World Against Toys Causing Harm Inc. released its annual list of the “10 Worst Toys” for potential safety hazards, and nominees range from a Curious George book for newborns to an X-Men “Slashin’ ” Wolverine action figure.
Dangerous toys still can be found on store shelves - with the same types of hazards seen year after year - despite passage of the federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, a sweeping new law crafted to protect children from unsafe products, the Boston nonprofit warned.
WATCH singled out toys with common safety hazards, including projectiles that could cause puncture wounds and other injuries, small parts that pose choking hazards, long cords that can strangle and inconsistent product safety instructions.
Since it issued its 2008 list, there have been at least 31 toy recalls of over 4.6 million units, evidence of a “broken system that needs fixing before more children are harmed,” according to WATCH.
“Ultimately, it falls on the toy manufacturers to make the toys free from defects, and that’s what we’re hoping to see,” director James Swartz said.
Swartz advised parents to open toy packaging while shopping to look for potential hazards not readily evident and to pull on toys to see if they separate into smaller pieces that pose choking or ingestion hazards.
The organization’s list of toys to watch:
* Disney-Pixar WALL-E Foam Rocket Launcher: potential for eye injuries
* Moon Board Pogo Board: potential for head injuries
* Curious Baby Curious George “Counting: My First Book of Numbers”: potential for choking injuries
* Dark Knight Batman Figure: potentially harmful hard and pointed surfaces
* X-Men Origins Slashin’ Action Wolverine: potential for eye injuries
* Lots to Love Babies Mini Nursery: parts could cause choking
* Just Kidz Junior Musical Instruments: potential to cause choking
* CAT Rugged Mini toy vehicle: potential for puncture wounds
* Pucci Pups Maltese stuffed animal: potential for strangulation
* Pucci Pups Maltese stuffed animal: potential for strangulation
* Spy Gear Viper-Blaster: potential for eye injuries
