In addition to stressing the importance of holiday decorating and fire safety through its Operation Decoration campaign, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), in cooperation with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is working for a safer world by reminding children and adults that toys can pose certain safety risks.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 191,000 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries in 2000 alone, including 70,000 toy-related injuries to children under the age of five. To play it safe this holiday season, and all year long, the safety professionals at UL and the NFPA offer the following tips and precautions for toy safety:

• -- When shopping for toys, especially electrical toys, look for markings that indicate the product has been tested for safety by an independent, third-party product safety and certification organization, such as UL. If you spot a UL Mark on a toy, it means that samples of that toy have been tested, (dropped, pulled, tugged at, and generally torn apart) by UL engineering staff and found to comply with appropriate safety requirements.
  
• -- Pay close attention to the recommended age designation marked on the toy or its packaging. Always make sure the child's age matches or exceeds the manufacturer's recommended age specification.
  
• -- Before children play with a new toy, read the manufacturer's warning markings, and, if applicable, the use and care booklet. Make sure you and your children understand the proper way to play with the toy.
  
• -- Immediately discard plastic packaging and gift-wrapping -- these materials can pose a suffocation hazard.
  
• -- Initially and periodically inspect toys for cracks, breaks, ripped seams, etc. Parts from damaged toys can break off and become a choke hazard. Sharp edges can cause dangerous cuts or other abrasions.
  
• -- If a toy requires assembly, make sure a responsible adult assembles the product by completely following the manufacturer's instructions.
  
• -- Keep deflated and broken balloons away from small children. Infants and toddlers can easily get them caught in their throats and suffocate.
  
• -- Electric toys can become a shock hazard if they're misused. Remember, water and electricity never mix. Never allow your children to use electric toys near water.
  
• -- Be alert. Watch television newscasts and scan newspapers and consumer magazines for information on toy or other household product recalls.
  
• -- Whenever possible, complete and return product warranty and registration forms to the manufacturer. If a product is recalled, the manufacturer can use these forms to contact you directly.
  
• -- In the event of an emergency, make sure you have telephone numbers for the appropriate law enforcement agency, fire department and poison control center posted near every phone in your home.
  

For additional safety information, visit UL's Web site at
http://www.ul.com/consumers or the NFPA's Web site at http://www.nfpa.org.

UL is an independent, not-for-profit product testing and certification organization that has evaluated products, materials and systems for more than a century. UL's expertise in the toy testing area stems from its more than 50 years of testing electrically operated toys. UL's toy program includes tests for electrical hazards, physical hazards such as sharp edges, flammability tests of fabrics and plastics, and tests of coatings and paints for the presence of toxic elements.

The National Fire Protection Association has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by developing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training and education. Publisher of the National Electrical Code(R), the Life Safety Code(R), and 300 other codes and standards through a full, open-consensus process, NFPA is currently developing NFPA 5000, Building Code(TM), the first consensus-based building code. NFPA also produces educational curricula, including the Risk Watch(R) community-based injury prevention curriculum and the Learn Not to Burn(R) fire safety curriculum. NFPA headquarters is in Quincy, MA, USA.