Since license system on exported toys was brought into effect since 1993, China has made great improvement on safety and quality of toys in exporting trade, which accelerates the development of toy export. However, importing countries have stricter requirement o f toys safety and quality these years, carrying related standards to new and higher level. Unfortunately, some toy companies in China fail to accommodate themselves to the new requirement, so we see recalling case happen at times.

March 31st, 2006, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced to recall about 3.8 million units of magnetic building sets, which is aware of 34 incidents involving small magnets, including one death and four serious injuries. During January to February this year, four member states of EU released recall report against some of China’s toys, due to their exceeding phthalates in PVC toys. Since November last year, there have been three recalling cases for China’s toys to USA due to lead poisoning hazard, among which the RC2’s Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys made in Dongguan, China has aroused great response. The New York Times delivered a coverage on June 18, which was highly concerned by global media and Reuters and AFP commented on the affair.

The recall above results in not only economic loses, but also serious damage on image of China’s toys in global market. Toy retailing stores in USA would withdraw the concerning wooden toys from their shelves.

Frequent safety incidents worry us. We must draw lesson from the recalling affairs, and exert ourselves to pay close attention to product quality. TOY INDUSTRY has the following suggestions:

Have technical training: It serves as an effective and radical solution. Taining courses may be organized by inspection institutes and toy association, joined by relative technical staff in toy companies. Recently, Toy Industry Association (TIA), AQSIQ and CNCA held the “Toy Factory Safety Conference for Chinese Manufactures" in Guangzhou, Guangdong, where regulations such as new ASTM F963-07, ISO 8124 and EN71-3 were introduced. In fact, aiming at the affair of lead, AQSIQ has released a notice on inspection on lead contained in paint of toys that exported to USA. When we use the above latest document and standards as reference, we will be able to reduce the possibility of related recalls, or even avoid them.

Construct healthy quality controlling system: Toy factory should construct perfect controlling system against any problems of safety or quality. Raw materials are key for monitor. First batch of paint should go through heavy metal test and sample must be collected out of evenly mixed paint. As to diluent, same measures should be adopted. Before mass production, new products must be delivered to toy lab for heavy metal test.