Hopefully the toys already hidden away in closets or wrapped and under the Christmas tree meet safety guidelines, but for those who aren’t exactly sure, Michigan’s Attorney General has issued a last minute consumer alert on toy safety in an attempt to make Michigan residents aware of “toy safety protocols” as well as to warn of the potential for dangerous toys.
As parents across the state are wrapping up toy buys for their children this week, Attorney General Nessel has issued her toy safety alert.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the federal agency responsible for protecting the general public against risk of injury and death associated with toys and other products. CPSC inspectors are charged with reviewing and intercepting dangerous toys before they reach the market, but reportedly during the months of April – September 2020, the agency pulled inspectors from ports around the country due to COVID-19, causing a major drop in inspections.
Nessel says “Parents must exercise caution when purchasing toys for children this year as some of the traditional safety protocols that we’ve become accustomed to may have been compromised due to COVID-19,” and adds, “My office is committed to protecting consumers from a variety of concerns, and I urge anyone who’s shopping for toys to do their research and review the guides and tips on how to safely make purchases. There is a lot of information to help consumers this holiday season, including my office’s 2020 Dangerous Toy Guide.” Y(u can see that guide here: 2020ToyGuide_708075_7
Michigan consumers rely on the CPSC to protect their children by inspecting toys before they reach store shelves. Many children’s products may not appear dangerous, but if the product is swallowed or ingested, it could result in serious injury or death. As lead paint on a toy is not visible and parents are not equipped to run fire resistance testing on youth pajamas, there is no way to differentiate good products from bad items at this time.
Should you happen to notice any problems with a recently purchased toy or children’s product, you are encouraged to report it immediately to the CPSC website where such complaints are publicly posted.
Michigan consumers can also file a complaint online with the Attorney General’s office.
Click here to view the toy safety consumer alert:
https://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-359-81903_20942-547876–,00.html
