Health Canada Product Safety Officer Farah-Michelle Manigat was on a mission this week, touring Sudbury, Manitoulin Island and nearby First Nations communities.
Manigat's mission is to inform parents, early childhood educators, daycare providers and anyone who may be purchasing items for children, about things like toys, car seats, cribs, strollers and more.
"These aren't lectures, but more so informational presentations," said Manigat. "Heath Canada is here to keep people up to date on risks associated with certain products and how to make sure your children are safe."
When purchasing toys, a major factor is to be sure that you are purchasing items that are age appropriate for your child.
"Items with buttons and batteries generally aren't safe for children under the age of three," said Manigat. "Also toys with small parts that could be a choking hazard."
With the advent of sites like Kijiji, and numerous second-hand stores, parents looking to save some money will often buy used baby items like carseats and strollers.
But Manigat says before purshcing a second-hand item, doing your homework is imperative.
"If you're buying a used item, ask about the history," said Manigat. "Ask if the carseat has been involved in an accident. It may look fine, but an accident can compromise the integrity of the product and make it unsafe."
She also says it's important to find the manufacturer's sticker on products like car seats and strollers and ensure that they item is still up to current regulations.
"Car seat regulations changed in 2012, so anything manufactured before that would not meet code," said Manigat. "Even when buying from a store, while there is some common sense involved, there's an assumption that every product on the market is compliant with regulations, so it pays to do your homework."
Even if you've purchased a product has made it to the shelves, there are recalls frequently on children's products, which is why Health Canada maintains the HealthyCanadians.gc.ca website to give parents a resource on products that have been recalled.
Recently, a pair of Joe Fresh children's boots were recalled due to a faulty string that could have been a choking or strangling hazard.
"There's a section on the site for people to report products that may be defective, and we can contact the manufacturer or retailer to work with them and see if that product needs to be recalled," said Manigat.
Items that have been recalled can all be found on the Healthy Canadians website, and Manigat encourages parents and anyone who looks after children to visit the site, especially at this time of year.
"We're coming up to the Christmas season and a lot of people will be out buying toys for young children," said Manigat. "Just make sure to check out the site and make sure the toys you're buying are age appropriate and safe."
