News and Important Information from
our Human Resources Department for your BENEFIT
‘Read the
Labels First’
This Holiday Season, Give the Children
in Your Life Safe, Age-Appropriate Presents
She’s going to be PSYCHED!!!
You don’t always nail her
Christmas present, but this year, your
4-year-old niece is really into really into
Fingerlings (Yeah, they kind of freak us
out too, but congratulations on recognizing
the latest trends!).
Before you drop the toy in the gift bag
and pat yourself on the back, take a
minute to consider: Is that toy age appropriate?
If it’s not, you may be placing
a potential hazard beneath the tree.
According to the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), there were
185,000 toy-related injuries
to young children that required
emergency room treatment in
2015. Emily Samuel says many
of these incidents could have
been avoided by simply reading
the labels and warnings on toy
packages.
Questions about your benefits or other HR issues? If so, check out these resources:
4 November/December 2017 The Conveyor | www.martinmarietta.com
check in with a child’s parents before
buying a present to make sure the child
has reached that level of development.”
Once a gift has been given, the onus
is on parents and caregivers to make
sure safe practices are in place. While
this can be challenging in any home,
it is particularly so in homes with children
of various ages.
“If a child has much older or much
younger siblings, you’ll want to make
sure toys are separated,” Samuel says.
“You’ll want to put certain toys away
differently so that the little ones can’t
get hold of them.”
Another step parents can take to help
ensure a toy’s safety is to register for recall
notification. While the CPSC says the
number of annual toy recalls has declined
in recent years, quickly learning of recalls
that do occur can make all the difference.
“Often, toys come with registration
cards. Fill those cards out and send them
in,” Samuel says. “If there is a recall on
a toy or game, companies will use those
cards to get you that information.” ▼
Safe Kids has an email alert system
that regularly sends out the latest recall
information. Consumers can also visit
www.recalls.gov.
For more information about Safe Kids
Worldwide, visit www.safekids.org.
“Toys and games are so much fun for
our children and popular gifts during the
holiday season,” she says. “As parents,
caregivers and friends, we want to
choose safe and appropriate games, so
we need to read the labels first.”
Samuel, a senior program manager
with the nonprofit advocacy organization
Safe Kids Worldwide, says reading toy
labels will not only tell you if a toy is
age appropriate, but also if it presents
choking hazards, has moving parts or
requires batteries. Such factors are
important when considering a child’s
gift, she says.
Still, toy labels only provide a general
safety standard. Samuel recommends
delving deeper to make sure the gift
you’re about to purchase is truly
appropriate.
“Kids grow and learn at different rates
and you’ll want to take that into consideration,”
she says. “It’s a great idea to
Benefits Connection
1-877-651-5353
http://benefitsconnection.martinmarietta.com
for questions about insurance coverage,
eligibility and other general, health &
welfare benefit-related questions. Links to
provider websites are available online.
Employee Assistance Program
1-800-628-6619
for confidential counseling
on matters such as emotional,
legal, financial and other
personal issues that may affect
you and your family.
A MARTIN MARIETTA VALUE
Safety knows no age. Older children
and adults may receive wheeled gifts
like hoverboards, bicycles or scooters
this holiday season. Such gifts
should always be used with helmets
and appropriate padding.
Corporate Human Resources Hotline
1-877-781-8757
for questions about compensation, corporate policies, employment
verification, safety issues and personnel issues not related to your benefits
program. Follow the prompts to direct pension-related questions to
Martin Marietta’s Retirement Services or questions about the Savings and
Investment Plan – 401(k) plan to Wells Fargo.
Emily
Samuel of
Safe Kids
Worldwide
/www.martinmarietta.com
/www.recalls.gov
/www.safekids.org
/benefitsconnection.martinmarietta.com