DCP: “Wooden Toy Box” Previously Recalled for Small Parts, Also Tests High for Lead Paint

“Wooden Toy Box” Previously Recalled for Small Parts, Also Tests High for Lead Paint

HARTFORD, October 27 – The Wooden Toy Box, which sold for $9.99 at Ocean State Job Lot stores before the Department of Consumer Protection recalled it in Connecticut several weeks ago for posing a choking hazard to young children, has now tested positive for lead paint as well, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr. said today.

The toy, found by his department's product safety investigators in the course of routine inspections, had small parts, posing a serious choking hazard to children under the age of 3. Available until early October in several Ocean State Job Lot stores throughout Connecticut, the Wooden Toy Box was manufactured in China for Forever Toys of Melville, New York.

“Lead paint is not something we want our children exposed to, because there really is no safe level of lead in or on children’s items,” Farrell said. “So if you still have this toy because your children are at an age where choking on small parts was not likely, the lead paint is something new to avoid. I’d recommend that anyone who has the Ocean State Job Lot Wooden Toy Box to return it to the store for a full refund.”

This item remains recalled in Connecticut, and the Department of Consumer Protection is notifying the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission about its latest findings, Farrell said.

The Wooden Toy Box was labeled as being intended for use by children under the age of 3, but was recalled on October 1^st in Connecticut because it contained small parts that a child age 3 or under could choke on, in violation of the Connecticut State Child Protection Act. The new lead paint findings further support the agency’s position of removing the toy from sale.

“Despite all the attention and public uproar about keeping lead out of children’s products, there are still companies that don’t fully comply, so it’s still an important safety issue,” Farrell said. “In Connecticut, we continue looking for lead paint, and occasionally we find it. Product safety requires constant vigilance, and we’re fortunate in Connecticut to have such an experienced and effective Product Safety program.”