The injury or death of a child is the worst fear for many parents and unfortunately there are too many products out there that are marketed as safe for children when they actually pose risks to children. According to the website of Crowe & Mulvey, LLP, many injuries and deaths of children are cause by toys, and could have easily been prevented if the manufacturers were more diligent in their production.

Unfortunately one of the main reasons for harm by children’s toys is the presence of poisons in the toys. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that a toy must have no more than 40 parts per million of lead in order to be considered safe for children. Yet this level is constantly being violated. Captain America shields, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pencil cases, even Hannah Montana trading cards have contained upwards of 3,000 parts per million of lead. That’s 75 times the recommended levels. If this was ingested or inhaled, it could cause serious illness, permanent harm, or even death to the child. High lead levels are the most common, but toys have been found to contain asbestos (in a CSI fingerprint dust), and even date rape drugs (in Aqua Dots). These contamination levels are due solely to the negligence of the producer, and they can be held responsible for the harm done to your child and your family.

Toys can also pose physical harm to children as well. Choking hazards are extremely common, and are not always labeled as such. My Little Ponies, doll parts, long hair on stuffed animals and small fake food and kitchen items can all pose choking hazards to curious toddlers and children. It can be dangerous even if the item doesn’t get stuck in the child’s airway, but instead gets swallowed. Not all items will be able to pass through their system easily. Magnetix have been known to stick together in children’s intestines and cause twisting, blockage, and restrict blood flow to vital organs resulting in death. Even inflatable boats made to keep a baby safe in the pool have been proven dangerous-the straps can break easily and lead to near or actual drowning.

Injury or death caused by a defective or dangerous product is the fault of the manufacturer and the injured or family of the injured may be eligible for justice and financial compensation. Children must always be watched carefully to prevent dangerous situations, but when a product is labeled as safe when it is not, or lacks a label when it needs one, the fault lies in the producer.

Hiring new employees can be time consuming and expensive for both the employer and the possible candidates. Employers must take the time to sift through applications, individually interview possible candidates, narrow it down and possibly even interview again. Candidates must take the time to carefully apply, then are forced to wait through the interview and hiring process, all the time with the possibility of not being qualified for the job. This wastes time, and we all know time is money. According to the website of WorkSTEPS, practicing pre-employment testing can save both the employers and the candidates’ time and money.

The main purpose of pre-employment testing is to determine if the candidate is able to perform the job they are applying for. This can be through physical measures, such as having to lift up to a certain amount of weight, or for technical jobs can be tests of knowledge, such as having a certain math level for an accounting position. By having candidates take these tests, the employer can know in advance that a candidate is qualified without having to spend hours sifting through applications. This also reduces the cost to the applicant as well; they will know immediately after completing the test if they are qualified, and if not, are able to continue their job search with less wait time between.

After a candidate is chosen, post-offer testing can be performed as well. These tests establish a baseline of health for the candidate before they begin working. A physician examines the candidate to determine any health issues or pre-existing conditions that may or may not affect their ability to do their job properly. This is also helpful in having a reliably measure of health for comparison in the event of injury.

Pre-employment testing can be beneficial to both the employer and candidate when performed properly.