Fewer toys on the naughty list this Christmas

Mums and dads playing Santa this Christmas can be reassured that Queensland retailers are selling the safest batch of festive toys for five years.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said he was pleased by the results of the Office of Fair Trading’s annual Operation Safe Christmas, which inspected major shopping centres to make sure only safe and age appropriate toys were on sale this Christmas.

“The Newman LNP Government is committed to ensuring Queensland families can enjoy a safe and happy Christmas – and I’m pleased to say our annual toy safety message is finally getting through,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Of nearly 6,500 product lines checked this year, only seven had to be taken off the shelves – mostly because they had small or detachable parts that presented a choking hazard.

“This is particularly pleasing when compared to previous years, where an average of 40 to 50 product lines were taken off the shelves every year.

“It’s a Christmas tradition I’m happy to say we have avoided this year.

“Without this annual safety blitz, many seemingly harmless products could slip through the cracks, putting families at risk unknowingly.

“As the father of three young children myself, the last thing any parent wants to do is put their child at risk but it can be difficult to know what look for.”

Mr Bleijie said parents need to be mindful of the 5 S’s of product safety in mind – size, shape, surface, strings and supervision.

• Size - the smaller the child the bigger the toy should be (anything smaller than a 35 millimetre film canister or ping pong is too small for a child under three)
• Shape - be wary of products that, because of their shape, may be easily swallowed or have sharp edges or points
• Surface - make sure all finishes are non-toxic (this should be stated in the packaging)
• Strings - anything over 30cm is a strangulation hazard for a small child and should be removed
• Supervision - close supervision by a responsible adult is essential

“Parents who have purchased an unsafe toy, including those on this year’s list, can return it to the place of purchase for a full refund,” Mr Bleijie said.

“I would like to congratulate our local retailers for their diligence this year and encourage them to continue the good work.

“The Newman LNP Government has a strong team and a strong plan to make Queensland the safest place to raise a family and we will continue our hard work to keep all Queenslanders safe this Christmas.”

For more information, including photos of the unsafe products removed from sale during Operation Safe Christmas 2014, visit www.qld.gov.au/fairtrading

[ENDS] 10 December 2014

*Note: A list of the products removed from sale, along with photos and a description of the testing failures, is attached. Higher resolution photos are available upon request.

Media Contact: Ashley McDermid 0412 731 355 or Jaime Wells 0409 624 139

Audio available at: https://soundcloud.com/jarrodbleijiemp-1/ag-operation-safe-christmas-2014