50 shops in Abu Dhabi fined over unsafe toys

Abu Dhabi has fined more than 50 retailers in a new crackdown on the sale of unsafe toys. The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) has withdrawn more than 1,600 products from the market and pledged to inspect every outlet in the emirate before the campaign is finished. ADQCC has inspected 4,616 products, of which 35 per cent have complied with the council's regulations, but 53 warning notices have been given to retailers. "As many as 1,617 products have been withdrawn from the market and warnings were issued to retailers; requiring them to take corrective measures and obtain the technical file of the product within 7 days," said Abdullah Hassan Al Muaini, Director of Consumer Safety at the ADQCC. The UAE market is the world's 7th biggest importer and re-exporter of toys and has more than 18,000 importers, ADQCC said in a statement. "Because the UAE is exposed to a large variety of manufacturers from around the world, the ADQCC is working to ensure safety of the products in Abu Dhabi market," Al Muaini said. "We are concerned with safety issues of all toy categories and our initial focus is to protect the most vulnerable age group in our multicultural society," Al Muaini said. He said children under three years of age are exposed to many, varied types of toys coming from different markets of the world. Al Muaini advised consumers, particularly parents, to be cautious to check information about the toys. Parents should pick suitable toys for their children and avoid those with small pieces that would pose choking hazards for children below 3 years of age. "It is recommended that consumers look for the GCC Conformity Marking on these products, read the instructions and warnings and make sure that the battery is in a place that is not accessible by children," he said. He reiterated that the regulations for toys include the necessity for the product to clearly display in Arabic and English the manufacture's name or trademark as well as the country of origin, targeted age category and the product's barcode. "The packaging should also contain clear information on whether the game or toy needs to be used under the supervision or control of adults," he said.