It goes without saying that children love toys. Therefore, when a child celebrates a birthday or when the festive season has arrived, the gift of choice for a child is a toy. That is the common practice not only in Illinois but all over the country and the rest of the world. Since toys are meant for children, the federal government enforces the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which clearly outlines the safety standards for children’s toys.
In order to ensure children’s safety, the CPSIA, which was discussed in an earlier post, sets standards that toy manufacturers must comply with if their product is targeted at a consumer group whose age is below 14 years. Those standards are based on the guidelines mentioned in ASTM F963-11 and ASTM F963-07.1, which are released by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
ASTM F963-11-The Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety-is a comprehensive standard that takes into consideration a number of hazards that dangerous children’s toys can pose. Older versions of this standard used to be a consensus between the government, the consumers and toy manufacturers. However, since the CPSIA came into effect in 2008, the ASTM F963-11 became a federal law, which is applicable on a federal level.
According to ASTM F963-11, all manufacturers must comply with safety guidelines. Products manufactured for children must pass all safety tests, which are conducted by various laboratories that are accredited by the CPSC. Only after a toy has passed all safety tests will it be launched on the market. The laws are more strict for those toys that are meant for children under the age of 12 years and each toy must obtain a Children’s Product Certificate before it is marketed.
Despite the various measures to ensure toy safety, every now and then, we come to hear about accidents and injuries that result from the use of a children’s toy. Since those injuries can have severe detrimental effects on a child’s long-term well-being, seeking legal recourse may help. After all, our children are precious and any injuries to them can be a heartbreaking experience.