In all the commotion over toy safety problems related to vendor issues—such as design flaws and manufacturing defects—consumers frequently overlook their own role in the safety story.

The failure of parents, grandparents and/or caregivers to buy age-appropriate toys or to take basic safety precautions can not only cause accidents, but also wreak havoc on the industry through bad publicity or product recalls. Retailers are in a unique position to influence this part of the safety equation.

Of all the participants in the toy ecosystem, only retailers have regular direct contact with consumers. Taking advantage of that close connection through customer communications channels can go a long way toward helping promote child safety in general and, in particular, preventing improper use of toys.

Retailers can include safety tips on in-store signage, customer receipts, business websites and in marketing emails. These customer touchpoints exist anyway; it's a simple matter to add periodic safety messages as well as timely recall alerts in the areas that already draw consumers' attention.

The good news for retailers' bottom lines is that such efforts cost virtually nothing. Stores can simply piggyback on customer communications systems that are already in place to help protect children from everyday dangers and fill gaps in adult knowledge that can put youngsters at risk. By making parents, grandparents and caregivers aware that one should never tie a pacifier around a baby's neck, for example, retailers may be able to save kids' lives.

The value of education in preventing accidents cannot be underestimated. Imagine how many accidents have been averted by child-proofing electrical outlets, erecting fences around residential swimming pools, or keeping medication in child-resistant containers.

Reiterating messages like these as well as providing information to help promote safe toy use is an important public service as well as a means of generating customer goodwill. Even if the safety information disseminated in a given message is well known, it may be fresh to some consumers (including new parents) or forgotten by others (including grandparents). Even basics such as adhering to the age range listed on a product package or keeping plastic bags away from children bear repeating because they will reach a different audience every time.

Vehicles for getting the word out include:

1. In-store signage. Safety messages can be mounted at strategic locations around the store, such as in aisles with toy construction kits (small parts warnings), child bath equipment (bath safety) or swimming gear (pool safety). Tips can also be added adjacent to the regular recall information that must be displayed in every store under Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations.
2. Customer receipts. Many receipts carry messages on the bottom; this is an ideal location for safety tips. Depending on the business' computer system, the merchant may be able to tailor the tip to the item purchased, such as warning against giving toys with small parts to younger children or placing a child carrier on a soft surface where it can tip over.
3. Websites. General safety tips as well as recall notices can be posted on the store's own website. For a little extra cost, retailers can also use their websites to establish a safety alert system by offering site visitors the option to sign up to receive product safety and recall information via email.
4. Newspaper inserts, promotional mailings or marketing emails. Safety messages can be added to retailers' toy product or sale information, helping to balance the promotional copy with "news you can use" for parents, grandparents and caregivers.

With these kinds of strategies, retailers can help prevent recalls and injuries as well as send an implicit message that the company cares about safety. That's a plus for both the retailer and the toy industry .