Toy Safety News Archive
Consumer Watchdog- an editorial in The New York Times
If there was ever a perfect moment for strong consumer product safety
reform, this is it. The commission is not working well, customers need
reassurance, and businesses need their confidence. Congress should
remember that those nervous consumers are also voters.
Maryland House votes to curb lead in products
Maryland
would hire inspectors to enforce a ban on manufacturing, selling,
importing or distributing toys and other children's products containing
dangerous levels of lead under legislation that passed overwhelmingly
yesterday in the House of Delegates.
We "call foul" on false attack
U.S. PIRG joins other leading consumer groups in a release rebutting a 10-point memo attacking the bill.
CPSC announces recall of toy similar to one in U.S. PIRG's "Trouble in Toyland" report
The
CPSC recalled the Godry/Family Dollar FUN 'N SAFE Magenetic Dart Board
set but has not yet announced action on the Gordy/family Dollar "Fun
'N' Games Magnetic Dart Board" identified in our report.
Product safety chief rips toy industry
Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Nancy A. Nord scolded the
toy industry for not doing enough to keep its products safe,
specifically for violating the country's ban on lead paint.
...then goes on to criticize strict safety standards
Ms.
Nord objected to provisions in the Senate version of the product safety
bill that gives state prosecutor greater authority to enforce consumer
product laws, protest whistle-blowers, give the agency greater
discretion to disclose details from companies of consumer complaints
and potential product defects, and increase the penalities for safety
violations.
The Toy Industry Association, in conjunction with American National Standards Institute, released new proposed standards to regulate toy makers. Public comments on the proposed standards will open on 2/22 and end on 3/24.
Senators agree on product safety bill
A
Senate vote is expected the first week of March. Product-safety
legislation passed the House on Dec. 19 but the Senate bill has been
the subject of negotiations since the new year.
Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart unveil new safety rules
Toys "R" Us on Friday announced new mandatory safety checks for its
manufacturers that include third-party testing of each batch of toys
that's imported into the United States and calls for a significant
reduction in lead content found in paints used for coating toys.
Agency misses chance to ban lead in jewelry
The
Consumer Product Safety Commission failed to exploit an opportunity to
crack down on unsafe imports -- a lapse that consumer advocates say
could leave children at continuing risk of exposure to lead-tainted toy
jewelry.
Danger still lurks in the toy chest
Six
months ago, it seemed like hardly a day went by without a recall of
dangerous toys made in China. Problem solved? Hardly. The recalls keep
on coming, and so do the life-threatening injuries to children caused
by dangerous toys.
Ban sought on novelty lighters
Novelty lighters are dangerous because some of them resemble children's toys
Hasbro sees cost of China-made toys rising
Hasbro expects a 14-15% increase this year in costs of China-made toys
Toy Magnet Swallowed?
Swallowing a magnet the size of a watch battery is unlikely to cause health problems, but swallowing two can be fatal.
The Next Step to Safety
The New York Times editorial on toy safety
Parents frustrated over recall delays
6ABC
News in NJ reports on how some parents are frustrated over recall
delays. Andrew Hartung of the Hartung family in the video is taking his fight to Capitol Hill.
Lead takes fun, games out of toys
The
Center for Environmental Health and other investigators have found lead
in virtually every category of children's products tested.
Worrisome chemical found in kids
A
University of Washington study found higher phthalate levels in babies
whose parents used lotions, powders and baby shampoo shortly before the
tests
Safety agency slow to report hazards
U.S. consumer safety regulators typically take almost seven months to
inform the public of dangerous products in cases where the
manufacturers were fined for not promptly reporting the defect.
It's time for consumer issues to get attention
MSNBC's Herb Weisbaum lists the consumer issues that made headlines in 2007 and still need to be addressed in 2008
Do Presidential Candidates care about consumer issues?
Read about where the candidates stand on product safety.
'Thomas' toymaker settles suit over lead for $30M
The
maker of Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys has agreed to a $30
million class-action settlement stemming from last year's recalls.
Ty takes high-lead doll out of stores
Ty Inc. pulls their "Jammin' Jenna" dolls from stores in Illinois after initially refusing to do so.
State lawmakers call for stricter toy safety regulations
Washington
State lawmakers are eyeing a bill that would ban such harmful
substances as lead, cadmium, and phthalates from children's products
CPSC boosts inspection at ports
CPSC
will begin placing full-time staff at our nation's ports and boost
inspection of toys, fireworks, electrical products and other goods.
Symbol of toy safety moves on
Bob, the nation's sole full time toy tester, has retired from the CPSC.
Consumer safety bill passes unanimously through House, waiting for Senate
The
House passed legislation yesterday that would ban lead from children's
products, require toy testing by independent labs, and boost funding
for the Consumer Product Safety Commission over the next several years.
But the Senate left without taking up that bill or a version passed by
a Senate committee in October, making it less likely that toys sold
next year will be affected by any regulatory changes.
MomsRising.org sets up text tool
Text "healthytoys [toy name] to 41411 to search healthytoys.org's test results when you're in the store
Congress must address toy safety needs
Florida PIRG's Brad Ashwell and former CPSC chair Anne Brown author an OpEd in the Florida Sun-Sentinel
Ecology Center releases the result of their testing of over 1200 popular children's toys
Working
with environmental health groups across the country, they developed a
site where parents can search by product name, brand, or toy type to
learn how the products rate in harmful chemical content.
Fisher-Price pulls lead-tainted toy in Illinois but not other states
Asbestos turns up in toys, children's clay
The
CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit, two brands of children's play clay,
powdered cleanser, roof sealers, duct tapes, window glazing, spackling
paste and small appliances were among the products in which asbestos
was found by at least two of three labs hired by the Asbestos Disease
Awareness Organization.
New York Aids in Jewelry Recall
The CPSC recalled more than 500,000 pieces of children's jewelry due to excessive lead content
Parents told to watch out for dangerous toys
CNN article about Toy Safety, citing U.S. PIRG's toy safety report
Playing It Safe
U.S. PIRG shows you ways you can test toys right in the store.
W.A.T.C.H. released their annual 10 Worst Toys list.
Curious George dolls linked to lead
The dolls are recalled due to excessive levels of lead in the surface paint used on their faces.
Aqua Dots Recalled
The
CPSC issued the recall after children became unconscious after
swallowing the beads. Once ingested, the beads released a chemical
related to GHB, the banned date rape drug. Click here to see pictures of the product.
Parents seek resources for American-made toys
Illinois PIRG Director Brian Imus appears in an ABC News segment about the search for safer toys. Click here to view the segment.
Bush announces import action plan
The White House announced a 14 point plan but did not attach and budget and personnel numbers to their plan. Read our take on his plan.
New York Times editorial calls for strong CPSC reform
They urged Congressional reform of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and calls for a fix to the current part of the law that allows manufacturers to control the release of information about their dangerous products. Read our take on Section 6(b).
Dingell, Barton Introduce House CPSC Reform Bill
The "Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2007" was introduced on November first. Click here to read more
Industries paid for top regulators' travel
The Washington Post obtained internal records that show that the current
acting chairman of the CPSC, Nancy Nord, and the previous chairman, Hal Stratton,
took nearly 30 trips that were paid in full or in part by trade
associations or manufacturers. Click here to read the article.
CPSC Boss opposes strengthening of her agency
Nancy
Nord, the acting chairman of the CPSC, has asked lawmakers not to
approve the bulk of the legislation that would increase their
authority, double their budget, and sharply increase its dwindling
staff. Click here to read her letter. Click here to read our take on her letter.
Senate Committee approves CPSC reform
The Senate Commerce Committee approved a strong version of the
CPSC Reform Act. U.S. PIRG's Ed Mierzwinski testified at a hearing for
this bill earlier this month. Read his blog here.