Parents around the world are prepared to start shopping for the gifts their little ones want as the 2009 Christmas holiday approaches. Concerns over the safety of many toys and gifts that children want are a top priority, as so many stories of phthalate contamination and lead content make headlines.
Should parents be concerned, and to what extent?
According to Inez Tenenbaum, chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, parents should not be at all concerned. Recalls have declined in 2009 compared to 2007 and 2008, and this can be attributed to the higher standards set by new safety laws. The minimum amount of lead content that is determined to be safe has been reduced due to an act that was passed by Congress last year, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
Toys, clothing accessories and other child gear are a few in the wide range of children’s products that new laws apply to. The CPSC financial resources were increased, and stricter standards for testing and documentation set under a law which was signed on August 14th 2009. These new laws require manufacturer’s to meet the updated safety standards or risk paying penalties or even doing jail time. This applies to manufacturer’s of toys, clothes, electronics, video games, bedding and books among other items.
The CPSC budget was raised to $136 million, and by the year 2013 staff is to be increased by 500 people. By August of 2011, the amount of lead content in children’s products is allowed to be 100 PPM, compared to 300 PPM in August of this year.
Additionally, the manufacturing, distributing or importing of children’s products that contain a higher than .1% level of phthalates has also been made illegal by the CPSC, and employees are protected when they see violations that are being committed by their employer and report them to authorities.
According to representatives of the consumer safety group WATCH, in 2009 there were 31 recalls that resulted in more than 4 1/2 million toys being taken off the market. In 2007, millions of toys that were manufactured in China had to be recalled due to high lead content, and Tenenbaum says that the Chinese have been much more concerned about the safety of children’s toys since that time. Los Angeles lawyers are interested in seeing how the Chinese improve the safety and quality of the products they manufacture, following the poor performance of the past two years.
Tenenbaum feels that parents can shop with confidence and the knowledge that improved laws are in place to protect their children. She does caution parents to use common sense and good judgment when shopping for toys, and to buy products that are age appropriate. For example, toys that contain many small parts and could cause choking in young children should be avoided.
The Reeves Law Group has offices across California and is dedicated to representing personal injury victims, including victims of California product liability. Please contact us for a free consultation at (800) 644-8000.