Ghosts, Ghouls, and Zombies aside, Halloween can bring forth some fairly scary characters in the form of potentially dangerous toys. Halloween recalls in recent years have included the “Creepy Cape” in 2006 due to a flammability hazard, sets of “Ugly Teeth” in 2007 which contained about 100 times the allowable level of lead , and Casper the Friendly Ghost figurines which were found to have high levels of lead in the paint in 2008, just to name a few.
With that in mind, here are seven quick tips for Halloween Toy Safety:
1. Check for recalls. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission web site lists toy hazard recalls here - http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html. Check before and after shopping. Recalled items can be overlooked and sometimes remain on store shelves.
2. Remember recalls may come after the fact. Recalls often come after a child has already been injured or a complaint has been made. So, if a toy seems like one that could potentially be dangerous, err on the side of safety.
3. Be aware of lead levels. New Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requirements are now being enforced for revised allowable lead levels in children’s products. Electronics, however, are excluded from these requirements. Also, because the CPSC began enforcing this new regulation on August 14, some products with higher lead levels may remain on store shelves. Products which have been recalled for exceeding allowable lead levels under the old standard have included children’s costume jewelry, painted items, toys with metal parts, and products with zippers or metal fasteners. For more information, see the CPSC’s August 13th release here - http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09306.html.
4. Consider quality. Sure it may only be for one night, but items that break easily present greater potential danger. Safety regulations concern primarily the parts of a toy exposed to the child. Possible dangers presented by a toy once it is broken may be quite different. If a toy is broken, be sure to remove it from play.
5. Consider carefully products that contain magnets. While magnets securely contained within a product may not present an immediate danger, magnets which come loose or are small enough for children to swallow can cause severe injury and even death.
6. Consider obvious misuses. Whether a costume, accessory, treat bag, or flashlight, consider not only the product’s intended use, but also obvious misuses. A light saber that might be quite safe in the hands of the average ten-year-old, would not be safe in the hands of my four-year-old twins who would inevitably attempt to whack every passerby in the eye.
7. Finally, before going out, do a costume check. Make sure costumes do not obscure vision, do allow adequate breathing space, and can be seen well by drivers after dark. Even the most well-mannered zombie may be tempted to dart across the street by the promise of candy corn and popcorn balls.
