Some toy manufacturers may look back at 2007 with bittersweet memories ? a year in which toy sales rose despite the spate of high-profile toy recalls. Among the numerous toy safety issues last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (?CPSC?) investigated child injuries from magnet parts for toys and from yo-yo elastic tether balls. The CPSC recalled more than 8 million toys that contained unsecured magnets, to prevent harmful or deadly ingestion of magnets, and determined that yo-yo elastic tether balls posed a possible risk of strangulation. Subsequently last spring, the ASTM International Committee F15.22 on Consumer Products published new requirements and revised the Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety ASTM F963-07, superseding the previous ASTM F963-03. The voluntary standard contains new requirements on magnets for toys and for yo-yo elastic tether balls. These revisions were published in May 2007. The Toy Industry Association has recommended to manufacturers that all toys produced after January 1, 2008, comply with the new standard.

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