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STANDARDS IN FOCUS…BUY SAFE OF TOYS AND PLAYTHINGS FOR CHILDREN

Dec 20, 2015 News

Safety should be everybody’s business when selling or buying toys for children during the Christmas season. Safe toys and playthings should be purchased for use by our children to protect them from sickness or even death due to the use of harmful manufacturing materials, or to prevent accidents or inappropriate usage.
In addition, toys must be adequately labelled with the necessary cautionary statements and parents and guardians should take the responsibility to educate and guide children on how to use these items to   prevent accidents or injuries.
The Guyana Standard Specification for the Safety of toys and playthings GYS 234:2003 was specifically developed to provide guidelines to importers, retailers and consumers on the safety requirements for toys and playthings intended for children. Toys and playthings are one of the commodities monitored by the GNBS under its Standards Compliance Programme.
The National standard specifies requirements for toxicological hazards and other hazards, such as, mechanical hazards, inflammability hazards, hygienic hazard, electrical hazards and thermal hazards. Further, precautionary instructions and warnings, requirements for the packaging and labeling, and inspection and testing procedures, which include preconditioning for shipping and storage, are also addressed in the standard.
Children can be protected against the use of unsafe toys and playthings if retailers offer for sale those that conform to safety requirements as stipulated in the standard. However, consumers have a responsibility to educate themselves with the requisite information which would allow them to select toys that are safe for use.
The following are some purchasing tips to help parents ensure their children use toys safely:
· Read labels to gather important information about how to use the toys.
· Avoid giving children toys that shoot objects into the air as they can cause serious eye injuries.
· Be mindful of other smaller children in the home. While a toy might be appropriate for one child, it might not be appropriate for younger siblings. Toys with small parts, for example, are popular for kids over five-years-old but can pose a great choking danger for those under the age of three.
· Beware of button batteries. These not only pose a choking hazard, but if swallowed they can erode the lining of internal organs; without any initial sign or symptoms. Adults should change batteries in toys.
· Toy jewelry often contains lead. It’s generally good to avoid metal jewelry, especially if your child is likely to put it in his or her mouth.
Beware of the following top 5 toy hazards relating to toys and their parts:
-Scooters and other Riding Toys – Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast and falls could cause serious injury. Helmets and safety gear should be worn at all times and be sized to fit.
-Small Balls and other Toys with Small Parts – For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
-Balloons – Children under eight years can choke or suffocate on un-inflated or broken balloons. Keep un-inflated balloons from children. Discard broken balloons at once.
-Magnets – For children under age six, avoid buying play sets with small magnets. If magnets or pieces with magnets are swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur.
-Chargers and Adapters – Charging batteries should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children.
For further information on this subject, call the GNBS on Telephone number: 219-0065 or visit the Bureau’s website: www.gnbsgy.org

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