PA Department of Labor & Industry Donates 500 Stuffed Toys to the 27th Annual Holiday Wish Gift Drive

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announced today that it donated more than 500 stuffed toys from its Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety to the commonwealth's 27th annual Holiday Wish gift drive.

Since the passage of the Stuffed Toy Law in 1961, L&I has regulated the manufacture of stuffed toys intended for sale or use in Pennsylvania. This includes inspecting all new stuffed toy samples for contents, choking hazards, and general safety. Toys that pass inspection are given a registration number, which can be found on every stuffed toy sold in the state. As a result of this process, the department annually accumulates toy samples.

"We like to say that with all these toys coming to Harrisburg for inspection, we have our own little Santa's workshop here," Secretary Manderino said. "The Holiday Wish program offers L&I a unique opportunity to provide children with the toys that pass inspection, giving the toys a good home and bringing joy and warmth to kids across Pennsylvania this holiday season."

The Holiday Wish program was started in 1989 by a small group of employees from the Department of Human Services (DHS), formerly known as the Department of Public Welfare. Over the years, it has grown to include hundreds of employees in multiple state agencies.

The Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety administers and enforces safety standards related to a variety of products including, but not limited to: boilers, building construction (Uniform Construction Code), elevators, flammable and combustible liquids, and bedding and upholstery, in addition to stuffed toys.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sara Goulet, 717-787-7530

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us