The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is warning parents to be on the alert for unsafe toys when shopping for Christmas gifts this year.
Launching its Operation Safe Christmas campaign, the OFT said it inspected thousands of toy lines each year in a bid to limit the number of dangerous toys children were exposed to over the festive season.
Attorney-General, Shannon Fentiman said following inspections of more than 5,600 toy lines across 266 retailers there had been six toys identified as unsafe.
“Two plush toys, a wooden alphabet puzzle, a wooden number puzzle, a magnetic number puzzle and a rainbow circle stacker have been removed from shelves after they were deemed to be a choking hazard for young children,” Ms Fentiman said.
OFT inspections included shops and pop-up stores across Queensland.
“Considering the huge number of toy lines inspected, it’s good to see a very low number of non-compliant toys were found, which shows most manufacturers and retailers are aware of, and sticking to, their obligations around consumer safety,” Ms Fentiman said.
“However, just because thousands of toys have been checked, this isn’t a free pass on safety matters.”
She said a few things to be aware of were that toys with small parts were a choking hazard and that toys with button batteries must have them in secure, child-resistant battery compartments.
“As Queenslanders search for the perfect Christmas gifts this year, we ask you take a step back and be cautious about buying products from overseas websites,” Ms Fentiman said.
“The reality is that these products, especially toys, may not meet current Australian safety standards.”
