Mattel Inc. has joined up with competitor Hasbro Inc. and government regulators to help make toys safer for consumers, federal regulators said Tuesday.

The Toy Industry Association, which represents toymakers industry-wide, opened a hotline today to enable consumers to get information on any recalled toys or find out about the safety of items on store shelves.

The holiday shopping season traditionally starts at the end of this week and toy makers have been under increased pressure from the government and consumer advocate groups to increase safety standards and improve dialogue when a potential hazard is found.

El Segundo-based Mattel has recalled more than 21 million Chinese-made toys so far this year and is involved in several lawsuits, including one filed yesterday by the state of California accusing the company of failing to warn customers about the risks posed by the toxic toys.

Shares in Mattel were up 1.5 percent Tuesday to $20.02 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.