TDI International Toy Car Recall

It didn’t take long into the New Year to find another toy that needs to be recalled and it won’t be surprising to know the reason, a violation of the lead paint standard. The maker of the toy car, TDI International, cooperated with the CPSC to recall about 150 High Speed Pull Back Toy Cars because the surface paint contained excessive amounts of lead paint. No injuries were reported, but any injuries wouldn’t be apparent for quite some time so it’s better to take them off shelves. The toys were made in China and they were sold at small retail stores in Texas during the months of June and July 2008. The usual “what to do about it” is in effect. People who bought the toy cars can contact TDI International for a refund or a replacement toy, but the toy was only two dollars. I don’t know why the importing companies don’t open up an imported toy and test them before they make them available to buy. Is it really that tough to test a toy before offering them? Before 2006, it may not have been necessary, but this has been going on for quite some time. They should be testing the toys they get, especially ones from China, and they should be dealing with the companies they do business with personally when these issues arise. Read the CPSC report...

Toys Recalled For Toxic Barium Hazard

A new threat has emerged in the constant struggle that is the toy recall saga. Toy recalls are up 40 percent this year and some of those toys were recalled because barium was found on the toys. Seven toys have been pulled from shelves this year after tests found barium used in the paint on those toys. Barium testing was not conducted last year, so this could open up another can of worms on toy recalls if toys are now tested for high barium levels. Barium is used in paints to create pigments and it’s used rarely in kid’s toys made in Canada because of the hazardous product legislation, but the standards aren’t the same when trading with other countries. The barium was found mainly in wooden toys that have brightly colored paint. This is another problem with the wooden toys since wooden toys were already being recalled for a choking hazard. The product testing focus was on lead content, but this year testing has included other hazardous metals like mercury, antimony and arsenic. It seems the problem goes a little bit deeper than once thought and it’s becoming a serious concern. The seven toys that have been recalled for the barium use are: Geometric Stacker Toy Dump Truck Stacking Train Wooden Alphabet/Number Blocks Zolo Zippy Pop Up Toy Big Top Flippity Flops Importing is part of the problem with safety standards for toys. Not all countries have the same safety standards and it’s widely felt that when importing from other countries, the standards should be the same to avoid problems like this since many of the recalls were from toys made in other countries. Many of the toys are made in other countries, like China, which is contributing to the size of the toy recall problem. Their standards are different. For more details, read the Canadian Press article...

Woodstock Percussion Toy Drum Recall

Well, it’s Christmas Day and kids everywhere have already opened their presents. Hopefully they got all that they wanted this year and hopefully they didn’t get this toy drum that is part of the most recent toy recall. The Calypso Steel Drums made by Woodstock Percussion Inc. in Shokan N.Y. have been recalled for a lead paint standard violation. They used paint on the surface that contains high levels of lead in the paint. Oddly enough, they weren’t made in China, they were made in Trinidad. The surface of the drum is painted black with the notes clearly indicated. The sides of the drum are painted red. It also comes with two drum sticks and a wooden stand. The rim has a #5 or #6 stamped on the side. Apparently, only some of the #5 models are being recalled. It’s not mentioned how to tell the difference. They were sold out of mail order catalogues, from websites and some retail stores from December 2006 till December 2007. These drums were pretty costly, ranging from $50 to $100 and only about 2,800 were recalled. The usual solution is in effect, take the toy away from the child and return it to the manufacturer however, there’s no mention of a refund. Instead, people will get a replacement drum and a $5 credit/payment and I find that a little frustrating. For $50 to $100, they should have the option for a refund and what if the replacement is bad to? Find the full CPSC report here. All we need now is a recalled toy microphone to go along with the recalled Rage Wireless Guitar and you can make the toy version of Rock Band or the newest Guitar Hero game. It would be the version of the damned though since they were all...

Xtreme Toy Zone Dinosaur Recall

There’s a voluntary recall of some toy dinosaurs sold on the Xtreme Toy Zone website. The recall is due to, wait for it, a violation in the lead paint standard. The paint on the exterior of the Dinosaur Epoch toys was tested and found to have unacceptable levels of lead paint. See, I told you it would be the last toy recalled for a lead paint standard violation. There are two models of the dinosaur toys included in this recall, the Dinosaur Brachiosaurus and the Dinosaur Carnotaurus. These dinosaur toys are battery operated. They move around and have sound effects, but they don’t need a remote control. It should be no surprise they were manufactured in China. “If I eat you, will I get lead poisoning?” They were sold from the Xtreme Toy Zone website from May 2008 till October 2008. The recall is taking back 480 toys, a lower number than usual, so either only that many were made or that many were sold. The suggestion is to take the toy away from the child and return for a refund or an exchange. Since they were being sold for around $20 bucks, most people are probably going to return them for a refund. The full CPSC report is here. Now we know what really happened to the dinosaurs....

Top Ten Hazards Of Recalled Toys

A toy is recalled when a factory defect or other problem presents a danger to children, even when it has only a remote chance of happening. No parent wants their child to be playing with a toy that could permanently injure or kill them. Unfortunately, they have to rely on product standards in place and trust that products they find on store shelves are safe. With the countless recalls over the past two years, parents are becoming skeptical of the toys available since many of those toys have yet to be tested. Knowing what toys have been recalled for can help to identify possible threats to your children from the toys they currently have. Some of them might have a slim chance of actually happening and be a complete fluke, but they could happen. 10. Arm Entrapment The occasional toy will have places a child’s limbs could get trapped and unable to be freed without injury. Activity centers are a potential threat depending on how they’re built. If they include tubes and tunnels, kids who shove their arm into them might find it harder to get it out. The Learn-Around™ Playground Activity Center was recalled two years ago for that reason. 9. Impalement or Puncture This hazard is due to sharp objects on toys that could impale or puncture a child. The infamous lawn darts, or jarts, are an example of an impalement toy should they be thrown and actually hit a person, which is why they were banned in most countries. Some toys are fine until they come apart unexpectedly. Toy cars with metal axles could puncture children’s fingers if the wheels come off and they pick it up the wrong way. Lego recalled toy trucks for this reason in 2006. 8. Chemical Burn It might sound like an odd hazard to be wary of unless your child has a chemistry set, but even then those shouldn’t be hazardous. The chemical burns come from leaking batteries already installed within a toy or the potential for batteries to leak when installed the wrong way. Batteries already within a toy are generally poor quality and one batteries should be installed by an adult. The rage wireless guitar is one example of a recall due to the possible injury from batteries installed the wrong way. They would overheat and leak from the incorrect installation. 7. Intestinal This is another hazard that will make people think how. How could a toy cause intestinal problems? Well, if a toy has tiny magnets, like...