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It's Garage Sale Season!By: Toronto4Kids It's Spring and with the warmer weather comes garage sales… an opportunity to find great bargains! You should however exercise caution when scouting out deals, especially when it comes to Baby or Children's products - these products could be outdated, banned or hazardous. Safety laws do not only apply to new products but also to used goods, so vendors should beware. Under the current Canadian Law, it is illegal to sell or even give away products that do not fulfill the requirements of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA).
Here are some tips:
Do not resell or buy…
Infant bath seats and bath rings: | • | Suction cups or other means to attach them to a tub can become ineffective. | | • | These items have been proven to be dangerous and infants have drowned - these are not safety devices and are not designed for babies to left in the bath unsupervised. | | • | Reselling these items can pose a danger because any warnings and/or instructions that could have alerted a caregiver of the serious drowning hazard may be out of date or missing. |
Window coverings with cords and bead chains: | • | These products present a strangulation hazard to children. | | • | Continuous looped pull-cords, and venetian blinds without inner cord stop devices or safety labelling, should not be bought or sold. |
Baby walkers: | • | It is illegal to buy or sell baby walkers used or new. They have been banned since 2004. | | • | These products should be destroyed so they are not re-used. |
Baby gates: | • | Do not buy or sell baby gates that have large diamond-shaped or large "V" openings at the top as a child's head can get caught in the openings and cause strangulation. | | • | Gates should have original set of instructions and information that identifies the manufacturer, model number, and the date of manufacture, in case of recalls. |
Car Seats: | • | All car seats must meet the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. If you want to check the standards, call Transport Canada at 1-800-333-0371 or visit: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/ for complete safety information or to find out about recalls. |
Children's Jewellery: | • | Do not buy or sell any jewellery made from lead, a soft, heavy, bluish-grey metal. Lead is highly toxic and can cause poisoning. | | • | Do not buy or sell jewellery covered with soft coatings - these can be chewed by children. The jewellery may contain led beneath the coating. |
Cribs: | • | Cribs manufactured prior to September 1986 do not meet current safety standards and are not allowed to be sold under the law. | | • | To meet current regulations, cribs must come with information that identifies the manufacturer, model number, date of manufacture, in case of recalls. They should also have complete assembly instructions. | | • | The mattress used in the crib must fit snugly (no gaps with more than 3 cm between the mattress and the crib). | | • | The spacing in-between the bars should be no more than 6 cm. | | • | Do not buy/sell cribs with signs of damage, missing parts, or missing warning information/instructions. |
Hockey Helmets And Face Protectors: | • | All Hockey Helmets And Face Protectors sold in Canada must meet safety standards set by the Canadian Standards Association International (CSA). | | • | Ensure that a CSA sticker is on the product along with the date of manufacture. | | • | Do not buy/sell a helmet if it has had a major impact, if it is older than five years, if it has been damaged or if parts are missing. All helmets should have a chin strap. |
Playpens: | • | Do not buy/sell playpens that are worn, that don't function properly, that have bolts sticking out, or torn vinyl or mesh. | | • | Playpen mesh must be small mosquito-type netting - no larger. | | • | Ensure that you have the original set of instructions. | | • | To meet regulations, playpens must be accompanied by information that identifies the manufacturer, model number, and the date of manufacture, in case of a recall. |
Strollers: | • | Any carriages or strollers manufactured prior 1985 may not meet current safety standards and must not be sold. | | • | All strollers must come with a lap belt, or safety harness that is solidly attached to the seat or frame. | | • | Make sure the brakes, as well as locking mechanisms on folding models, work and that wheels are securely attached. | | • | Strollers must be accompanied by information that identifies the manufacturer, model number, and the date of manufacture, in case of recalls. |
Toys: | • | Toys that are in poor condition or are broken, have sharp edges or points, or have loose parts are not safe and must not be bought/sold. |
Bicycle And Rollerblading Helmets: | • | These items are designed to protect the head against a single impact and should not be resold. |
Drawstrings On Children's Clothing: | • | Drawstings on snowsuits, jackets and sweatshirts can get caught on playground equipment, fences or other objects, and pose a strangulation hazard. | | • | Drawstrings on children's clothing should be removed prior to selling. |
Happy Shopping! Just remember, when in doubt … don't buy or sell! |
