New safety rules make toys safer

AP

A girl looks at the Barbie dolls on display for sale inside a department store.

There's good news for parents who found the holidays to be a nightmare last year because of all the recalls of children's toys, furniture and clothing.

New toy safety regulations may take the worry out of shopping this year.

On Aug. 14, President Bush signed into law the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, creating nationwide toy safety standards.

"This Christmas will be the safest yet," says Christine Osborne, owner of the Wonder Works toy stores in Charleston and Mount Pleasant.

But that peace of mind comes at a price — literally.

"It's going to be a much safer Christmas but a costlier one, too," says Osborne, a member of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.

"Prices on toys are going to go up 10 to 15 percent across the board, if not by Christmas, then next year," she said.

Manufacturers are expected to pass on the costs of additional product testing to consumers.

The new law requires more testing for lead and other chemicals, requires a certification program for toy manufacturers and gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission more authority over recalls.

"The great thing about the new law is that it takes a common-sense, easy-to-understand approach: less lead, more testing and better Consumer Product Safety Commission oversight. Simple," says Osborne.

About 3 billion toys are sold in the United States each year, according to the Toy Industry Association, and 80 percent of those are either made in China or include parts made in China.

Until now, imported toys were held to a lower safety standard than domestic products. Last year, there was a record-setting 231 recalls for children's products, according to Kids in Danger, a Chicago nonprofit organization dedicated to children's product safety.

More than 100 of those recalls, which resulted in 45 million toys and children's products being removed from shelves, were for lead paint.

The new law requires foreign manufacturers to adhere to the same safety regulations that American and European toymakers have followed for decades.

Some of the provisions take effect right away. "It doesn't matter if they are made overseas or in the U.S.," Osborne says. "All the standards are very similar, and all products are being tested. They cannot get out of the factories unless they have met all the standards."

The Toy Industry Association, a nonprofit group of producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products, is working on a Toy Safety Certification Program.

At the same time, some parts of the law could take years.

A database that will let consumers search for injury or illness reports on products is expected to take two years, for example.

"Toys are taking a while to get here, but when they do, they will be the safest toys they've ever been," Osborne says.

For more information, visit Wonder Works at www.wonderworkscharleston.com; the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association at www.astratoy.org; the Toy Industry Association at www.toyassociation.org; Kids in Danger at www.kidsindanger.org; or the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov.

Advice for Parents and Caregivers

To ensure product safety, Kids in Danger urges parents and caregivers to take the following steps:

--Be aware of the problem: You can sign up for e-mail alerts on recalled products at www.kidsindanger.org or at www.cpsc.gov.

--Always check products: Take an inventory of the products used with children and check it against the list of recalls at www.cpsc.gov. Check for safety information on car seats at www.nhtsa.gov. Repeat the check every time a new product is bought or a gift or hand-me-down is received.

--Spread the word: After learning of a recall, share the news with friends and family and urge them to pass it along. Always fill out product registration cards so manufacturers can send recall information.

--Report any product that appears dangerous: Sometimes it is the only way to bring a dangerous product to CPSC's attention.

- Kids in Danger

Brenda Rindge can be reached at 937-5713 or brindge@postandcourier.com.