Tag: Safety of Electric Toys

Toy Safety Standards – European Standards

The strong connection between European Union legislation and the corresponding “harmonized” standards has resulted in several important toy safety standards required for the sale of toys in Europe.  Released as EN standards, they can only be purchased as reprints available from each country in Europe as they are adopted.  Here’s the list of European Toy Safety Standards available in the official English language editions (BS-EN) from Document Center Inc.

EN-71-1 (BS-EN-71-1 – currently BS EN 71-1:2005+A9:2009),  Safety of toys. Mechanical and physical properties

BS EN 71-1 specifies requirements and methods of tests for mechanical and physical properties of toys.  It applies to toys for children, toys being any product or material designed or clearly intended for use in play by children of less than 14 years. It refers to new toys taking into account the period of foreseeable and normal use, and that the toys are used as intended or in a foreseeable way, bearing in mind the normal behavior of children.

BS EN 71-1 is aimed at reducing the risks which are not evident to users. It does not cover inherent dangers (e.g. instability of scooters, sharp needles in a sewing kit etc.) that are obvious to children or the persons in charge of them. Assuming that the toys are used in the manner for which they are intended, they should not present any further risk to children for whom they are intended.

BS EN 71-1 includes specific requirements for toys intended for children under 36 months and for children who are too young to sit up unaided. It also specifies requirements for packaging, marking and labeling.

EN-71-2 (BS-EN-71-2 – currently BS EN 71-2:2006+A1:2007), Safety of toys. Flammability

BS EN 71-2 covers the flammable materials which are prohibited in all toys and the requirements concerning flammability of certain toys when exposed to fire.

The tests described in this standard are used for determining the flammability of toys under the test conditions specified, the results cannot be considered as providing overall proof of the possible fire hazards of toys or their material when subjected to other types of flame.

The standard also lists the toys which are considered to present the greatest hazard to children.

EN-71-3 (BS-EN-71-3 – currently BS EN 71-3:1995, BS 5665-3:1995), Safety of toys. Specification for migration of certain elements

This part of this European Standard specifies requirements and test methods for the migration of the elements antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium from toy materials and from parts of toys except materials not accessible.

Requirements are included for the migration 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
  • paper and paper board
  • textiles, whether natural or synthetic
  • glass/ceramic/metallic materials
  • other materials whether mass colored or not (e.g. wood, fiber board, hard board, bone and leather)
  • materials intended to leave a trace (e.g. the graphite materials in pencils and liquid ink in pens)
  • pliable modeling materials, including modeling clays, and gels
  • paints, varnishes, lacquers, glazing powders and similar materials in solid or in liquid form appearing as such in the toy.

Toys and parts of toys which, due to their accessibility, function, mass, size or other characteristics, obviously exclude any hazard due to sucking, licking or swallowing, bearing in mind the normal and foreseeable behavior of children, are not covered by this standard.

Packaging materials are not included unless they are part of the toy or have intended play value.

EN-71-4 (BS-EN-71-4 – currently BS EN 71-4:2009), Safety of toys. Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities

This part of the European Standard EN 71 specifies requirements for the maximum amount of certain substances and preparations used in experimental sets for chemistry and related activities. These substances and preparations are chemicals classified as dangerous by the Directives on dangerous substances and dangerous preparations  (including substances which have been self-classified according to the requirements of these Directives), substances and preparations which in excessive amounts may harm the health of the children using them but which are not classified as dangerous by the above mentioned Directives and any other chemical substances and preparations delivered with the toy.

This standard applies to chemistry sets and supplementary sets. It also covers toys for experiments within the fields of mineralogy, biology, physics, microscopy and environmental science whenever they contain one or more chemical substances and/or preparations. It also specifies requirements for marking, contents list, instructions for use and for equipment intended for carrying out the experiments. Other chemical toys are specified in EN 71-5.

NOTE:  The terms substance and preparation as used in directives 67/548/EEC  and 1999/45/EC  are also used in the REACH Regulation Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. This latter regulation requires also that account be taken of the emerging international standards in the regulation of chemicals such as the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labeling of chemicals. The EU has now proposed a timetable for the introduction of GHS and it is expected that the above two mentioned directives will be repealed on 1 June 2015. In the GHS regulation the term ‘mixtures’ rather than ‘preparation’ is used. Preparations and mixtures should be considered synonymous; both are mixtures or solutions of substances that do not react with each other.

EN-71-5 (BS-EN-71-5 – currently BS EN 71-5:1993+A2:2009, BS 5665-5:1993), Safety of toys. Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets

This part of EN 71 specifies requirements and test methods for the substances and materials used in chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets.
It specifies:

  • the maximum amounts of substances and preparations classified as dangerous by the definitions in Directives 67/548/EEC  and 88/379/EEC ;  and
  • the maximum amounts of substances and preparations which in excessive amounts may harm the health of children using them and which are not covered by the above mentioned Directives;  and
  • the maximum amounts for other substances or preparations delivered with the toy.

Additionally, requirements are specified for markings, warning, safety rules, contents list, instructions for use and first aid information.

This Part of EN 71 applies to:

  • plaster of Paris (gypsum) molding sets;
  • ceramic and vitreous enameling materials supplied in miniature workshop sets;
  • oven hardening plasticized PVC modeling clay sets;
  • plastic molding sets;
  • embedding sets;
  • photographic developing sets;
  • adhesives, paints, lacquers, varnishes, thinners and cleaning agents (solvents) supplied or recommended in model sets.

EN-71-6 (BS-EN-71-6 – currently BS EN 71-6:1995, BS 5665-6:1995), Safety of toys. Graphical symbols for age warning labelling

This European Standard, a part of the EN 71 series, specifies requirements for the use and design of a graphical symbol for age warning labeling on toys not suitable for children under 3 years of age.

This standard does not apply to toys which on account of their function, dimensions, characteristics, properties or other cogent grounds are manifestly unsuitable for children under 3 years of age.

The purpose of the symbol is to inform adults that the toy might be hazardous to a child under 3 years of age.

EN-71-7 (BS-EN-71-7 – currently BS EN 71-7:2002), Safety of toys. Finger paints. Requirements and test methods

This part of EN 71 specifies requirements for the substances and materials used in finger paints and applies to finger paints only.

Additional requirements are specified for markings, labeling and containers.

EN-71-8 (BS-EN-71-8 – currently BS EN 71-8:2003+A4:2009), Safety of toys. Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use

This part of EN 71 specifies requirements and test methods for activity toys for domestic family use often attached to or incorporating a crossbeam, and similar toys intended for children under 14 years of age to play on or in and to bear the mass of one or more children. This part of EN 71 also specifies requirements for:

– separately sold accessories for, and components of activity toys;

– separately sold swing elements that are ready for use on or in combination with activity toy;

– construction packages for activity toys including components used to build activity toys according to a scheduled building instruction.

The scope excludes equipment intended for use in schools, kindergartens, public playgrounds, restaurants, shopping centers and similar public places dealt with in EN 1176 part 1 to 6.

EN-71-9 (BS-EN-71-9 – currently BS EN 71-9:2005+A1:2007), Safety of toys. Organic chemical compounds. Requirements

This Part 9 of the document EN 71 for safety of toys specifies requirements for the migration or content of certain hazardous organic chemical compounds from/in certain toys and toy materials (see Table 1) by the following exposure routes:
– mouthing
– ingestion
– skin contact
– eye contact
– inhalation
when used as intended or in a foreseeable way, bearing in mind the normal behavior of children and the function and design of the toy.
This document does not contain requirements for chemical toys, experimental sets or finger-paints, which are addressed by other parts of EN 71.
Packaging materials used with toys are not within the scope of the document unless they form part of the toy or have intended play value.

EN-71-10 (BS-EN-71-10 – currently BS EN 71-10:2005), Safety of toys. Organic chemical compounds. Sample preparation and extraction

BS EN 71-10 is a safety standard that helps to ensure that toys sold in the European Community are safe for children. The standard lays down the procedures to be followed when sampling and extracting toys and toy materials prior to chemical analysis. BS EN 71-10 is intended to be used in conjunction with BS EN 71-9, which stipulates requirements for organic chemicals in toys, and BS EN 71-11, which specifies the methods of analysis to be used for the determination of these organic chemicals. The standard is aimed at toy manufacturers, toy importers, enforcement authorities and test houses.

EN-71-11 (BS-EN-71-11 – currently BS EN 71-11:2005), Safety of toys. Organic chemical compounds. Methods of analysis

BS EN 71-11 is a safety standard that helps to ensure that toys sold in the European Community are safe for children to play with. The standard specifies the methods of analysis to be used for the identification and determination of organic chemicals in toys and toy material extracts. Methods have been elaborated and validated for various types of chemicals, e.g. flame retardants, colorants and preservatives. BS EN 71-11 is intended to be used in conjunction with BS EN 71-9, which stipulates requirements for organic chemicals in toys, and BS EN 71-10, which lays down the procedures to be followed when sampling and extracting toys prior to chemical analysis. The standard is aimed at toy manufacturers, toy importers, enforcement authorities and test houses.

EN-62115 (BS-EN-62115 – currently BS EN 62115:2005), Electric toys. Safety

BS EN 62115 is the European Standard which deals with the safety of toys that have at least one function dependent on electricity.

Examples of toys also within the scope of this standard are:

– Constructional sets
– Experimental sets
– Functional toys (models that have a function similar to an appliance or installation used by adults)
– Video toys (toys consisting of a screen and activating means, such as a joystick or keyboard. Separate screens having a rated voltage exceeding 24 V are not considered to be a part of the toy).

Additional requirements for experimental sets are given in Annex A.

Toys using electricity for secondary functions are within the scope of BS EN 62115.

A doll’s house having an interior lamp is an example of such a toy.

Additional requirements for toys incorporating lasers and light-emitting diodes are given in Annex E.

In order to comply with this standard, electric toys also have to comply with EN 71, since it covers hazards other than those arising by the use of electricity.

Transformers for toys and battery chargers are not considered to be a toy, even if supplied with it.

If it is intended that a child also plays with the packaging, the latter is considered to be part of the toy.

BS EN 62115 does not apply to:

  • Toy steam engines;
  • Scale models for adult collectors;
  • Folk dolls and decorative dolls and other similar articles for adult collectors;
  • Sports equipment;
  • Aquatic equipment intended to be used in deep water;
  • Equipment intended to be used collectively in playgrounds;
  • Amusement machines (IEC 60335-2-82);
  • Professional toys installed in public places (shopping centers, stations, etc.);
  • Products containing heating elements intended for use under the supervision of an adult in a teaching context;
  • Portable child-appealing luminaires (IEC 60598-2-10);
  • Christmas decorations.

All these toy standards and more are available from Document Center Inc. at www.document-center.com, or by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) and email (info@document-center.com).  And please feel free to comment or check in with us should you have any questions about these or any other standards.

International Toy Safety Standards

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.