Product Safety

You can prevent injuries related to children’s products, furniture and toys.

Did you know? Almost 35 to 40% of all home injuries involved a product or the environment such as the stairs, floor, and walls. In Canada, more than 75% of injury-related emergency room visits among children from birth to 4 years are for injuries occurring at home.

“For children 9 and under, home is the most common place for injury. In Canada, more than 75% of injury-related emergency room visits among children from birth to 4 years are for injuries occurring at home. For 5 to 9 year-olds, 40% of these injuries happen at home.” Safe Kids Canada

Many injuries involve a child’s environment that often includes nursery products, toys and furniture. Falls, burns, scalds, suffocation, choking and poisoning are the most common types of these injuries, some of which may be caused in part by dangerous nursery products, toys and furniture. Families may search for second-hand products are garage sales, but is what you are selling and buying safe for to use?

Cribs	Cribs made before September 1986 don't meet current safety standards. The mattress support in them, suspended by hooks, is not secure and can collapse easily. These cribs cannot be fixed to meet the standard and must not be sold or given away. Cribs that meet the regulations must have printed on them or affixed to them information that identifies the manufacturer, model number, date of manufacture and assembly instructions.
Strollers	Strollers manufactured before 1985 may not meet current standards. Choose one that is both sturdy and safe. The stroller must match the size and age of the child who will use it, and be sturdy enough to support the child and not be easily tipped. Strollers must come with a lap belt, or some safety restraint that is solidly attached to the seat or frame. Ensure the brakes, as well as locking mechanisms on folding models, are in working order. Make sure that the wheels are solidly attached.
Walkers	If you decide to buy a walker, buy one that meets the Canadian Juvenile Products Association's voluntary safety standards. It should, among other features, be too wide to fit through a standard doorway of 81 cm (31 inches). Baby walkers are not safe and do not help children learn to walk. Instead, they allow children to reach hot surfaces and have access to dangerous situations like stairways. Walkers were taken off the market due to such injuries.
Playpens	In 1976, the government introduced playpen regulations. Mesh-sided playpens must be made of mosquito-type netting with small holes so that fingers and little buttons cannot get through. Current standards also prohibit the use of more than two castors or wheels, to prevent the playpen from moving too much. Some older playpens may have protruding bolts that can catch on a child's clothing, or may have worn or faulty mechanisms on the folding sides of the playpen. If the playpen has been recalled, be sure the problem has been corrected. When selling a folding playpen, ensure that all locking mechanisms work and set-up instructions are included.
Baby Barriers/ Gates	Since 1990, new regulations have made expansion gates safer. Accordion-style baby gates that are made of wood or hard plastic and have diamond-shaped openings and large V's at the top can no longer be sold in Canada; children can get caught in the openings and strangle themselves.
Car Seats	All car seats must meet the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard and carry a compliance label (stating the size of the child for which the seat is designed) on the side, rear or bottom of the seat. Instructions must be provided on how the seat is to be installed. Seats over 10 years old are generally regarded as no longer safe. Some newer car seats only have manufacturer expiry dates of 6-8 years. Pick up a copy of the used car seat check list at the Health Unit
Sleepwear	Regulations on the flammability of children’s sleepwear up to size 14X were strengthened in 1987. Sleepwear should be made of nylon or polyester. Cotton and cotton-blend fabrics will catch fire and burn more quickly than most synthetics.
Toys	In 1970, the Hazardous Products Act introduced safety standards for toys. Toys allowed to be sold in Canada are subject to flammability, electrical and thermal risk and toxicological testing. But not all toys found in garage sales are less than 31 years old. Despite the regulations, others are no longer without risk. Toys that are in poor repair or broken are clearly unsafe. Lawn darts with elongated tips are dangerous and can no longer be sold.

Early Childhood Injury Prevention

Toys and Children’s Furniture

Canadian parents recalls

Recalls: