SAFETY These toys aren't child's play, group declares

World Against Toys Causing Harm aims to prevent toy-related injuries and deaths.
By JOHN JURGENSEN
HARTFORD COURANT
Last year it was the NRG Paintball Blaster and the Invincible Knights Weapon Set. This year, Curious George and the Digimon Bank top the list.
No, these aren't the hot, must-have gifts of the holiday season. They're the 10 most dangerous toys of 2002. The list of inanimate malefactors was announced earlier this week, part of an annual alert from the child safety group World Against Toys Causing Harm, or WATCH.
Apparently, Curious George is a repeat offender. Last year, the plush simian showed up in the WATCH lineup in a yellow space suit wielding a fabric-filled mobile phone, a potential choking hazard. Soon after, the manufacturer, BRIO Corp., and the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled the doll.
But WATCH, based in Boston, says that earlier this month, its representatives discovered the same Curious George with the same small, detachable accessories for sale at FAO Schwartz.
James Swartz, director of the safety group, wasn't sure if the doll was new or left over from last year's stock. "It was on their shelves -- that alone is enough to be considered outrageous conduct," he said. "It's hard enough to get the word out to parents, but people in the business should be knowledgeable about these things. It's unacceptable."
Injuries and deaths
According to the CPSC, there were an estimated 255,100 toy-related injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2001. For children under 15, there were 25 toy-related deaths.
Although the "10 Worst Toys" represent some of the most flagrant kid-oriented hazards, Swartz said they represent a disturbingly persistent corner of the market.
"There's no question there have been strides made in toy safety," Swartz said. "But the disconcerting part is that we're finding the same types of hazards on the market year after year," such as sharp edges, eye-endangering trajectories and strangulation and choking hazards.
For instance, kids could fall on the rigid plastic spike atop the head of Tsunomon, a Digimon character.
The Hot Wheels Sling Shotz Blaster made the 2002 roundup because it is sold with a "pump-action loader" and two "interceptor missiles." Mattel markets the product for $19.98 with the warning, "Do not aim towards people or animals."
Harder-to-find warnings
Other manufacturers aren't as forthcoming, said Swartz. A warning about a Bob the Builder Counting Hammer arrives inside the packaging rather than printed on the outside. The insert advises parents to supervise their children when they play with the hammer of hard plastic.
"We're trying to teach parents and caregivers what to look for when they walk into a toy store," Swartz said. "Just because a toy is manufactured or sold by a well-known entity, it's not necessarily safe."
The same goes for well-known subject matter. Curious George and Bob the Builder aren't the only beloved characters implicated in this year's rogues' gallery of plastic and plush.
Alas, a "functional sharp edge" on an ice shaver lurks in the guts of that old favorite for "ages 4 & amp; up," the Snoopy & amp; Friends Sno-Cone Machine.