As we approach Halloween, children of all ages will be getting costumes and going door to door for treats while adults are also costuming and going to parties and celebrations. But as we too often read after a Halloween tragedy, there are safety concerns that do not appear at first sight. For example, many kids will be wearing costumes that come with masks. Too often we assume they are safe when that is simply not the case.
On October 21, 2011 the Consumer Product Safety commission announced the recall of children’s frog masks imported by Target Corp of Minnesota and sold nationwide because “The plush frog masks lack proper ventilation. When secured in place across a child’s face, it presents a suffocation hazard to the child.”
Below is a picture of the mask from the CPSC website:
Another potential issue is flammability of costumes.
The federal Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) requires costumes sold at retail to be flame-resistant. To prevent costume-related burns, CPSC enforces this requirement and recalls costumes and other products that violate the FFA. Unfortunately, some kids end up wearing costumes that don’t meet these requirements.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has detailed information on numerous products, recalls, choking hazards, fire related issues that advertisers never hint at. www.cpsc.gov/. This is a valuable website for parents or anyone interested in product history and safety. So look at the labels and if you have any questions, check the CPSC website.