Toy Train Sets Recalled Because of Lead Paint Hazard

Hampton Direct, an importer based in the New England state of Vermont, has issued a recall for approximately 27,000 magnetic toy train sets. Customers are requested to stop using the sets and are to receive a replacement.

According to a press release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the paint which was used in manufacturing these toy train sets has "excessive amounts" of lead in it. The recall affects Hampton Direct's "Magnetic Alphabet and Number" train sets, which were sold from December, 2005 through the month of July, 2007.

The recall asks people to "dispose of" the affected train sets, indicating that customers "of record" are to receive a free replacement. The trains were manufactured in China, which also made a number of other toys which have recently been recalled due to lead paint and other hazards. It states that the train sets can be identified by the number of pieces (twenty-eight in the alphabetical set, twelve in the numerical set) and measurement (the train cars measure 2.5" x 2.5" x 2" inches).

According to the importer's web site, it is estimated that customers will receive a replacement set by the middle of November. It also states that the trains were sold by Johnson Smith Company, Starcrest Products of California, and Paragon Gifts. Hampton Direct, Inc. was founded in 1995, and some of its other products include household items, tools, games, and cleaners of various types.

Exposure to lead can produce harmful effects, especially for young children. The Environmental Protection Agency's web site indicates that lead can bring about learning disabilities, problematic behavior, seizures, or even death. It warns that children under the age of seven are most likely to be affected, but points out that lead can cause reproductive problems, muscle/joint pain, high blood pressure, and other medical issues for adults. The EPA web site states that lead in gasoline has been phased out, and lead in many other products or environmental fields has been decreased in the United States.

The CPSC has issued a number of toy recalls in recent weeks involving lead paint, including products made by Fisher-Price, Mattel, and other brands. In July, some "Thomas & Friends" toy train set items were recalled for the same reason. Various unsafe products exported by China have sparked widespread media coverage of consumers attempting to seek alternatives made in other parts of the world.

More information about the recall is available at the importer's web site.

SOURCES:
1. Consumer Product Safety Commission, http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07570.html, http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07212.html
2. Hampton Direct, Inc., http://www.hampton-direct.com/recall.php
3. Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/lead/, http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfo.htm