Warning over dangerous toys

PARENTS have been issued with a warning this Christmas to think twice before buying toys that fire plastic projectiles.

Council chiefs are concerned about the safety of the toys, which could pose health and safety risks to younger children. Despite changes to toy safety standards in 2007, Hampshire County Council’s Scientific Service found that more than half were failing to meet important guidelines.

In a sample of 19 popular gifts, 58 per cent failed to meet the essential safety requirements set out by British Standards and the Toy (Safety) Regulations Act, posing risks of choking or eye injuries, while more than one in four toys struck their targets with “too much” force.

Hampshire scientists have now alerted Trading Standards officers to the potential dangers and have encouraged parents to buy from recognised retailers.

County Council Leader, Councillor Ken Thornber said: “Some of this year’s must-have Christmas toys can be quite expensive and the temptation may be to opt for cheaper alternatives, but it’s important that parents and adults buying these toys don’t compromise on vital safety standards. Toys with small detachable parts can pose a real danger.”

Read the original article here: http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/8747955.Warning_over_dangerous_toys/ 

Alastair McLaughlin, Toy Safety Specialist from leading product safety experts, TÜV SÜD Product Service said that:

“Projectile toys have multiple risks associated with them, each of which must be addressed by good design, robust safety and quality systems during manufacturing, and testing of samples to show that the safety concerns are met.  The toy safety standards were updated in 2007 to address the specific risks of projectiles, but many designs on the market still do not meet the requirements.'

'Projectiles obviously have the potential to cause injury when they hit a person. The speed and mass of the projectile and its impact surface area are all taken into account to ensure safety.'

'Projectiles are often small, and can be a choking hazard. In 2007, the toy safety standard EN 71 was updated to address this risk, setting minimum dimensions of toy projectiles such as sucker darts and foam projectiles. The suckers and other parts of the toy must not detach easily as any small parts may cause a choking hazard if the minimum dimensions are not met.'

'In a recent survey of projectile toys on the market, enforcement authorities in the UK said they found over half of the products sampled did not comply with the up to date safety standard.'

'TÜV SÜD Product Service can help manufacturers stay up to date, and advise you on using the latest standards and applying all the relevant tests. TÜV SÜD Product Service offer a complete consultancy service to guide you through compliance with the Toy Safety Directive, as well as training, testing and documentation review services.”