As Christmas shopping is wrapping up as nicely as a present placed under the tree, shoppers should remember toy safety guidelines in their rush.

After a year that Consumer Reports magazine dubbed the “Year of the Recall” in 2007 in which recalls averaged four a week and more than 46 million items pointed to an under-inspected toy industry, federal legislators enacted more stringent safety requirements for toys.
They cracked down on smaller toy pieces that could choke a child, required larger printed warning messages on toy packaging and identified toys containing high levels of lead and phthalates to phase out. They passed new toy compliance laws in 2008, but some took until earlier this year to go into effect.
Despite their efforts that reduced the number of fatal accidents, 19 children younger than 15 years old died in the U.S. from toy-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Toy vendors had to be fully compliant in February.
“Trouble in Toyland,” the 24th annual survey by U.S. Public Interest Research Groups Education Fund, reported that 5.3 million toys and children’s products were recalled from Jan. 1-Nov. 10 this year because of their potential choking hazards.
Lead-based toys that emit loud noises above 85 decibels and toys that contain phthalates that can damage young children’s health are still appearing in U.S stores.
U.S. PIRG reports that the CPSC does not test all toys and not all toys in stores meet CPSC standards.
Big box retailers that buy in bulk are more susceptible to massive recalls, but they have helped smaller specialty retailers.
“I think [these laws] are great. I haven’t seen nearly as many recalls this year on products,” said Bee Cave Learning Express Toys co-owner Lisa Schlageter, adding that lead-based jewelry is the only product that her store has had to pull off its shelves.
To avoid potentially hazardous purchases, Schlageter advises shoppers to always look for age recommendations on toy packaging and instructions and buy age-appropriate gifts.
One tip that she has for identifying potential choking hazards is to try to place any suspiciously small toy piece through a paper towel tube. Any toy that can pass through the tube is dangerous to a child’s health.
“Any type of toy that could possibly be ingested by a child is under much stricter regulations as of February,” she said.
Parents who have doubts about smaller pieces that are accessories to the primary toy can put those tinier pieces away until their child gets older, she recommended.
The two Learning Express Toys franchise locations in Bee Cave and in south Austin only sell toys approved by the company, which does business with a narrow list of manufacturers that put safety first. When the stores receive new shipments, compliance papers are often included that detail the toys’ material contents. Store employees research vendor web sites for information on manufacturers that don’t include the compliance information.
The store also keeps a database of sales and notifies customers who have purchased a product recalled after their visit.
“Learning Express has always been on the forefront of toy safety,” Schlageter said.