Toy Safety Information - A guide
Ce Mark, Lion Mark and the Approved Lion Mark Retailer scheme
This symbol, the CE Mark, together with the name and address of the first supplier, was required by law to appear on all toys placed on the market in the European Union on and after January 1990.
There is a great deal of misunderstanding about what a CE Mark really means.
The CE Mark was established to ensure a free market of toys right across the Community and the mark has sometimes been described as the 'passport for product'. It is the first supplier's statement that his toys meet the essential safety requirements of the European Toy Safety Directive, and that such toys are therefore entitled to free movement throughout the Community. In order to show that his products meet that requirement, the first supplier in the Community has to maintain a Technical File which is a description of the means whereby the conformity of the production with the agreed harmonised standards is maintained.
'The CE marking is not a European safety marker or quality symbol intended for consumers and should not be presented as such. Its purpose is to indicate to enforcement authorities that the toys bearing it are intended for sale in the European Community and signifies a declaration by the manufacturer or his authorised representative in the Community that the toys satisfy the requirement applicable to them and are entitled to access Community markets.
The address (which must also be displayed with the CE Mark) enables the inspector to trace the supplier and request the technical file if he/she has a reason to believe a non compliance with the regulations.
The CE Mark is now appearing on many other products, for example on Electomagnetic Compatability (EMC), Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R and TTE) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as cycle helmets and knee and elbow protective pads used by skateboarders and others.
The Lion Mark was developed in 1988 by the British Toy & Hobby Association as a symbol of toy safety and quality for the consumer, exactly what the CE Mark is not.
While the Lion Mark is only used by BTHA members, its membership includes many major international and European companies. In all, the BTHA members supply around 95% of all toys sold in the UK.
So what is the point of a Lion Mark?
To display the Lion Mark, the supplier has signed a strict Code of Practice, (the TRA Code is based on this same document), which, as well as covering toy safety matters, demands the highest standards of ethics in advertising and in the thorny matter of counterfeiting.
The British Association of Toy Retailers (TRA) wanted to take an equally positive role in toy safety and advice given to the public - after all, toys in the wrong hands can be as dangerous as sharp edges or excess lead in paint.
Rather than invent a totally new symbol, in 1991, the TRA joined with the BTHA in adapting the Lion Mark for use by retailers.
By displaying this sign, TRA members are not saying all products in their shop have a Lion Mark, but that all products in the shop meet their standard of safety.
The symbol displayed in the shop, in catalogues and in retailer advertising, indicates that the retailer has agreed to the Code of Practice and as such, is prepared to make strenuous efforts not only to offer safe toys for sale, but to ensure management and staff are briefed on toy safety matters such as age warnings and similar.
To ensure standards are maintained on both sides, our safety consultants visit and advise members on any toy safety matters, and suppliers are asked by the TRA to affirm in writing that they sell only toys to their members which comply fully with current EU legislation.
Contents
Introduction - How to use this guide
The CE Mark, the Lion Mark and the Approved Lion Mark
Toy Safety Regulations and Standards
What is a toy?
Advising customers on toys for children under 3 years (Age labelling and age warnings, 'Under supervision', Choke Hazard Test
Electrical and battery powered toys, Chemical toys and age warnings for older children, Accoustics and toys
Appendices A & B : About the TRA & TRA Code of Practice
Appendices C & D : BTHA Code of Practice and About the BTHA
Appendix E : Other sources of information
Toy Safety Problem? Contact Details