The surprising toys deemed unsafe ahead of Christmas
More than 10,000 unsafe toys have been seized in the lead up to Christmas, with some traders now facing big fines for putting the safety of children at risk.
In Victoria, 400 toy traders have been inspected and thousands of dangerous projectiles, household cots, and items that may cause choking were taken off the shelves.
One toy seized as potentially hazardous is a rubber fish with a battery inside.
“For a child under three, that would just get lodged straight in their oesophagus,” Kidsafe Victoria president Erica Edmands said.
“I’m surprised to see so many dodgy toys, despite the efforts every year that Consumer Affairs make.”
The biggest surprise on the list are pool toys, with fears poor quality and foreign labelling could cause drownings.
“What stands out to me this year is that we’re still seeing a lot of aquatic products that are non-compliant that we have to seize,” Consumer Affairs Victoria’s Matthew Sargeant said.
Experts are warning parents to check all toys before buying them this Christmas.
One toy rifle, for example, contains small rubber bullets that have been deemed a major projectile hazard.
Traders caught selling dodgy toys can be subjected to an on-the-spot fine of $5000.
“If they continue to do that, court action can be taken by Consumer Affairs Victoria and fines can be up to $500,000 for individuals and $10 million for body corporate,” Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz said.
