys this year involved magnets that could detach and be swallowed. They included 250,000 Fun N’ Safe magnetic dart boards sold at Family Dollar stores from January 2001 through January 2008.

BURN AND FIRE HAZARDS

The risk: Battery-powered toys — from remote-controlled helicopters to toys children ride on — may have circuit or battery problems that can cause overheating or fires.

The recalls: At least nine recalls involving more than 1.3 million toys this year involved fire and burn hazards. Many involved remote-controlled helicopters. Innovage recalled 685,000 Sky Scrambler and Sharper Image wireless indoor helicopters in July after receiving reports that two had ignited.

— Source: CPSC recall announcements

TO LEARN MORE

• Check out products at www.healthytoys.org, which has tested 1,500 toys and children’s products for lead, cadmium, arsenic and other chemicals of concern.

• Read “Trouble in Toyland,” the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s recent survey of toy safety, which found some toys contain high levels of phthalates, chemicals which have been linked to cancer and reproductive defects. www.uspirg.org/report

• Review Keenan’s Kids Foundation’s list of 10 most dangerous toys for 2008 at www.keenans kidsfoundation.com/

TRACK RECALLS

The Consumer Product Safety Commission posts press releases about recalls on its Web site: www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html. Consumers can subscribe to a recall notification list.

Report dangerous toys, products. Tell the CPSC about any injury or potential for injury at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html or call 1-800-638-2772.