The federal paint standard has taken quite a few hits in the last few years. With outsourcing of manufacturing and lax supervision of plants in other countries, many large corporations have had to pull children’s toys off of the shelves.
It all began with Thomas the Tank Engine. A great train toy that has spawned books, movies, lunchboxes, and anything you can think of really. In 2007 they pulled a series of trains that were painted red and yellow when they discovered one of their plants in China had substituted the required paint with a cheaper lead laden paint to save money. RC2, the company that owns Thomas the Tank Engine, found the problem on their own before any kids got sick and initialized the recall of their own accord.
Because Thomas products were so well known and the recall had such a big impact, other companies followed suit and began testing their products. This created the great Matel exodus. So many toys from Matel were tainted that whole aisles in Target and Walmart were empty. But thanks to the efforts of consumer product safety groups, the parent companies, and, of course, the commission, toys are probably the safest they have ever been.
But mistakes still happen. Harry Potter bookends from Hong Kong were found to have too much lead in their paint. As usual, go to the website to get the company’s contact information and please take the product off your shelves. Like Thomas, Harry Potter is extremely popular and widespread, this recall may effect many people.
As always, if you or someone you know has been injured by a defective or dangerous product, you can contact us anytime.
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