A daycare's primary focus is keeping kids safe. And as we all know, every daycare has toys they choose to stock the facility with. With that, daycares must always take into consideration the quality of the toy, the functionality of the toy, and whether the toy is something that can be safely used by the age group they plan to use it with.
Unsafe toys at daycare, which can cause catastrophic injuries or death when they have a design defect or have improperly labeled safety instructions. Daycares should know that toys usually come with instructions and age recommendations on them.
For example, a toy's instructions may say, "for use by children ages three and up," or "loose pieces can cause choking hazards." Obviously, this type of instruction tells the daycare that the toy may be a choking hazard and dangerous to children under three. Daycares must inspect toys from the time they purchase them and consistently while being used at the daycare.
How Can Toy-Related Injuries be Prevented?
Regular inspections can help identify potential dangers, like:
- detachable parts that pose choking hazards, or can get stuck in a child's nose or ears
- toxic chemicals like lead or phthalates,
- strings or ropes that can get wrapped around a child's neck
- sharp edges that can cut kids
- and parts that can electrocute children if not operating correctly.
Daycares must also make sure all toys that have been recalled by the manufacturer are removed from the daycare. This means daycares need to keep up with product announcements from the toy manufacturers or the Consumer Product Safety Commission, also known as CPSC.
If you or a loved one has a child who had a serious injury involving a toy at a daycare. It's important that you contact our firm. Our child injury lawyers have experience helping families recover and move forward after a life-changing injury. And if you want to learn more about daycare and child safety, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel below.
