William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-12-01 / 12. szám
Some common sense advise on how to be a safe Santa Claus this Christmas from familyeducation.com WASHINGTON, DC - As the holiday season approaches, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges gift-givers to keep safety in mind when choosing toys for young children. In 1998, the CPSC received reports of 14 toy-related deaths and estimates that more than 120,000 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for toyrelated injuries. Parents and gift-givers can help prevent toy-related injuries and deaths by always reading labels and being safety conscious. The following tips will help you choose appropriate toys this holiday season and all year round: • Select toys to suit the age, skills, abilities and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards to younger children. • For infants, toddlers and all children who still mouth objects, avoid toys with small parts which could pose a fatal choking hazard. • For all children under age eight, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points. • Do not purchase electric toys with heating elements for children under age eight. • Be a label reader. Look for labels that give age recommendations and use that information as a guide. • Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts. • Check instructions for clarity. They should be clear to you, and when appropriate, clear to the child. • Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys, which can cause suffocation, before they become deadly playthings. By using common sense and these safety suggestions, holiday shoppers can make informed decisions when purchasing toys for children. "Toys are an important part of holiday gift-giving, and CPSC is on the job 365 days a year to make sure toys are as safe as possible," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "CPSC's goal is to prevent deaths and injuries; unfortunately, each year some children are hurt by toys. By always reading labels and being safety conscious, parents and caregivers can help prevent toy-related injuries." CPSC requires labels to be on all toys marketed for children from three to six years old if the toys pose a choking hazard to children under age three. These labels tell consumers two critical things: that a toy is not safe for younger children and why it is not safe. Before CPSC issued these labeling requirements, it was more difficult for consumers to know that certain toys they bought for older children could be a danger to younger kids. CPSC has the most stringent toysafety standards in the world, and toys on store shelves are safer because of the day-to-day compliance work by the CPSC. In fiscal year 1999, the CPSC obtained 95 toy and children's product recalls involving about 60 million product units to help prevent tragic injuries and deaths. The CPSC obtained some of the largest toy recalls in the agency7s history, including more than 10 million ride-on battery powered vehicles, more than 10 million toy basketball set nets, and more than 19 million dive sticks. |'\|»| | (c) 2000 The Learning Network Inc. All rights reserved on every page. (This article was originally published on familyeducation.com, the Family Education channel of The Learning Network. Health Links For more information on toy safety and the latest on recalls on toys and other consumer goods, contact: US Consumer Product Safety Commission Washington, DC 20207-0001 Consumer Hotline: 1-800-638-2772 http:llwww.cpsc.gov William Penn Life. December 2000 5
