Commerce Commission action against unsafe toys continued today with the sixth product recall in the last nine months.

Commission Fair Trading Manager Rachel Leamy said that in the latest incident to be investigated by the Commission, an 18-month-old child dismantled part of a baby toy and put a piece from it into its mouth. Fortunately, the child's mother pulled the piece from the child's mouth before the child was hurt.

The toy being recalled is called the "Steering Wheel Activity Centre", which is attached to the "Baby Relax Walker".

Ms Leamy said that the Commission has accepted a settlement from Baby Relax (NZ) Limited. In the settlement Baby Relax has given signed undertakings including that it will:

  • sell no more "Steering Wheel Activity Centres" until they comply with the toy safety standard;
  • recall the "Steering Wheel Activity Centres" already sold; and
  • review its compliance programme to ensure that its staff understand the toy safety standard.

The safety standard is designed to prevent choking hazards. It applies to toys for children aged up to three and also to parts of those toys that can be removed or break off. Up to that age children do not have a properly developed coughing reflex and may not cough if an object sticks in their throat.

This hazard was highlighted graphically when part of a party blow out stuck in a child's throat. Fortunately, adults were present and were able to pull the part from the child's throat before she choked.

That investigation ended earlier this year with the seven importers of party blow outs recalling the brands that do not comply with the safety standard and replacing them with brands that do.

The other recent recalls have been:

  • Barney the dinosaur Easter eggs were recalled because the toys packaged with them were too small to meet the safety standard.
  • Clicking animal toys that contained lollies were recalled because parts that could be removed were too small to meet the safety standard.
  • An importer recalled a range of plastic toys because removable parts were too small to meet the safety standard.
  • A supermarket chain recalled a stacking toy because a part that broke off easily was too small to meet the safety standard.

Ms Leamy said that manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers must all understand that the safety standard is not about labelling.

"Simply labelling toys 'unsuitable for children under three' does not get around the safety standard," she said. "Toys that are marketed or suitable for under threes must comply. It is not the label that matters. What counts is whether the toy, or parts of it, are small enough to be a choking hazard."

Media contact: Fair Trading Manager Rachel Leamy

Phone work (04) 498 0908

Communications Officer Vincent Cholewa

Phone work (04) 498 0920

Commission media releases can be viewed on its web site www.comcom.govt.nz