Safety Issues Surrounding the Use of
Wooden and Plastic Toy Chest

Wooden and plastic toy chest are the most popular system for storing child toys. However, prior to buying it, parents must aware of the possible danger associated with certain woodden or plastic toy chests or boxes.

The toy chest-caused fatalities are more likely to happen to children under two years of age. The incidents have generally resulted from the hinged lids of child toy boxes or chests falling on child's head, neck or hands. Another fatal hazard is suffocation caused by children sleeping or hiding in the non-ventilated plastic or wooden toy chests.

Therefore, to prevent such accidents and injuries from happening again, parents must consider these followings before buying a new toy chest.

First, consider buying a plastic or wooden toy chest with no lids, or with lightweight removable lids, or ones with sliding panels to prevent the hazard of falling lid. However, if you want to buy a new child toy chest with a hinged lid, make sure that it has a lid support that will keep the lid open. If you already own a toy chest with a freely falling lid, either remove the lid or install a lid support to hold the lid open in any position. Also make sure that the toy chests with lids or doors do not have a latch that might trap a child inside.

Secondly, choose a wooden or plastic toy chest with ventilation holes that will not be blocked if the chest is placed against the wall. This will keep the children from suffocation hazard should they hide or sleep in it.

Finally, check the child toy chest periodically to make sure that the lid support is functioning properly.

Adapted from: the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and The American Toy Institute.

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