View report page

CHILDREN'S TOYS
The Toys (Safety) Regulations 1967 prohibit the use of celluloid in toys other than ping pong balls
and impose restrictions in relation to the paint which may be used on toys in that such paint may not contain
more than 5,000 parts per million of lead or 250 parts per million of arsenic, soluble antimony, barium,
cadmium or chromium. Celluloid is highly inflammable and a potential fire risk and the ingestion of paint
containing lead, etc. by children, who naturally suck or chew toys, could lead to serious ill-health and
possible mental retardation.
Since the Regulations came in to force, 125 samples (purchased from 86 shops, 15 stalls, 1 wholesaler
and 3 importers in the Borough) have been submitted to the Public Analyst for examination. No less than
43 toys (34.4% of the toys sampled) imported mainly from China, Japan and Eastern Europe did not
comply with the Regulations. Celluloid was used in the manufacture of 13 of these toys and the remaining
30 were coated with paint containing excess lead or chromium. In this latter group, amounts of lead up to
110,000 parts per million have been certified by the Public Analyst.
It was a defence under the Consumer Protection Act, 1961 for a seller to prove that he had reasonable
cause to believe that goods in question complied with the requirements of the Regulations. In some
cases, importers or wholesalers gave a form of warranty to protect retailers. Where contravention of the
Regulations occurred, and the retailer possessed such a warranty, the Council was unable to institute legal
proceedings for the contravention against an importer or wholesaler if the business premises of such a
person were outside the Borough boundary. The Consumer Protection Act, 1971 removed this restriction and
the Council is now able to proceed legally against an importer or wholesaler of toys but it was felt by the
Council that this additional power was inadequate to prevent the sale of dangerous toys within the Borough.
Following a report to the Health Committee, the Association of Municipal Corporations was asked to
make urgent representations to the appropriate Government Departments with the object of preventing the
importation of toys which did not meet the requirements of the Toys (Safety) Regulations, 1967. The
Association of Municipal Corporations replied that they wish to see if the Consumer Protection Act 1971
reduces the number of dangerous toys on sale in the country before making-fecommendations to the Government
Departments on restriction of foreign toys at the ports of entry. The Association will review the situation
again in the Spring of 1972. My view is that the task of ensuring that only harmless imported toys are
offered for sale throughout the country is quite beyond the resources of local authorities and a ban on the
importation of harmful toys is necessary.
RAG FLOCK AND OTHER FILLING MATERIALS
The Rag Flock and Other Filling Materials Regulations, 1971 came into force on the 3rd November,
1971. These new Regulations revoked the 1961 and 1965 Regulations and brought the following additional
materials, increasingly used as fillings, within the scope of the Act:
(1) Rubberised hair and fibre.
(2) Rubberised or resin bonded felt.
(3) Cellular rubber and cellular plastic crumb.
(4) All kinds of wood fillings, including wood shavings, sawdust and wood wool (new or used).
Seven samples of various filling materials were taken during the period November/December and these
were all certified as satisfactory by the Prescribed Analyst.
HAIRDRESSERS & BARBERS
An increase in the registration of hairdressers and barbers over last year's figure is due to the re-registration
of occupiers. Changes in the occupation of registered premises are likely to have occurred over an
accumulated period.
46