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Toy Safety Information - A guide

Electrical and Battery Powered Toys Chemical Toys and Age Warnings for Older Children

• Electrical and Battery Operated Toys
1. Electrical and Battery Operated Toys covers the whole range of electrical toys from small button cells, operating lights and sound to large sit and ride on vehicles, powered by sealed lead acid cells.
2. Toys must not be powered by electricity exceeding 24 Volts, which is usually achieved by providing a transformer connected to the mains. This chiefly applies to railway and car racing sets. It is good practice to always advise the customers to follow the instructions and recommendations issued by the manufacturer.
3. Always advise the consumer only to use the recommended transformer and to seek advice if damaged or lost.
4. For toys operated by batteries, the problems occur when the wrong batteries are used, when old and new batteries are mixed or when batteries are wrongly inserted. Again it is good practice to draw the customer's attention to the importance of following the battery guidance supplied with each electrical toy.
5. Many customers want to use rechargeable batteries. The advice given depends on how many batteries are required to power the product. The advice to give to the consumer is that each rechargeable battery is only 1.2 Volt, whereas primary or alkaline batteries are 1.5 Volt (this multiplied over 4 'AA' batteries for example, gives a voltage drop of 1.2 Volts, when rechargeable batteries are used), and would give restricted use, resulting in the consumer believing that there is a fault with the toy.
• Chemical Toys
1. Chemistry Sets. These have to carry clear warnings that such sets are only for use by children over ten years of age and under adult supervision. In the case of sets containing potassium permanganate, the age is twelve. These age warnings should be pointed out to customers with a reminder that all the instructions and advice should be closely followed.
2. Other toys containing chemicals. The standard for these toys carry similar warnings and age limitations as above, and again, this information should be given to the customer at the time of purchase.

Acoustics & Toys BS EN71-1: 2001

The most obvious addition that appears in the latest standard is the clause dealing with noise in toys which has, however, no requirements for what are termed 'mouth actuated' and 'child actuated' toys. These terms would include such items as xylophones, bells, drums, whistles, toy trumpets and flutes. They obviously depend on the muscular or blowing action of children, and the standard writers quickly realised that it was virtually impossible to cover the wide disparity in strength between, say a 3 year-old and an 8 year-old.

Also excluded from the requirements are 'tape players, CD players and other similar electronic toys unless such toys are provided with a headphone or earphones.'

All other toys that produce noise will have limits on what are described as 'peak emission sound pressure levels' - in short, the loudest noise that a toy can make. In the case of rattles and squeeze toys, the standard has been prepared on the assumption that older siblings or adults might be tempted to amuse the baby by squeezing a toy with a squeeker right by the baby's ear. Similarly with a rattle. When testing a squeeker toy, the laboratory technician is required 'to squeeze with both thumbs to achieve the highest possible sound level'.

The limit for any toy is 125dB(C) and at that level a warning will have to be put on that toy. No warning is needed if the level is equal to or less than 110dB(C) - the maximum level at which rattles and squeeze toys are permitted to produce noise. Cap firing toys using percussion caps have the same noise limitations and the need for warning requirements as all other toys. It should be remembered that percussion caps (along with throwdowns) are Class 1 Fireworks and cannot be sold to persons under 16 years of age.

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