CASLPA Calls On Prime Minister for Action on Noisy Toys, Association Comments on New Product Safety Legislation
Ottawa (April 8, 2008) - In light of the Prime Minister's announcement today news.gc.ca on new product safety legislation, the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA) is urging the government to include noise as an important element of toy safety.
CASLPA commends the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health on their proactive steps to ensure product safety and the safety of toys for children in Canada. It is positive that toy safety is being examined, however, the government needs to be more specific to ensure that noise levels in toys will be considered.
In his announcement, Prime Minister Harper noted that the Hazardous Products Act has not been revised in 40 years. The existing Hazardous Product Act currently bans toys emitting noise levels exceeding 100 decibels. Audiologists and speech language pathologists warn that this level is too high!
"As a point of comparison, the International Standards Organization uses a level of 85 decibels as a guideline - a level that is much safer for children's small ears" explains CASLPA Executive Director, Ondina Love.
The Prime Minister stressed that the new legislation will be taking a 'proactive' approach and will focus on ensuring that both domestic products and imports are safe for Canadians.
"A truly proactive approach would see the Hazardous Products Act revised so that the acceptable noise level in toys is lowered to a safe level to protect the hearing health of our children," says Love.
CASLPA has been involved in an ongoing public awareness campaign over the past two years, building awareness around the dangers of noisy toys. The Association has been actively lobbying the government during the past 6 months to have the Hazardous Products Act revised and is pleased to learn in today's announcement that this Act will be reexamined in the near future.
CASLPA, with more than 5,400 members, is the only national body that supports and represents the professional needs of speech-language pathologists, audiologists and supportive personnel inclusively within one organization. Through this support, CASLPA champions the needs of people with communications disorders. Visit CASLPA at www.caslpa.ca
