Toys 'R' Us plays it safe

WAYNE, N.J. Toys "R" Us today reported on its new safety standards and policies for manufacturers and announced that more detailed information on these efforts could be found on www.Toysrus.com/Safety.

In notification sent to manufacturers, Toys "R" Us said that it would require all products shipped to the company on or after March 1 to comply to new standards which include increased third-party testing, reducing the amount of lead in surface coatings to 90 ppm, lower than the federal standard of 600 ppm, for products made exclusively for Toys "R" Us, and using lead screening equipment to test the products throughout the supply chain. In addition, the company told manufacturers that by the end of 2008, juvenile products sold at any Toys "R" Us ofr Babies "R" Us store in the United States must be produced without the addition of phthalates.

Manufacturers are also now required to take steps to eliminate the use of nickel-cadmium batteries from all items made exclusively for the company. This process is expected to be complete by the end of 2008, the company reported.

Jerry Storch, chairman and ceo of Toys "R" Us said, "We love kids and babies, and our commitment to their safety is non- negotiable. We continue to look for ways to raise the bar on product safety and reinforce our leadership position in this regard. We sell toys and baby products every day of the year. As such, we have made it very clear to manufacturers that we need not wait for the finalization of the much-needed tighter federal standards that are currently pending in welcome legislation before the U.S. Congress. Our customers trust and expect that we will always do the right thing when it comes to the safety of children, and we take this responsibility very seriously."