The Thomas & Friends Recall: The Lowdown on Lead and Kids' Product Recalls

When you think of lead poisoning, you probably envision an old house with chipping walls and a toddler mouthing everything in sight. Although lead paint was banned in the United States nearly 30 years ago, lead is still sometimes found in — of all things — toys and children's jewelry made today. In fact, 1.5 million of the enormously popular Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys were recently pulled from the shelves due to excessive levels of lead.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled 26 wooden Thomas trains and accessories that had been adorned with lead paint. Made by RC2 Corp., a manufacturer of some of the biggest brands in the toy business, the recalled products were sold at toy stores and various retailers from January 2005 to June 2007.

With chronic exposure, lead can accumulate in the bloodstream, causing lead poisoning, which can bring on a host of health problems like learning and hearing disabilities, behavior problems, and delayed development. Even low levels of lead in a child's blood can cause subtle difficulties with behavior and learning.

More About Recalls

The Thomas & Friends recall is just the latest lead-related recall of kids' products — most involve children's metal jewelry sold in vending machines and at dollar and discount retailers. Since 2003, the CPSC has issued about 30 recalls involving about 166 million pieces of children's metal jewelry because of high levels of lead (in the metal itself, not the paint).

And lead is only one of the many reasons products might be pulled from stores' shelves. Toys with small magnets, for example, have frequented the recalls list lately. At least 19 kids needed emergency surgery and a 20-month-old died after swallowing magnets, which can attract to each other internally, causing serious injuries like torn, twisted, or blocked bowels.

Numerous products are recalled every week — the CPSC hit an all-time high with 467 recalls in 2006 alone. All of the toys and children's metal jewelry recalled this year, including the Thomas toys, were manufactured in China. So, how do hazardous items make it to the public in the first place?

Toys and children's jewelry must meet federal and industry safety standards (for things like lead paint, choking hazards, and sharp points). However, these products are not approved for safety by a federal agency before they're actually sold. Companies are expected to comply with the standards, whether they manufacture products in or import them to the United States. The only way companies can make sure their products meet the safety standards, says a CPSC representative, is to have them tested, usually by an independent laboratory.

A product is recalled when the CSPC identifies a substantial product hazard or the company reports a defect or concern.

What This Means to You

Lead is highly toxic, especially to young children. Kids can ingest the dangerous, naturally occurring metal when they mouth or swallow something made with lead or lead paint, or when they simply touch it and then put their fingers in their mouths.