Before parents shop
and mark off purchased gifts on their children’s Christmas lists, Marine Corps
Logistics Base Albany safety officials recommended visiting the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission website, www.cpsc.gov, for the latest updates and
information on toy recalls.
For example, as
recently as Dec. 2, Felt Bicycles recalled the 2015 Felt Double Double 30,
NINEe 20 and Edict 1 mountain bicycles. The carbon seat post originally sold
with the bicycle can crack and break, posing injury and fall hazards to the
rider, according to the website,
www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2016/Felt-Bicycles-Recalls-Mountain-Bikes-with-OEM-Carbon-Fiber-Seatposts/.
Cathy Brannon, lead
safety specialist, Risk Management, MCLB Albany, wants to remind everyone to
think about safety before buying presents.
“While receiving toys
and gifts is meant to be fun and entertaining, they can pose several different
safety risks, including death,” Brannon
said. “When
shopping, adults should pay more attention to and read the safety and warning labels.”
According to Brannon, adults also should make sure toys, especially
for younger children, are approved by the American Society for Testing and
Materials, are non-flammable, non-toxic, washable/hygiene safe, not choking
hazard and free from small parts and age recommendations.
Adults often make a mistake of buying gifts and toys not in a child’s
age recommendation thinking the toys will last longer or if the child is a fast
learner, he or she will be able to handle it, she noted.
“As parents, grandparents, guardians and caregivers, we should do our
part to learn and teach our children the importance of toy safety,” Brannon
said.
Brannon recommended
several tips for adults to remember when purchasing toys for children:
1. If buying a bicycle, purchase a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads to
avoid injuries when a child falls.
2. Avoid toys with tiny parts, if a child is under age 3.
3. Examine toys, if possible, for pointed edges and easy-to-break
parts.
4. Consider buying a small toy tester or use a center cardboard roller
from a toilet paper or paper towel roll to ensure a toy does not pose a choking
hazard. If a toy fits through the center of a cardboard roller, it poses a choking
hazard. Considering the age and maturity of a child, this should determine
whether or not to purchase a toy or gift.
5. Avoid toys with strings, straps or cords longer than 7 inches
because this may pose a strangulation hazard.
6. Choose games that meet a
child’s abilities, age and interest.
7. Avoid cap guns. The caps can be ignited by the slightest friction
and cause serious burns.
8. Look for quality in design and construction when buying toys.
9. Make recommendations to
family members and friends about toys and gifts appropriate for a child.
Although the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
has reported a decline in toy recalls in the past few years, there were an estimated
251,800 toy-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments in
2014, according to the Toy-Related Deaths and Injuries calendar year 2014
report.
Of the 11 reported toy-related deaths to the
CPSC staff in 2014, all were children younger than 12 years old,
according to the website, www.cpsc.gov/Global/Research-and-Statistics/Injury-Statistics/Toys/ToyReport2014.pdf.
For more information, visit the website, http://onsafety.cpsc.gov/blog/2015/11/19/3-toy-tips-to-keep-your-child-safe-this-holiday-seasonand-all-year-long/.