Toy wholesaler fined for selling train with choking risk

(Source: Bigstock)

Wholesale distribution business 1st Mart has been fined $55,250 for selling a train set which is in breach of the Product Safety Standard for children’s toys.

A retail inspection program led by the Commerce Commission found that small parts of the toy came free causing a choking or suffocation hazard for small children.

About 144 units of the toy were imported into New Zealand in 2018 and supplied to around 30 retailers across the country between August 2018 and February this year.

Vanessa Horne, GM of fair trading, said cases like this continue to be a “priority” for the commission because they affect the safety of young children.

The toy in question was designed for use by children above the age of three years. However, due to its size, weight, bright colours and similarity to the ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ brand, it was marketed to children under three.

Image source: Commerce Commission

“It’s really important that toy suppliers to the New Zealand market understand and meet their legal obligations so that New Zealand children are not at risk of serious harm, as we saw in this case,” said Horne.

This is the second time the wholesaler has been fined for breaching Product Safety Standards. In 2019, the business was fined $45,000 for supplying an unsafe pig toy that resembled the ‘Peppa Pig’ brand of toys.

Since 2017, the commission has carried out unannounced toy safety investigation visits to retailers in Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga, Rotorua, Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu and Whanganui.

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