Due to the amount of toys that are being withdrawn lately from the market because they are potentially dangerous for children, and taking advantage of the fact that European Consumer Day is celebrated today, the European School of Consumers has presented today two gadgets that will serve to discriminate whether a toy is safe or not for children.
In Spain alone, last year 44,000 toys were removed and more than 11,000 toys were destroyed, of which 80 percent came from Asian countries. In addition, 2,225 products were included in the Alert Network for entailing risks for consumers of which 30 percent were toys
These new inventions are called "Segurometer" and "Segurotron" and consist of reproductions of methacrylate with the measures of the mouth of children under three years. The first, the "safety meter," is a cylinder that simulates the child's larynx and measures whether the toy meets European standards for small parts. If the parts that can be detached from the toy enter the cylinder, it means that it is not very safe. The second, the "Segurotron", serves to check if the balls that include some toys are safe. If they pass through this device, they may block part of the mouth or throat and cause suffocation or choking.
These prototypes will be distributed in Cantabria schools (headquarters of the European School of Consumers) and a cut-out can be downloaded from the School's website to be able to build it at home.
In addition to these products, they have presented a decalogue to inform parents of the safety requirements dictated by the European Union for toys, in which advice is given when buying toys such as: avoid flammable products, with edges sharp, edges or nails, and that in case of disassembly do it in large pieces.
