Dangerous toys have been placed on the hit list following  a pre-Christmas safety blitz by NSW Fair Trading.

A total of 47 toys among over 10,000 inspected in retail stores across the state were found to be hazardous, with the most common feature being choking hazards and dangerous small parts in products aimed at children three and under.

“Thomas the Tank Engine, Winnie the Pooh and Pikachu toys might look adorable but if they’re non-compliant and unsafe, we must act to protect consumers,” Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, Victor Dominello, said as the toys were crushed by a steamroller in Sydney on Wednesday.

NSW Fair Trading said, “Keep your kids safe this Christmas. Choose toys carefully and make sure they meet Australian safety standards.”

A battery-operated Thomas the Tank Engine train and a Winnie the Pooh Light Up Musical Toy failed the tests because their battery compartment covers could have been opened using just fingertips despite being secured with a screw.

The full list via SMH
1.Shark Raid Car No.HD 990
2.Thomas Light-up Train
3.Paw Patrol Cartoon Truck No.767-588
4.Winnie the Pooh Light Up Musical
5.Thomas & Friends Take Along
6.Future Star Loveable Duck
7.Angry Bird Egg Laying Bird
8.Pokemon Go Car
9.Air H2O Blaster
10.Squadra Atineedio Fire Truck
11.Pokemon Go Pikachu Buggy
12.Despicable Me 2 Light toy No.2028
13.Paw Patrol Fire Truck No.XZ-348
14.Minion Toy Car
15.Yellow Transformer Car
16.Play Together Air Bus
17.Spongebob Squarepants Car
18.Frozen Cartoon Electric Piano
19.Minion Dave No.1
20.Century New Truck
21.Thomas Flash Electric Train
22.Despicable Me Bump & Go Car
23.Power Shoot archery set
24.Despicable Me 2 Rifle
25.Intex Pool Swim Vest
26.24″ swim ring
27.Inflatable frog balloon with flashing eyes
28.Panahan Bow & Arrow kit
29.Light Up Train
30.Light up spikey squeaky balls
31.Light up spikey squeaky footballs
32.Light up spikey squishy ball
33.Pink & Yellow mini piano
34.Push back mouse
35.Squishy tiger with pop out eyes
36.Raytheon Phantom Soft Bullet Pistol
37.Raytheon Phantom Soft Bullet Gun
38.Pink Octopus musical toy
39.Funny Toys Super Plane
40.Bag of bathtub ducks
41.Large rattles
42.Pink Super Shark
43.Plastic Panda Aeroplane
44.Light up toy dog
45.Battery Operated Frog
46.Red Fire Truck
47.Green Army Tank

Consumers who have unknowingly purchased an unsafe toy are entitled to a full refund of the purchase price otherwise they should dispose of the toy immediately.

CHOICE have said, “The good news is that each year there seems to be fewer dangerous toys out there, no doubt due to regular blitzes by Fair Trading and consumer affairs departments around the country and penalties for traders who’ve breached the laws. Education programs also help small traders to understand the laws.”

However there are still many toys that fail basic safety tests. CHOICE puts the toys through tests (based on the Australian toy standard AS/NZS ISO 8124) that simulate the rough and tumble of kids’ play.

For example:
•drop the toys to see if they break too easily
•pull and twist parts that might detach
•check if the batteries are easily accessible.

Any small part that breaks off or detaches can be a choking hazard for young children. Batteries and small magnets are extremely dangerous if swallowed.

Projectile toys (guns, and bows and arrows) are tested to see if they are too powerful, or if they can fire a makeshift projectile such as a sharp pencil, whether  the projectile’s rubber suction caps come off too easily, and if they have the right warning labels.

What can you do when toy shopping this year?

Use your common sense and think about the following:
•Does the toy look cheaply made?
•Does it have small parts such as wheels, bells and lights that look like they’d easily break off and become a choking hazard?
•Are there any sharp edges or points?
•Are the batteries easily accessible?

If yes to any of these, just don’t buy it.

Avoid toys that look like unlicensed copies of well-known brands or characters. Shoddily painted Spider-man figures, off-colour Minions and Thomas the Tank Engine trains; we find a lot of these and they very often fail safety tests. Genuine licensed versions of these toys are usually better made and a safer choice.

It pays to check before making that purchase.

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