Tips for purchasing Safe Toys

Some general guidelines to keep in mind when toy-shopping:

•Toys made of fabric should be labeled as fl ame resistant or fl ame retardant.

•Stuffed toys should be washable.

•Painted toys should be covered with lead-free paint.

•Art materials should say nontoxic.

•Crayons and paints should say ASTM D-4236 on the package, which

means that they’ve been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and

Materials.

•The right toys at the right age. Always read labels to make sure a toy is

appropriate for a child’s age.

Source: safekids.org

Consumers Now Able to Sign Up for Safety Seat and Tire Recall Information

Press Release from the U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm <http://www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm>
March 24 2008

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters Launches New Service to Automatically E-mail, Instant Message Safety Recall Information;

Consumers Now Able to Sign Up for Safety Seat and Tire Recall Information
Consumers will be able to get important safety updates about child seats and tire recalls automatically e-mailed or sent to their PDA devices as part of a new federal government notification service, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced today.

“Signing up for this service is one of the easiest things you can do to help protect yourself and the lives of your children,” said Secretary Peters. “We can’t afford to let safety get lost in the mail.”

The Secretary noted that the new system focuses on safety seat and tire recall information because fewer consumers have historically responded to these important safety updates. For example, less than one-third of affected consumers respond to the tire recalls, while less than half of affected consumers respond to child seat recalls.

“When a product is defective, we want to do everything to get those unsafe products off the market,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator James F. Ports, Jr.

Ports urged consumers to visit www.safercar.gov and click on the “E-mail” or “RSS” option to register for the new notification service. However, he also reminded consumers that they should continue to register their safety seats and tires with manufacturers, even if they sign up for the new notification service. Ports explained that registering child seats and tires helps manufacturers contact purchasers about recalls in a timely fashion and allows them to provide additional details and instructions about the recalls.

Ports added that the Department has even added a feature to its “safecar.gov” website to make it easier for consumers to register safety seats directly with manufacturers. Consumers should click on the “Register your child restraint online” link and take advantage of this service.

Preventing Falls around the home

Falls are one of the top injuries of children under 15.   Here is a story from KMBC Channel 9 about a 2-year-old that has fallen from the top story apartment.

www.kmbc.com/video/15199321/index.html?taf=kc1

One tip is to make sure furniture is not near a window where a toddler can climb up and out. Also, make sure your windows are locked.