Keeping Kids Safe Year Round
Safety should be on the brain year-round, but certain times of year, special occasions and holidays should bring on some extra precautions because specific hazards and situations.
Buying Safe Toys for Your Child
Most toys are quite safe when played with appropriately, but can become dangerous if they are misused or given to children who are too young to play with them. The St. Louis SAFE KIDS Coalition recommends the following tips when selecting holiday gifts this season:
- When selecting a toy for your child, avoid the following:
- Toys with small removable parts, which can pose a choking hazard, especially to children under 3 years. Use a small parts tester (available at a toy or baby specialty store) to measure the size of the toy or part. If the piece fits entirely inside the tube, it is considered a choking hazard.
- Toys with sharp points or edges. Children may unintentionally cut themselves or another person.
- Toys that produce loud noises. Toy guns, toy telephones and high-volume portable cassette or CD players can permanently impair a child’s hearing.
- Propelled toy darts and other projectiles. Propelled toys can cause cuts or serious eye injuries.
- Toys with strings, straps or cords longer than seven inches. Long strings and cords could wrap around a child’s neck and unintentionally strangle him or her. Source
- Electrical toys, which are a burn hazard. Avoid toys with a heating element for children under 8 years.
- Toy cap guns. Paper roll, strip or ring caps can be ignited by the slightest friction and cause serious burns.
Labels recommending that a toy is not suitable for children under a certain age are there to inform parents that the toy may pose a safety hazard for younger children. Pay close attention to these labels and follow them when selecting toys for your child.
Remember that a gift is not complete unless protective gear is included. In this country in 1999, 173 children were killed in bicycle-related accidents and injuries involving wheeled riding toys accounted for more than half a million emergency room visits for children aged 14 and under.
Scooters have been popular Yuletide gifts in recent years, but may be overshadowed this year by gasoline-powered mini-motorcycles, also known as “pocket bikes.”
Helmets and protective padding, such as elbow and knee pads, are a vital part of the package with wheeled gifts. When you add gasoline-powered engines, adult supervision also becomes an important part of the equation.
Online shoppers should be aware that Internet-based retailers aren't required to post hazard warnings on toys that might pose dangers to young children. While some Web businesses voluntarily post such warnings, a MoPIRG survey of Web sites found that the majority don't. When in doubt, turn to the Web sites listed above for safety information or check product information in real, brick-and-mortar stores.