Toy Safety

Key Facts

• Each year, approximately 15 children under age 14 years die from a toy-related incident.
• Each year, approximately 217,000 toy-related injuries are treated in hospital emergency rooms.
• 20 toy-related deaths to children were reported in 2005. In the same year, there were 75,000 toy-related injuries to children under 14 years of age.
• In 2005, 46 percent of toy-related injuries were to the head or face.
• In the United States, more than 3 billion toys and games are sold annually.

How

• Many toy-related deaths are caused by choking, drowning, a motor vehicle incident, or strangulation.
• Small play balls and balloons account for many choking deaths.
• Riding toys including un-powered scooters and tricycles are associated with more injuries than any other toy group. In 2005, more than 58,000 injuries to children were treated in hospital emergency rooms due to injuries sustained from a riding toy.

Who

• Children under age 3 are high risk for choking on toys.
• Males account for more than 58 percent of all toy-related injuries.
• Children under 8 years of age are at a higher risk for choking on un-inflated or broken latex balloons.

Prevention Strategies

• The Web site of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has updated information and pictures of recalled toys that may be harmful to children (www.cpsc.gov).
• Mylar balloons are safer than latex balloons because of the safety sealing valve. Also, Mylar balloons remain in one piece once deflated or popped, unlike latex balloons which present a choking hazard.
• Any toys with strings, straps or cords longer than 7 inches can be a strangulation hazard to a child.
• Electrical toys are a potential burn hazard. Children under age 8 years of age should not use toys with electrical plugs or batteries.

Laws and Regulations

• The Child Safety Protection Act requires choking hazard warning labels on packaging for small balls, balloons, marbles, and certain toys and games containing small parts. This act also bans any toy intended for use by children under 3 years of age that may pose a choking, aspiration or ingestion hazard.
• The Federal Hazardous Substances Act bans any toy or children’s article that contains any hazardous substance, including hazardous levels of lead, or that presents an electrical, mechanical or thermal hazard.
• The toy industry has established voluntary toy safety standards (Standard Consumer Safety Specification on Toy Safety) to minimize the risk of injury.
• The Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act requires all art materials be reviewed to determine the potential of causing a chronic hazard and if so, appropriate warning labels must be put on the materials posing a hazard.