1998 BCAO list of toys hazardous to eyes

BCAO’s TOP Pick: “Most dangerous toy”

Toy laser pointers can burn the retina if stared at too long, causing permanent eye damage. These “toys” are dangerous: it not difficult to overcome the eyes’ natural avoidance of bright light. Laser toys and pointers can also seriously distract drivers via direct beams or reflections off rear-view mirrors, thus jeopardizing the lives of auto or bus passengers and others using the streets and highways.

1. Kidpower MEGABLAST Rocket Launch System: age 6+. Called the ”highest shooting air rocket EVER”. No warning to wear safety glasses, powerful enough-to crack an acoustic ceiling: tile. Enough power to destroy an eye. Launch button can position user directly over rocket.

2. Eagle Force High Flying Choppers and Planes, A-10 Warthog; age 6+. Flies 50 kph for 10 to 15 meters. Has a 15 cm unprotected propeller. Box warns, ”This toy should be played with under adult supervision. Hold away from your face. Do not launch at yourself, people or animals.” Blade could lacerate the cornea. [The Original San Francisco Toymaker, Inc.]

3. Special Edition Rosie 0’Donnell Fling Shot; and Koosh Sploosh Water Flingshot; age 4+. Advertised as ”soft toys” but have hard heavy central core. Rubber band hand launcher flings “ammo” over 15 meters. Could cause severe eye damage. [OddzOn Products Inc.]

4. Safe & Fun Blaster (age 8+); and Police.45 Soft Bullet Gun (no age rating). Shoot ”soft” bullets 10-15 meters. ”Soft” and ”safe” are misnomers: bullet’s speed can severely injure an eye at close range. Blaster, carries same warnings as a real gun, and label warns to use only under adult supervision. [JA-RU. Mfr. of Police Gun not given.]

5.Glitter Girl Deluxe Dress-Up (age 4+); Fake make-up kit has plastic fingertips with hard sharp nails. Could severely injure cornea if child rubs eye or accidentally scratches another child’s eyes. Kit also has hard plastic applicator that could scratch cornea [JA-RU].

6. Pump Action Water Missile (age4+); Hard plastic water rocket has enough power to break window glass. Could cause severe injury with a direct hit [Toys “R” Us, Inc.]

7. Ricochet Rocketball (age 4+); A ”superball” glued to a foam dart. Warning cautions ”Must stand more than 10 feet away when using dart”. Ball ricochets with same force as fired, and has poor control. Can cause black eye or even loss of eye. [Tamfort, LTD.]

8.Sky Ripper Dragonfly Raiders (age 8+); 19 cm coiled spring launcher fires 21 cm projectile with hard rubber tip and small sharp wings. Launched with enough force to cause severe internal eye damage with a direct hit. [Toy State Industrial].

9.Family Dart Board (age 8+); Plastic tip darts advertised as “safe”, but can do as much damage as metal darts: perforated cornea, cataracts, or total loss of the eye. [1998 Manley Toys (USA)]

10.Nerf Pulsator (age 6+); Gun shoots hard foam balls 10-15 meters. Label says ”Nerf Lab test confirm Pulsator on average shoots faster than any other Nerf Ball Blaster”. Balls’ hardness, speed and poor control mean direct hit could at least cause black eye. Foam-tipped projectiles have been known to cause permanent eye damage. [Kenner, 1998 Hasbro, Inc.]

11.Garden Tool Shed (age 5+); Hard plastic garden tool set with sharp points. Pruning shears could penetrate cornea. [1998 Manley Toys (USA)]

12.Official Military Play Equipment and Super Ninja Play Equipment (age 5+); Contains blades hard enough to cause total loss of vision if they hit an eye. Bow and Arrow Sets: arrows car. Suction cups; if removed or lost, become flying sticks capable of inflicting severe eye damage.

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