Solid Wood Products 2603 



COMMON TYPES OF TOYS 



The most common wooden toys are blocks and other geometric shapes, 

 hammer and peg sets, wooden push-and-pull devices, wooden vechicles such as 

 trucks and trains, miniature people made of wood, dolls' houses and furnish- 

 ings, farmyard and Noah's ark sets, toy boats, puzzles, and construction sets. 



Wood species. — Wood for toys should be of medium density. Very hard 

 woods are more likely to hurt a child than softer woods; very soft woods, 

 however, may be chewed and ingested by a small child. The wood selected 

 should resist splintering. Color tone should be uniform. Generally, light-colored 

 woods are preferred, although darker woods may be used for parts and for 

 decorative toys. Woods of more than one color should be used consistently; i.e. , 

 the four wheels of a wooden toy car should match, even if the body of the car is 

 another color. 



Finish. — All burrs must be removed from wooden toys. Designs that require 

 nails and screws should be avoided, unless the fasteners are rust proof and 

 attractive. If glue is used, all traces of it must be removed from surfaces. 

 Wooden toys should be finished with a non-toxic oil or wax to yield a natural 

 matte surface. Occasionally, parts of a wooden toy may be painted a bright color 

 attractive to children. 



SPECIFICATIONS AND SAFETY 



Toys are subject to stringent health and safety regulations, contained in the 

 Federal Hazardous Substance Act of 1964 and the Consumer Product Safety Act 

 of 1973. Under the latter act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission became 

 responsible for enforcing the regulations contained in the Federal Hazardous 

 Substances Act of 1964. 



Common sense suggests that wooden toys should display no cracks or insect 

 holes, and that bark should be used only for decorative purposes. Surfaces 

 should be smooth and free of burrs, and pointed ends of fasteners should not be 

 accessible. Toys, and detachable parts of toys should be large enough to prevent 

 ingestion. Cords of pull toys should not include slip knots. Toys designed to bear 

 the weight of a child should be designed so as not to break or tip over. Paints, 

 varnishes, and lacquers used must be non-toxic. 



22-7 PALLETS 



Strobel and Wallin (1969) observed in their study of the food industry that not 

 many years ago finished goods were handled in case units, moved with two- 

 wheel hand trucks and "stair-stepped" to ceiling heights of 10 to 14 feet. Orders 

 were selected onto four-wheel flat trucks or two- wheel hand carts, moved to the 

 shipping area, loaded case by case into the carrier's equipment, and secured for 



