Policy Statement for Electric Shock Gag Novelty Products

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Our file 04-114076-629

August 3, 2004

Mechanical and Electrical Hazards Division
Consumer Product Safety Bureau

Policy Statement

This policy concerns electric shock gag novelty products, specifically gag novelties that are battery powered. Health Canada asks importers, manufacturers, and distributors of these products to apply warning labels in both English and French to indicate that the product is not a toy, should be kept out of the reach of young children, and emits an electrical shock. These labels are to be placed onto the outside packaging of all relevant products sold in Canada.

Background

These gag novelty products may be mistaken for other commonly used products such as pens (see Figures 1 and 2), lighters, computer mice, calculators, books, tape measures, beer cans, staplers, remote controls, slot machines, mini-cameras, cellular phones, toy pistols, and packages of chewing gum. The shocking hand-shaker and other novelty products that simulate an electric shock through vibrations are also covered under this policy. The intended use of these products is to fool persons into thinking that the gag novelty item is actually the product for which it is disguised. They are generally powered by one AAA battery, one AA battery or two AA batteries.

Figure 1

Figure 2

When used, each product emits an electric shock to the user instead of performing the action for which it is believed to carry out. This shock is potentially harmful to young children. Varying amounts of energy are released by the range of available products sold on the market due to the product's method of generating its shock power which involves a battery and a small coil. Health Canada's current information indicates that each product (if battery powered) does not contain enough energy to seriously harm adults nor would the amount of energy released harm the workings of a pacemaker.

Labelling

The outside packaging of every electric shock gag novelty product should have indelibly printed on it or otherwise permanently affixed to it, in both official languages, the following warning statements:

• "This product is not a toy.";
• "Please keep out of the reach of children."; and,
• "This product emits an electrical shock."

• « Ce produit n'est pas un jouet. »
  
• « Garder hors de la portée des enfants. »
  
• « Ce produit émet une décharge électrique. »
  

Recommendations

As the response to these products will differ between persons, it is the position of Health Canada that the importers, manufacturers, and distributors of such products should adopt the policy of ensuring that proper bilingual warning labels are placed on the product's outside packaging. These warning labels will serve as a conscious reminder that such products may be potentially harmful.

Megan Fairfull
Project Officer