KEY POINTS:
Children's toys with excessive lead levels will be banned from tomorrow, the Government has announced.
Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard said today it was a precautionary measure.
"While we have not identified any specific problems with toys containing excessive lead levels, New Zealand does not currently have a regulated maximum lead content in toys," she said in a statement.
"Recent international recalls related to possible unsafe levels of lead in toys have brought to the attention of both government and consumers the need to clarify safe practice on this issue."
Ms Tizard said the ban was an interim step until a mandatory standard could be developed.
The recent recalls Ms Tizard referred to have involved toys made in China using paint with lead in it.
She said an Unsafe Goods Notice would be issued which would come into effect tomorrow and last for 18 months.
The permissible amount of lead in toys would be in line with international standards, and similar action was being taken by the Australian Government, Ms Tizard said.
"The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is working closely with Australian consumer agencies to develop regulations or mandatory requirements that will limit the maximum levels of lead and other toxic metals allowed in children's toys," she said.
The Unsafe Goods Notice will be enforced by the Customs Service at the border and the Commerce Commission in the marketplace.
Penalties for breaches of such notices are fines of up to $60,000 for an individual and up to $200,000 for a company.
The New Zealand Toy Distributors Association (NZTDA) said its members endorsed the strengthening of safety standards but did not see how the Government's decision would advance the issue.
NZDTA president Dean Underwood said an Australia/New Zealand safety standard was negotiated in 2003 which covered the maximum allowable limits for lead.
The limit was the same as the one proposed in the Unsafe Goods Notice.
"That standard is widely accepted, understood and followed by the toy industry, and has been operative since May 2003," he said.
Mr Underwood said highly publicised toy recalls had caused the industry worldwide to look hard at how to tighten up design, manufacture and quality control.
"It should not be lost sight of, however, that the products involved represent just a tiny fraction of the global toy market, which by and large has an excellent record on safety," he said.
"The public can be assured that all possible steps are being taken to ensure that toys are safe generally, rather than just focusing on one single issue."
- NZPA
