Toy safety


Toy safety is the practice of ensuring that toys, especially those made for children, are safe, usually through the application of set safety standards. In many countries, commercial toys must be able to pass safety tests in order to be sold. In the U.S., some toys must meet national standards, while other toys may not have to meet a defined safety standard. In countries where standards exist, they exist in order to prevent accidents, but there have still been some high-profile product recalls after such problems have occurred. The danger is often not due to faulty design; usage and chance both play a role in injury and death incidents as well.

Potential hazards

Common scenarios include:
  • Ingestion of magnetic toys
  • Choking or aspiration of small parts of the toy
  • Cuts by sharp parts of the toy
  • Motor toy vehicles incidents involving hair
  • Chemical substance
  • Strangulation from toys with string
  • Migration from dangerous chemicals

    Accident frequency

Accidents involving toys are quite common, with 40,000 happening each year in the United Kingdom, accounting for less than 1% of annual accidents. In 2005 in the U.S., 20 children under 15 years of age died in incidents associated with toys, and an estimated 202,300 children under 15 were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with toys, according to data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. In the European Union, no fatal accidents have been reported in the European Injury Database since 2002. In Europe, home and leisure data was examined concerning injuries caused by falls to a lower level among 0-4-year-olds from Austria, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden. It was found that children′s use of several product categories was closely related to age. Children′s furniture account for between 21% and 34% of the injuries from falls to a lower level in the first living year, but decreased with increasing age in all countries. The same pattern applied to strollers. In contrast, injuries due to falls involving playground equipment increased with age to reach between 13 and 34 percent of injuries from falls to a lower level among 4-year-olds. Bicycles also increase with age, reaching between 4 and 17 percent among 4-year-olds.

Safety standards

Distinction must be drawn between regulations and voluntary safety standards. From the table below, it can be seen that many regions model their safety standards on the EU's EN 71 standard, either directly, or through adoption of the ISO 8124 standard which itself is modelled on EN 71.
RegionStandard and Regulations
International
  • ISO 8124-1. Safety of toys. Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties.
  • ISO 8124-2. Safety of toys. Part 2: Flammability.
  • ISO 8124-3. Safety of toys. Part 3: Migration of certain elements.
  • ISO 8124-4. Safety of toys. Part 4: Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use.
  • ISO 8124-5. Safety of toys. Part 5: Determination of total concentration of certain elements in toys.
  • ISO 8124-6. Safety of toys. Part 6: Certain phthalate esters in toys and children's products.
  • ISO 8124-7. Safety of toys. Part 7: Requirements and test methods for finger paints.
  • ISO/TR 8124-8. Safety of toys. Part 8: Age determination guidelines.
European Union
  • EN 71-1. Safety of toys - Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties.
  • EN 71-2. Safety of toys - Part 2: Flammability.
  • EN 71-3. Safety of toys - Part 3: Migration of certain elements.
  • EN 71-4. Safety of toys - Part 4: Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities.
  • EN 71-5. Safety of toys - Part 5: Chemical toys other than experimental sets.
  • EN 71-8. Safety of toys - Part 8: Activity toys for domestic use.
  • EN 71-12. Safety of toys - Part 12: N-Nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances.
  • EN 62115. Safety of electric toys.
Argentina
  • NM 300-1. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 1: Propiedades generales, mecánicas y físicas.
  • NM 300-2. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 2: Inflamabilidad.
  • NM 300-3. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 3: Migración de ciertos elementos.
  • NM 300-4. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 4: Juegos de experimentos químicos y actividades relacionadas.
  • NM 300-5. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 5: Juguetes químicos distintos de los juegos de experimentos.
  • NM 300-6. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 6: Seguridad de los juguetes eléctricos.
Australia
  • AS/NZS ISO 8124.1-2002 Safety of toys Part 1: Mechanical and physical property requirements
  • AS/NZS ISO 8124 2-2003 Safety of toys Part 2: Flammability requirements
  • AS/NZS ISO 8124.3-2003 Safety of toys Part 3 Migration of certain elements requirements
  • AS 8124.4-2003 Safety of toys: Part 4: Experimental sets for chemistry requirements
  • AS 8124.5-2003 Safety of toys Part 5: Chemical requirements
  • AS 8124.7-2003 Safety of toys - finger paints - requirements and test methods
Brazil
  • NM 300-1. Segurança de brinquedos. Parte 1: Propriedades gerais, mecânicas e físicas.
  • NM 300-2. Segurança de brinquedos. Parte 2: Inflamabilidade.
  • NM 300-3. Segurança de brinquedos. Parte 3: Migração de certos elementos.
  • NM 300-4. Segurança de brinquedos. Parte 4: Jogos de experimentos químicos e atividades relacionadas.
  • NM 300-5. Segurança de brinquedos. Parte 5: Jogos químicos distintos de jogos de experimentos.
  • NM 300-6. Segurança de brinquedos. Parte 6: Segurança de brinquedos elétricos.
Canada
  • Technical Standards Safety Act and Upholstered and Stuffed Articles Regulation
  • Hazardous Products Act R.S. c. H-3
  • Hazardous Products Regulations C.R.C., c. 931
  • Hazardous Products Regulations: "Knob-Like" Pacifiers Policy
  • Regulations Respecting the Advertising, Sale and Importation of Hazardous Products under Hazardous Products Act
  • A Guide to Safety Requirements for Toys
  • Toys: Age Classification Guidelines
China
  • ISO 8124.1:2002 Safety of Toys - Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties
  • GB 9832-93 Safety and Quality of Sewn, Plush and Cloth Toys
  • GB 5296.5-96 Labeling and Instructions for Toys
Hong KongToys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance
IndiaSafety of Toys
  • IS 9873 : 2020 : Safety Aspects Related to Mechanical and Physical Properties
  • IS 9873 : 2017 : Flammability
  • IS 9873 : 2020 : Migration of certain elements.
  • IS 9873 : 2017 : Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use.
  • IS 9873 : 2017 : Requirements and Test Methods for Finger Paints
  • IS 9873 : 2017 : Certain phthalate esters in toys and children's products.
  • IS 15644: 2006 : Safety of Electric Toys
JamaicaJS 90:1983 Jamaican Standard Specification for Safety of toys and playthings
JapanJapan Toy Safety Standard, ST2012
  • Part 1—Mechanical and physical properties
  • Part 2—Flammability
  • Part 3—Chemical properties
Malaysia
  • MS EN 71 Part 1. Mechanical and Physical Properties
  • MS ISO 8124-2. Flammability
  • MS EN 71 Part 3. Migration of Certain Elements
  • MS EN 71 Part 4. Experimental Sets for Chemistry and Related Activities
  • MS EN 71 Part 5. Chemical Toys Other than Experimental Sets
MexicoNOM 015/10-SCFI/SSA-1994 Toy Safety and Commercial Information - Toy and School Material Safety. Limits on the Bioavailability of Metals used on Articles with Paints and Dyes. Chemical Specifications and Test Methods.
New Zealand
  • AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2002 Safety of Toys - Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties
  • AS/NZS ISO 8124.2:2003 Safety of Toys - Flammability
  • AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2003 Safety of toys - Migration of certain elements
Saudi Arabia
  • SSA 765-1994 Playground Equipment Part I: General Safety Requirements
  • SSA 1063-1994 Toys and General Safety Requirements
  • SSA 1064-1995 Method of Testing Part 1: Mechanical and Chemical Tests
  • SSA 1065-1995 Method of Testing Toys Part 2: Flammability
  • SSA 1322-1997 Low Power Radio Frequency Devices
SingaporeSafety of Toys:
  • SS 474 PT. 1: 2000 Part 1: Mechanical and Physical Properties
  • SS 474 PT. 2: 2000 Part 2: Flammability
  • SS 474 PT. 3: 2000 Part 3: Migration of Certain Elements
  • SS 474 PT. 4: 2000 Part 4: Experimental Sets for Chemistry and Related Activities
  • SS 474 PT. 5: 2000 Part 5: Chemical Toys Other Than Experimental Sets
  • SS 474 PT. 6: 2000 Part 6: Graphical Symbol for Age Warning labelling
South Africa
  • SABS ISO 8124-1:2000 Safety of Toys - Part 1: Safety Aspects Related to Mechanical and Physical Properties
  • SABS ISO 8124-2:1994 Flammability
  • SABS ISO 8124-3:1997 Migration of Certain Elements
Taiwan
  • Central National Standard CNS 4797, 4798 Toy Safety Standard
  • Central National Standard CNS 12940 for Strollers and Carriages
  • Toy Goods Labeling Criteria
Thailand
  • Thai Industrial Standard for Toys TIS 685-2540
  • Part 1: General Requirements Compulsory Stnd.
  • Part 2: Packages and Labeling
  • Part 3: Methods of Test & Analysis
United StatesMandatory Toy Safety Standard:
  • Code of Federal Regulations, Commercial Practices 16, Part 1000 to End
  • Title 15 — Commerce and Foreign Trade Chapter XI — Technology Administration, Department of Commerce Part 1150 — Marking of Toy, Look-alike and Imitation Firearms
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Engineering Test Manual for Rattles
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Engineering Test Manual for Pacifiers
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Labeling Requirements for Art Materials Presenting Chronic Hazards
  • U.S. Child Safety Protection Act, Small Parts Hazard Warning Rule and Rules for Reporting Choking Incidents
  • Age Determination Guidelines: Relating Children's Ages to Toy Characteristics and Play Behavior
  • ASTM F963-07 Standard Consumer Safety Specification on Toy Safety
  • ASTM F963-08 Standard Consumer Safety Specification on Toy Safety
  • Active revised version of ASTM F963-23 introduced in October 2023.
  • Voluntary Toy Safety Standard:
  • ASTM F963-07e1 Standard Consumer Safety Specification on Toy Safety
  • ASTM F734-84 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Chests
  • ASTM F1148-97a Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Home Playground Equipment
  • ASTM F1313-90 Standard Specification for Volatile N-Nitrosamine Levels in Rubber Nipples on Pacifiers
  • ANSI Z315.1-1996 American National Standard for Tricycles - Safety Requirements
  • ANSI/UL 696, Ninth Edition Standard for Safety Electric Toys
Uruguay
  • NM 300-1. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 1: Propiedades generales, mecánicas y físicas.
  • NM 300-2. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 2: Inflamabilidad.
  • NM 300-3. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 3: Migración de ciertos elementos.
  • NM 300-4. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 4: Juegos de experimentos químicos y actividades relacionadas.
  • NM 300-5. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 5: Juguetes químicos distintos de los juegos de experimentos.
  • NM 300-6. Seguridad de los Juguetes. Parte 6: Seguridad de los juguetes eléctricos.

In Europe toys must meet the criteria set by the EC Toy Safety Directive in order for them to carry the CE mark. All European Union member states have transposed this directive into law - for example, the UK's Toy Regulations 1995. Trading Standards Officers in the UK, similarly to appropriate authorities in the other EU member states, have the power to immediately demand the withdrawal of a toy product from sale on safety grounds via the RAPEX recall notification system. In Canada the government department Health Canada has the responsibility of ensuring product safety, just as the Consumer Product Safety Commission does in the United States. Australian and New Zealand toy safety standards have been adopted by the ISO as International Standard ISO 8124. Toy safety standards are continually updated and modified as the understanding of risks increases and new products are developed.