CPSC Announces Holiday Toy Safety Round-Up

December 22, 1998
Release # 99-040

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For Immediate Release;
Contact: Yolanda Fultz-Morris
(301) 504-0580 Ext. 1219

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is conducting a holiday toy safety round-up to get hazardous toys out of people's homes before the holidays. Despite recall notices and public warnings, CPSC has found that many products with the potential to seriously injure or kill are still being used by consumers.

CPSC has some of the most stringent toy safety standards in the world, and toys on store shelves are safe because of the day-to-day enforcement work by CPSC. "We do a good job getting recalled toys off store shelves," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "The real challenge is to get recalled toys out of people's homes."

Today, CPSC will launch the holiday toy safety round-up by issuing a list of recalled toys. This list identifies recalled toys that are off store shelves, but may still be in people's homes. Some examples of recalled toys that might be in consumers' homes include:

--"Soft Walkin' Wheels" toy vehicle with serial numbers lower than 9528 or no serial number at all (1,000,000 toys) by Tonka with a small wheel hub that can be a choking hazard.

--"Big Storage Chest" toy chest (350,000 chests) by Step 2 Company with a lid that can fall, causing strangulation or suffocation.

--"Flying Dolls" spinning toy (670,000 dolls) by Tara Toy with plastic wings that can fly off and cause eye injury. --"Power Wheels" battery-powered ride-on vehicles sold before October 22, 1998, (10,000,000 cars) by Fisher-Price with electrical wiring, connectors, and fuses that can cause a fire.

"We urge people to get this list, and get the recalled toys out of your home before the new ones arrive for the holidays," said Brown.

CPSC's toll-free telephone hotline and web site provide information about recalled products and information on what to look for when buying products. Consumers can reach the hotline at 800-638-2772 or visit the web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.

To get a list of toy recalls, consumers should send a postcard to "Toy Safety Round-Up List," CPSC, Washington, D.C. 20207.

NOTE: Products listed above may have already been repaired or there may be similar products that do not have the identified problems. For assistance in identifying recalled products, call the manufacturer listed or the CPSC toll-free Hotline at 800-638-2772.