February 2008
Toys"R"Us, Inc., the nation's leading toy and baby products retailer, announced further changes to the company's rigorous quality assurance standards. The company has moved decisively to make these proactive changes to its safety protocols and policies, even as it continues to advocate actively for strengthened product safety standards on a national level. Today, the company announced the following:
NOTIFICATION TO MANUFACTURERS OF INCREASED QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS AND OVERSIGHT:
o Significantly increasing the frequency of third-party testing, including each batch of product imported to the United States by Toys"R"Us, Inc.;
o Ensuring all product samples submitted for testing are selected by the company's third-party, certified laboratory;
o Date-coding all products;
o Applying a more stringent standard of 90 ppm for lead in surface coatings versus the current federal standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc.;
o Requiring substrate materials to meet a standard of 250 ppm for lead versus the company's current standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc.; and
o Using lead-screening equipment to conduct company auditing of all products at their point of origin and at various points in the supply chain.
REDUCTION OF PHTHALATES AND POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) USE:
ELIMINATION OF NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES FROM ALL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED EXCLUSIVELY FOR TOYS"R"US, INC.
Jerry Storch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Toys"R"Us, Inc. said, "We love kids and babies, and our commitment to their safety is non-negotiable. We continue to look for ways to raise the bar on product safety and reinforce our leadership position in this regard. We sell toys and baby products every day of the year. As such, we have made it very clear to manufacturers that we need not wait for the finalization of the much-needed tighter federal standards that are currently pending in welcome legislation before the U.S. Congress. Our customers trust and expect that we will always do the right thing when it comes to the safety of children, and we take this responsibility very seriously."
Toys"R"Us, Inc. said that today's enhancements build on the company's high standards and extensive commitment to product safety that is detailed on its dedicated website, www.Toysrus.com/Safety.
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