Safety Checks Too Complicated For Santa

Wyoming News Service

Santa’s toy safety checklist has become more complicated. Choking hazards and projectile injury risks can often be identified even with a closer look, and the more common dangers in toys these days can’t be seen without chemical testing and a microscope. That's according to a new study from the American Association for Justice. Cheyenne attorney Terry Mackey says such hidden dangers can be the most harmful, whether it be lead, cadmium, or other toxins.  He adds that, since most toys are imported, the chain of responsibility is twisted.

"When your buyers are out there, and they’re relying upon the manufacturers in various foreign market places, you’re relying upon a far less sophisticated system, in terms of enforcement of the rules and regulations."

The report cites federal findings that toy-related injuries are up 54-percent over the last ten years. Lois Gibbs with the Center for Health, Environment and Justice is calling for toy companies and retailers to step up safety, through more testing - and rejecting products that contain toxins. Her organization is specifically concerned about the prevalence of P-V-C in children’s products.

"Their developing brains and bodies, their metabolism, their behaviors, make them uniquely vulnerable to the harm from toxic chemicals."

The report makes the case that the civil justice system plays an important role as a toy safety watchdog, because federal safety programs cannot test every product. Mackey represented the family of a child who was seriously injured by hidden magnets in a Polly Pocket toy.