W.A.T.C.H. Names this Year’s 10 Most Dangerous Toys
As highlighted in a recent MSNBC report, Boston based watchdog group World Against Toys Causing Harm (W.A.T.C.H) has just released its annual report on the ten most dangerous children’s toys in an effort to protect Philadelphia children and children around the world this holiday season. The group has been publishing the list each year since 1973 and has also been instrumental in eventually getting several dangerous children’s products removed from store shelves.
The toys on the current list are all still available on retailer shelves throughout the country and can be found in both national chains and independent shops alike. Parents should beware of these products and any dangerous products while holiday shopping, since, although the toys on the list have not yet been recalled, they could still be potentially harmful.
W.A.T.C.H. places toys on the list that stood out when it came to hazards for choking, electrocution, and puncture wounds. Some of the toys on the this year's list pose obvious hazards, such as the Z Curve bow and arrow set which can actually be used as a weapon, while the dangers others present are more elusive. For instance, parents may not even realize that the Schylling mini school bus featured on the “watch list” could be harmful until they bring it home to find that the small wheels can easily come off presenting a choking hazard.
Consumer products safety commission reports that in 09 about 250,000 toy related injuries were treated in US hospital emergency rooms and there have been at least 28 toy recalls representing 3.8 million units in the United States in the past year alone according to Joan Siff, president of Watch. If your child has been harmed by a dangerous product or toy, contact an expert Philadelphia injury lawyer as soon as possible in order to ensure that his or her rights are protected.
