Parents, be alert and aware
(Photo: flickr.com)
Parents, we all want to know that our children are safe when it comes to the toys they play with. After the recent scare with Chinese toys and unacceptable levels of lead in the paint used, we’re all paying closer attention to the quality of toys our youngsters are using during their flights of imagination. When a problem with a toy occurs, such as when a toy is proven to present a health hazard through such things as small parts that can cause choking, we expect the manufacturer to take swift action in recalling the product.
Thankfully, that’s exactly what the Little Tikes Co. is doing, according to CNNMoney.com. They report that a Little Tikes recall has occurred. Specifically, the children’s toy company is recalling 1.6 million toys that may cause choking in young children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission told CNN.
Workshop Sets and trucks affected
The recall was prompted by an incident in which an 11-month-old boy lodged a plastic nail from a Little Tikes Workbench Set in his throat. The nail measured 3-1/4 inches long by 1-1/4 inches in diameter; nails that come with the set are red or blue. The child made a full recovery, but hospitalization was required. It is unknown whether short term loans or cash advances were needed to help them cover medical bills.
The nails are sold with a wide variety of Little Tikes products, including the Electronic Project Workshop; Little HandiWorker Workhorse; Home Improvements 2-Sided Workshop; Swirlin’ Sawdust Workshop; and Black Pickup Truck with Tools. Little Tikes General Manager Tom Richmond delivered a prepared statement in which he focused on the fact that the toys are rated for children two years and older. This will not stop the recall from happening, however.
The toys in question were available in stores and online sold between March 1994 and June 2009. Prices ranged from $25 to $100, depending upon the product. The toys were manufactured in the U.S. and China.
He gets it
“We realize Little Tikes toys are actively played with in homes where younger siblings reside,” Richmond said. “We must … ensure the safety of not only [the child] for whom the toy is intended, but also other children who may come in contact with the toy.”
What should you do?
If you own one of these Little Tikes products, the company advises that you immediately remove the nails and contact them for instructions on how to obtain free replacements that are “designed to fit and work in the existing workshop sets and trucks and be safe.”
Call Little Tikes at (800) 791-2737 or go to www.LittleTikes.com for additional information about the model numbers and UPC codes for the toys that are being affected by the Little Tikes recall.
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