Lead Paint Used on Made in China Fisher-Price Toys

Recalls are a part of consumerism. Manufacturers believe one thing when a product goes to market. But it is not until the product is in the hands of its intended users that they find a flaw that could do unintended harm. Such flaws happen for an assortment of reasons, with malicious intent, never considered. However, with almost three million toys from China being recalled, including some of the most popular, safety concerns over lead poisoning, have raised the question if we are doing enough to protect children who cannot protect themselves.

When parents visit their local Wal-Mart or Target and buy a Thomas & Friends train or the hottest Elmo doll, the one thing they have to believe is that the things required to build the toy will in no way harm their child. But with the latest two recalls including 1.5 million Thomas & Friends trains and accessories as well as over one million Fisher Price toys including the latest Elmo and Dora the Explorer collection all because of lead paint concerns, concerns for safety are running rampant. It is in the hands of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and others like it to voice the concerns of parents who are unable to see what goes into the building of Tickle-Me-Elmo. When they travel to manufacturing facilities in China, India, and other countries on the Pacific Rim, their ability to guarantee to some degree the quality and safety of the products is critical. If they cannot do that, then the US government must intervene in order to protect the children who will be playing with these toys whose contaminants can cause serious harm.

In the US it is illegal to sell any toys that contain lead paint. Children are especially sensitive to lead paint. It has been known to cause learning disabilities and behavior problems. Toymakers who use China for toy manufacturing must guarantee that their products include lead-free paint. With over seventy percent of toys sold in the US made in China, a solution must be found. If China is going to continue to build the products, a renewed commitment to safety and inspection must be undertaken on both sides of the Pacific.

It was Fisher Price’s internal quality control that detected the paint concerns on the eighty-three products recalled. With thirty-three toy recalls this year and all of them derived from production that took place in China, regulatory and safety reform must be undertaken. Consumer groups are looking at a bevy of options to protect the children of the US from the careless, low quality efforts undertaken by production facilities in China.

It was in China that an addictive was put into pet food that caused the death of some animals. Chinese officials said that the use of melamine was a common practice in animal feed. But when American pets started dying of kidney failure, melamine became a common problem for pet owners. With the melamine controversy averted, Chinese officials now must turn their attention to the protection and safety of our children.

The first reform action would be to ramp up the number of pre-shipment inspections done in China before being exported to the US. With pre-shipment inspection, manufacturers will face increased scrutiny in their homeland to produce a high quality product that does not fail to leave China’s borders.

The second reform action would be to develop a testing agency similar to the Underwriters Laboratories. The UL test every electrical product and stamps its seal of approval on them before the products go to market. Establishing an agency who certifies toys and safety would be ideal to promote unanimity in the inspection, certification cycle.

With Fisher Price’s parent company, Mattel taking a $30 million charge on their financial statements because of the recall, the financial risk is immense. With China unable or unwilling to govern its own manufacturing and production facilities, the onus falls on American consumer groups and product safety commissions to protect our children from the dangers associated with grievous mistakes made on foreign borders.