Children's toys put to the test
By Wayne Chan | Posted: 13 July 2011 1927 hrs
SINGAPORE: A recent test on 200 samples of toys by SPRING Singapore has found 20 per cent of them to be unsafe.
The toys were tested for physical and mechanical safety, and to check that chemical contents were within safe limits.
SPRING issued 47 stop-sale notices to retailers whose toys were found to be unsafe.
SPRING also noted the latest results were an improvement from the last test in April by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), which found nearly 46 per cent of toys unsafe.
It said the Consumer Goods Safety Requirements put in place in April made suppliers more serious about following international standards.
And to further improve toy safety in Singapore, SPRING is setting up a joint working group to make toys sold here safer.
The group includes representatives from CASE, Singapore Toys & Confectionery Dealers' Association, Federation of Merchants' Associations Singapore and Singapore Retailers Association.
Mr Tan Kai Hoe, SPRING's deputy chief executive, said: "Because the supply chain is so complex, we need to have certain policies or procedures to educate our suppliers about how they should be communicating and how they should be procuring their supplies."
Dato' Dr Jannie Chan Siew Lee, president of the Singapore Retailers Association, said: "Now that we are conscious of the standards that have been set up by SPRING, when we order our goods, we have to make sure that we are buying from importers and manufacturers that have passed the standards."
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, president of CASE, said: "But it's still important for consumers to play a part to be aware that under these regulations they will have to look out for toys that have been certified, either by European, American or the ISO standards."
Those who do not stop the sale of unsafe toys - toys found to have failed international safety standards by SPRING - can be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed for up to two years, or both.
-CNA/ck
Other countries have the same problem. Thank goodness that in Singapore it is just the toys and not including the baby or children's clothing.
Originally posted by Mr Milo:
Why that ma tong's song, I strongly dislike that arrogant toad.
Hahahaha
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