The toy industry spends an estimated $300 million a year on safety testing and inspection of toys, and about 3 billion toys are sold in America each year. So far this year, more than 20 million toys have been pulled off shelves as a result of more than 60 recalls. This is more than twice the number of alerts the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission issued last year.

Perhaps even more concerning is that, according to the CPSC, less than 20 percent of recalled toys make it back to the manufacturer for proper disposal or repair.

The hot topic this holiday season for many shoppers is a trust issue -- "which brands and which toys can I trust?" The health and safety of children cannot be left to chance. There is plenty of reliable information available about toy recalls, and the Better Business Bureau is urging everyone to take a few minutes to become a smart, safe toy shopper by following this advice:

- Find out which toys have been recalled. The CPSC keeps a list of recalled toys on its Web site, www.cpsc.gov. You can also subscribe to its e-mail list (www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx) or RSS feed to receive updates on recalls. The Toy Industry Association provides extensive information on toy safety, and you can scroll through photos of recalled toys in an easy-to-use index on its Web site, www.toyinfo.org/index.html.

- If you have purchased a recalled toy, the CPSC negotiates the specific resolution over a recalled toy with the toy manufacturer -- usually resulting in a refund or an exchange for a different toy. Check with the CPSC Web site for specific resolutions for the toy you've purchased.

If you bought the toy from a retailer, try returning it there first to potentially save yourself the time it will take to deal directly with the toy manufacturer. Major toy outlets often have a return policy for recalled toys.

Consumers should certainly be aware that the CPSC warns that at-home lead-level testing kits are inaccurate, so if you're worried about lead poisoning, first talk to your pediatrician about conducting a blood test. As a second step, if you think your child has been hurt by a potentially faulty or toxic toy, call the CPSC hot line at (800) 638-2772.

- Be careful when shopping online: Most large brick-and-mortar stores are often quick to pull products off the shelf, and, as a secondary precaution, flag the bar codes so if the item is scanned at checkout the cashier knows to not allow the purchase. While online auction sites or bulletin boards may have policies against selling recalled toys, according to researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children's Hospital, recalled toys and other unsafe products are often sold to unknowing parents. It's very important to check with the CPSC and the Toy Industry Association before buying a new or used toy or product for children online.

- Be sure the toy is age-appropriate: Toy safety isn't only about avoiding recalled products; be sure you're buying appropriate toys for the child's age. Follow the age recommendation listed on the item. Remember that siblings share toys. If you buy the 6-year-old a toy with small parts and he has a 3-year-old sibling, it could pose a safety hazard for the younger child.

Kelvin Collins is the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia & the CSRA Inc. which serves 41 counties between Augusta and Macon. Questions or complaints about a specific company or charity should be referred directly to the BBB at (800) 763-4222 or at info@csra.bbb.org.