Children's Day is a special day dedicated to children. They always look forward to this day and the carefully-prepared gifts from parents. At this special occasion, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI), Ministry of Economic Affairs, would like to express its best wishes to children in Taiwan and remind all parents that safety is always the top priority when shopping for toys. The Commodity Inspection Mark on toys indicates that the products comply with national standards in aspects of health and safety. Only when the parents buy safe, can children play safe.

The BSMI emphasized that all toys intended for use by children under 14 years old are subject to mandatory inspection. Both imported and domestically-produced toys have to complete the inspection procedures and bear the Commodity Inspection Mark before they can be placed on the market.

In particular, the BSMI would like to bring to the attention of parents a number of recent incidents in Taiwan as well as in other countries caused by some popular toys that have been attractive to elementary-school kids. The followings are examples of such toys:

1.Slime toys, which may contain unsafe level of boron and cause skin irritation when over-exposed. It is important for parents to limit the playing time and ask their kids to wash hands immediately after use.

2.Fidget spinners, of which some parts may be easily detached and accidently swallowed by kids. Parents should keep their kids away from fidget spinners that are damaged or lose certain parts.

3.Strong magnetic Buckyballs, which can be accidently swallowed by babies or toddlers and cause serious injuries such as gastrointestinal perforation. Parents should keep such toys away from children.

The BSMI provides the following safety guidance for parents when shopping gifts for their kids:

1.Buy toys that are affixed with the Commodity Inspection Mark (please see the attached diagram, and the information on certified toys is available at the BSMI website https://civil.bsmi.gov.tw/bsmi_pqn/).

2.Make sure that the information on the suitable age, cautions, key components and materials, warnings and instruction of use is labeled in Chinese and please read it carefully before use.

3.Select toys that are suitable to the age of the kids to avoid possible injuries.

4.Examine the toys to make sure that components are secure and small parts do not fall easily to avoid accidental swallowing.

5.Examine the toys to make sure that there is no sharp edge to prevent injuries of cuts.

6.Make sure that the length of strings or cords is not presenting a strangulation hazard to the kids.

7.Do not let children chew or suck the toys to avoid over-exposure to hazardous chemical substances such as phthalates or heavy metals.

8.Children playing with inflatable water toys should be attended by parents.

9.Destroy the plastic bags or the thin film used for packaging toys to avoid hazard of suffocation.

10.Always ask the children to wash hands after playing with toys.

BSMI Spokesperson: Chen, Ling-Hui, Deputy Director General

Tel. (O): +886-2343-1709

Email: lh.chen@bsmi.gov.tw

Responsible Person: Chiou, Mei-Chu, Deputy Director, 2nd Division

Tel. (O): +886-2343-1763; Tel. (M): +886-933-013439

Email: judy.chiou@bsmi.gov.tw

Press Contact: Mr. Lin, Ching-Yen

Tel. (O): +886-2343-1759; Tel. (M): +886-976-425601

Email: chingyen.lin@bsmi.gov.tw