Your 2008 Toy Safety Guide: How Today's Popular Products Measure Up

Amazing Toy Award-winning manufacturers share their safety statements

By Shari Becker

Have you fallen in love with an award-winning toy, but wonder how the manufacturer's safety standards measure up? We asked each of the companies who submitted toys to the 2008 Amazing Toy Awards to provide their statements on safety. Here's what the winning manufacturers had to say.

Aurora World Inc.

It is Aurora's responsibility and commitment to provide goods in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as well as meet health and safety policy standards. This effort endures that Aurora products meet requirements set by ASTM (USA) and EN71 (EU) for safety standards and specifications. Aurora is also a proud member for the Toy Industry Association (T.I.A).

Battat

Toy safety is one of Battat's highest priorities, and we know that as buyers you are equally concerned. Battat has been in the business of designing and manufacturing high-quality toys for more than 35 years. We fully understand parents' concerns when it comes to the safety of the toys they buy for their children, and we long ago adopted rigorous safety standards. Because we are parents too, you can be assured that we test all toys we introduce to ensure complete compliance with all required standards. Our toys consistently meet or exceed all Federal regulations, laws, and guidelines as well as all industry standards; all regulations regarding age guidelines; all Consumer Product Safety Commission directives and guidelines; and all regulations of the American Society for Testing and Materials.

These measures have been in place for many years; they are not merely a reaction to the toy recalls from China in recent years. Battat is committed to the highest safety standards and follows them consistently, regardless of where the toy is made. We also recognize that safety is an ongoing process, and we are dedicated to improving it in every way we can.

Brio

Aiming for the highest product safety possible has always been natural for us at BRIO. Creating products that are safe enough for young children involves extensive testing. Every BRIO product must have the approval of national and international regulatory bodies that govern the performance and labeling of products. Our products are tested for a long time in our laboratory before they are put on the market. We test new products as well those already on the market and in general BRIO places higher demands on our toys than international testing institutes.

When a BRIO product is ready to be launched, we present it for certification by the most well-known institutes. If there are differences in the various regulatory systems, our policy is to always choose to abide by the harder and most thorough regulations. In order to remain close to production, BRIO recently added a person responsible for quality and safety at the office in Hong Kong. This person manages seven employed inspectors who control the content and quality of our shipments and also ensure that our suppliers follow our code of conduct. This way we can prevent any potential safety issues early on in the manufacturing process.

In spite of all the measures that we have taken to eliminate risk, accidents can still happen. We have therefore developed a crisis and action plan so that we can respond quickly and appropriately in the event of accidents related to product safety.

Chicco

We can appreciate your inquiry and concern regarding the recent recalls. Chicco ensures that all our toys meet the American Standard Consumer Safety Specifications (ASTM F963) as well as the standards of Europe and other nations. Prior to marketing, every toy has undergone all the required safety testing, including physical and mechanical testing, and flammability and toxic elements analysis in accordance with these standards. When our designers develop new toys, safety is at the forefront of their design criteria.

Furthermore, all Chicco toys are developed not only in compliance with the above referenced safety laws and technical standards but also with our own internal requirements, as well as independent qualified test houses.