Toy Safety

On Monday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took a long overdue first step toward banning lead in children’s metal jewelry. It is known for decades that lead can cause permanent developmental damage in children or even death. The CPSC voted to move forward with a ban on any children’s metal jewelry containing more than 0.06 percent lead by weight.

The holiday shopping has already started and it's time to take proper caution to avoid paying for such harmful items for your children. Most toys carry safety labels, but it's still important to be aware of such hazards when shopping children's gifts. Toys can pose different risks depending on the age of the child, according to the Federation of State Public Interest Research Groups. Here are a few noteworthy points:

Small parts and cords pose choking and strangulation risks for young childern.

Make sure the sound level of toys and audio products doesn't exceed 85 decibels; higher levels can cause loss of hearing.

Consider how kids might actually use a toy. If it shoots or launches an object, determine if children could substitute items such as pencils or nails, which would make the toy hazardous.

Check girls' cosmetics sets for hazardous chemicals such as propane (found in glitter hairsprays) and xylene or dibutyl phthalate (common in nail polish).

Supervise kids if they use polymer clays to make crafts and jewlery. If inhaled or ingested, the clays can expose kids to harmful chemicals.