RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

December 12, 2006
TAKE CARE! CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ARE NOT TOYS

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is warning people to take care when decorating their homes for Christmas and not to mistake potentially unsafe novelties as toys for their children.

Even if they resemble toys, items sold as decorations, such as novelties to be hung on Christmas trees, do not have to comply with strict toy safety regulations. These rules include preventing the risk of choking by controlling the size of items, their components and detachable parts, and specifying the form in which product warnings appear.

Philip Le Shirley, RoSPA Product Safety Adviser, said: “It is easy for parents to be confused and to think novelties are toys. We are not suggesting that people should not buy Christmas novelties, such as stuffed Santas, reindeer and snowmen, but that they should use them safely.

“Because novelties might not have been subjected to the same safety standards as toys, and could therefore pose a hazard, people should give careful thought to where they display them. For example, you could place them high up on Christmas trees where they are out of the reach of young hands.

“Do not allow children to play with Christmas items unless it is clear they have met toy safety standards (look for the CE mark), and check warning messages to see which age group they are suitable for.”

Trading Standards officers across the South-West of England tested nearly 100 Christmas novelties. They found that 58 could have caused an injury to a child left alone to play with them.

The research, which was presented at the RoSPA National Home Safety Congress earlier this year, found product warning messages on the novelties were inconsistent in their quality and lacking in crucial information.

RoSPA is also reminding people to take care with other Christmas decorations. The most recent figures show that about 1,000 people go to hospital after accidents with Christmas trees each year, another 1,000 are hurt by trimmings or when decorating their homes and 350 are injured in accidents involving Christmas tree lights. RoSPA recommends replacing old Christmas lights with new sets, which should meet higher safety standards.

With the popularity of candles, house fires are also a risk. The Government has warned that people are 50 per cent more likely to die in a house fire at Christmas than at other times of the year. RoSPA’s advice is: never put candles on Christmas trees; do not leave candles unattended while burning and put them out before going to bed; place candles in a stable container away from flammable materials such as curtains and decorations; and keep candles out of the way of children and pets that could knock them over and cause injury to themselves or start a fire.

See www.rospa.com/homesafety/advice/xmasnovelties for more information on Christmas novelties.