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Is Buzz Lightyear a safe toy? We asked one of our regulators

27 July 2026

Buzz Lightyear, the galaxy’s favourite hero and the best partner a sheriff could ask for, facing foes armed with his glow in the dark suit and wrist laser blaster, he’s the toy every child dreams of.  We asked one of our senior regulatory officers, Dr Chris Brzozek, if Buzz was a real toy, would his features be safe.

Dr Brzozek, is radium used to make Buzz glow in the dark?

Painting materials with the highly radioactive metal, radium, was discontinued long before Buzz first landed in cinemas, so it's unlikely he would pose a radium risk. These days most toys glow in the dark using phosphors such as zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate which absorb natural light and then release it. 

Radium was used from the 1910s to 1960s to make objects, mostly watches and clocks, glow in the dark. As radium decays, it reacts with other particles in the paint to cause a glow. Radium loses its radioactivity over time, causing that glow to fade. While it may not still glow in the dark, the radioactivity may still be there. 

A quick test to see if there is radium in your watch or any other object is to wrap it in aluminum foil and place it inside a light-sealed box or drawer for a few days. Then, look at it in complete darkness to see if it glows. If it glows on its own without being exposed to any natural or UV light, it is radioactive. 

Is Buzz’s wrist laser blaster safe?

In the movies it’s established that Buzz’s wrist laser blaster or pointer is just a light, but there are some toys that do include lasers. In Australia, devices that include lasers must have a radiant power output of 1mW or less to be legally purchased. Laser pointers above a power output of 1mW are technically considered prohibited weapons and are illegal to possess without a permit. Lasers below this power level are safe because the body’s aversion response or ‘blink reflex’ protects the eye from any damage. If you’ve got a toy that has a laser only shine it at other toys. Do not point lasers, even those with 1mW or less, at your eyes, other people’s eyes, people who are operating vehicles or animals’ eyes. Not only could it be harmful and cause blindness, but it’s also just not very nice! 

What would be your message to parents looking to buy a toy like Buzz for their children?

This is a cliché statement, but it’s a truism for a reason, make sure to check the label. If the power output is not labelled on the toy or laser pointer, it should be returned to the police as it’s potentially harmful. You can also contact the ACCC as you may be able to get a refund if the product isn’t labeled correctly. Make sure children playing with toys that contain lasers are supervised. 

Further information:

Access to information FOI disclosure log Information public scheme

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