Snuggle Safely this Valentine’s Day

ZANESVILLE, OH- As we prepare for a day for a day of love, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Industrial Compliance wants to make sure you do so with caution.

A common gift for Valentine’s Day are stuffed animals and the DIC has been hard at work making sure they are a safe gift to give to your loved ones.

Rick Selegue, the Chief Bedding Inspector for the DIC, says the purpose behind testing the stuffed animals is to make sure what is on the shelves is a legitimate product.

“Inspectors look at the product law label, they’re looking for the registration number that’s assigned to the manufacturer,” Selegue said. “They check our database to make sure that the registration and the manufacturer are properly registered with us and from that point, if they are, the assumption is that their product has been tested and their law labels are correct. If they’re not, we go through a process of getting them properly registered with our office.”

Selegue says it’s important for consumers to pay attention to the law labels on items so you know you are buying a legal product.

He says the law labels give buyers a peace of mind, because they’re able to see all the materials used in a stuffed animal and then make the decision on if they would like to purchase it or not.

“It gives the buying public a little bit of assurance that what they see on the law label is accurately displayed and what is actually in the product,” Selegue said. “Consumers then have a choice whether or not, you know, if they see something that may not be safe for their children, they don’t have to buy it. It may contain a filling material they’re allergic to, their children are allergic to, and again they don’t have to buy that. It’s an awareness to them.”

DIC encourages Ohioans to look for labels that ensure compliance with safety regulations when shopping for stuffed toys this year.