Fisher Price Toy Recalls
From LoveToKnow Safety
The Fisher Price toy recalls in the news recently have been a cause for concern for many people. In August of 2007, media outlets reported that the toy maker was recalling almost one million toys.
Fisher Price Toy Recalls Because of Lead Concerns
The reason for the Fisher Price toy recalls at that time was due to the presence of an excessive amount of lead in the paint used to decorate the items, which were sold in the United States between May and August of 2007. More than 80 different playthings were affected. The toys were made of plastic and designed to appeal to children under the age of five.
U.S. regulations concerning lead content currently state that products for children should have no more than 0.06 percent lead content. The company, as part of its own internal quality control check, detected the presence of a higher amount of lead in the toys. Due to the company's quick action, approximately 65 percent of the toys were sent back to Fisher Price before they were made available to consumers on retail shelves.
Consumer Product Safety Commission
The situation was reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is the government agency with jurisdiction over the manufacturing and selling of thousands of consumer products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission then issued the recall.
In 2007, Geo Trax Locomotive toys were also recalled by Fisher Price because of concerns over the use of lead paint. The toys were on the market between September of 2006 and August of 2007. 90,000 units were affected, and the company received no reports of injuries.
Other Fisher Price/Mattel Toy Recalls
Power Wheels toys sold before 1998 by Mattel, which is the parent company to Fisher Price, were recalled. Up to 10 million units were subject to recall when it was discovered that their electrical components could overheat. This overheating was determined to be the cause of 150 fires.
Nine children were burned as a result, but 22 homes and garages were damaged, at a cost of $300,000.00. In addition, a number of children suffered minor injuries (bruises, bumps, and scratches) because the Power Wheels cars and trucks didn't stop when they came into contact with an immovable object, such as another vehicle, a pole, fence, or window.
Consumers were instructed to remove the batteries from the toys immediately and contact Power Wheels to make arrangements for the cars and trucks to be examined at a service center. Models subject to the recall were given new parts and a tune-up, at no cost to the customer. Power Wheels were on the market from 1984 to 1998 and sold in the $70.00-$300.00 price range.
Another Recent Toy Recall
In a recent news story, it was announced that Spin Master was recalling over four million units of the Aqua Dots craft kits. The kits contain beads, which need to be placed in water in order to stick together. Unfortunately, the chemical that allows the beads to stick together is toxic when ingested.
If the beads are swallowed, children can have difficulty breathing. Some children have developed seizures and others have lapsed into a coma. Australian authorities have pointed out that when this chemical can be broken down into GHB, which is known as a date rape drug.
Fisher Price toy recalls are reported to the proper agency promptly and dealt with quickly. These actions make it less likely that unsafe toys will injure a child.
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