If we consider International Standards to be the “Big 3”, ISO, IEC, and ITU, we find that both ISO and IEC have standards relating to toys. So to follow up on Monday’s blog on U.S. Toy Standards, today we’ll review the International Standards on the topic that we sell at Document Center Inc.
First, I’d like to bring the following joint Guide to your attention:
ISO/IEC-Guide 50, Safety aspects — Guidelines for child safety:
This Guide provides a framework for addressing potential sources of unintentional physical harm (hazards) to children from products, processes or services that they use or with which they may come into contact, even if they are not specifically intended for children. The framework aims at minimizing risk of injury to children.
It is primarily intended for those involved in the preparation and revision of standards. However, it has important information that can be useful to, amongst others, designers, architects, manufacturers, service providers, communicators and policy makers.
For children with special needs, additional requirements may be appropriate. This Guide does not claim to address those additional requirements in full. ISO/IEC Guide 71 addresses the needs of persons with disabilities.
A product may include goods, structures, buildings, installations or a combination of these.
No specific guidance is given in this Guide for the prevention or reduction of psychological or moral harm or of intentional injuries.
Now, the IEC standards on Toys:
IEC-62115, Electric toys – Safety. By the way, there is a new Amendment 2 for this standard which should be available soon.
Deals with the safety of toys that have at least one function dependent on electricity. Examples of toys within the scope of this standard are constructional sets; experimental sets; functional toys (having a function similar to an appliance or installation used by adults) and video toys (toys having a screen and means of activation, such as a joystick or keyboard. Separate screens having a rated voltage of more than 24 v are not considered to be part of the toy). Toys using electricity for secondary functions are also within the scope of this standard (a dolls house having an interior lamp is an example of such a toy).
IEC-61558-2-7, Safety of power transformers, power supplies, reactors and similar products – Part 2-7: Particular requirements and tests for transformers and power supplies for toys:
This part of IEC 61558 deals with safety aspects of transformers for toys and power supplies incorporating transformers for toys such as electrical, thermal and mechanical safety. This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 1997. It constitutes a technical revision. The main changes consist of updating this Part 2-7, in accordance with Part 1, edition 2, and adding power supplies to the scope. This Part 2-7 has the status of a group safety publication in accordance with IEC Guide 104.
And the ISO standards:
ISO-8124-1, Safety of toys — Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties:
The requirements in ISO 8124-1:2009 apply to all toys, i.e. any product or material designed or clearly intended for use in play by children under 14 years of age. They are applicable to a toy as it is initially received by the consumer and, in addition, they apply after a toy is subjected to reasonably foreseeable conditions of normal use and abuse unless specifically noted otherwise.
The requirements of ISO 8124-1:2009 specify acceptable criteria for structural characteristics of toys, such as shape, size, contour, spacing, as well as acceptable criteria for properties peculiar to certain categories of toy.
ISO 8124-1:2009 specifies requirements and test methods for toys intended for use by children in various age groups from birth to 14 years. It also requires that appropriate warnings and/or instructions for use be given on certain toys or their packaging. Due to linguistic problems that may occur in different countries, the wording of these warnings and instructions is not specified but given as general information in Annex B. It should be noted that different legal requirements exist in many countries with regard to such marking.
ISO 8124-1:2009 does not purport to cover or include every conceivable potential hazard of a particular toy or toy category. Except for labelling requirements indicating the functional hazards and the age range for which the toy is intended, it has no requirements for those characteristics of toys that represent an inherent and recognized hazard that is integral to the function of the toy
ISO-8124-2, Safety of toys — Part 2: Flammability:
ISO 8124-2:2007 specifies the categories of flammable materials that are prohibited in all toys, and requirements concerning flammability of certain toys when they are subjected to a minor source of ignition.
The test methods described are used for the purposes of determining the flammability of toys under the particular test conditions specified. The test results thus obtained cannot be considered as providing an overall indication of the potential fire hazard of toys or materials when subjected to other sources of ignition.
ISO 8124-2:2007 includes general requirements relating to all toys and specific requirements and methods of test relating to the following toys, which are considered as being those presenting the greatest hazard:
- toys to be worn on the head: beards, moustaches, wigs, etc., made from hair, pile or material with similar features; molded and fabric masks; hoods, head-dresses, etc.; flowing elements of toys to be worn on the head, but excluding paper novelty hats of the type usually supplied in party crackers;
- toy disguise costumes and toys intended to be worn by a child in a play;
- toys intended to be entered by a child;
- soft-filled toys (animals and dolls, etc.) with a piled surface or textile surface.
ISO-8124-3, Safety of toys — Part 3: Migration of certain elements:
ISO 8124-3:2010 specifies maximum acceptable levels and methods of sampling and extraction prior to analysis for the migration of the elements antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium from toy materials and from parts of toys.
Maximum acceptable levels are specified for the migration of the elements listed above from the following toy materials:
- coatings of paints, varnishes, lacquers, printing inks, polymers and similar coatings;
- polymeric and similar materials, including laminates, whether textile-reinforced or not, but excluding other textiles and non-woven textiles;
- paper and paperboard, up to a maximum mass per unit area of 400 g/m2;
- natural, artificial or synthetic textiles;
- glass/ceramic/metallic materials, excepting lead solder when used for electrical connections;
- other materials, whether mass-coloured or not (e.g. wood, fibreboard, hardboard, bone and leather);
- materials intended to leave a trace (e.g. the graphite materials in pencils and liquid ink in pens);
- pliable modelling materials, including modelling clays and gels;
- paints to be used as such in the toy, including finger paints, varnishes, lacquers, glazing powders and similar materials in solid or liquid form.
The requirements in ISO 8124-3:2010 apply to the following toys and toy components of toys and toy materials:
- all intended food and oral contact toys, cosmetic toys and writing instruments categorized as toys, irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling;
- all toys intended for or suitable for children up to 72 months of age;
- accessible coatings, irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling;
- accessible liquids, pastes, gels (e.g. liquid paints, modelling compounds) irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling.
ISO-8124-4, Safety of toys — Part 4: Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use:
ISO 8124‑4:2010 specifies requirements and test methods for activity toys for domestic family use intended for children under fourteen years to play on or in.
Products covered by ISO 8124‑4:2010 include swings, slides, seesaws, carousels, rocking toys, climbing frames, fully enclosed toddler swing seats and other products intended to bear the mass of one or more children.
ISO-8098, Cycles — Safety requirements for bicycles for young children:
This International Standard specifies safety and performance requirements and test methods for the design, assembly and testing of bicycles for young children of from about four to eight years of age and these bicycles’ sub-assemblies. It also provides guidelines for instructions on the use and care of the bicycles.
This International Standard is applicable to bicycles with a maximum saddle height of more than 435 mm and less than 635 mm propelled by a transmitted drive to the rear wheel.
It is not applicable to special bicycles intended for stunting (e.g. BMX bicycles).
These standards, and all standards from the organizations mentioned, are available from Document Center Inc. at www.document-center.com, or by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com). Again, your comments and questions are welcome.
