Toy Safety Information - A guide
Toy safety regulations and standards.
In 1974, the EEC Commission agreed to progress a proposal to introduce a Community-wide directive to cover the safety of toys. This would have set out all the technical specifications to achieve this. However in 1985, the Commission decided on a 'new approach to technical harmonisation and standards' (set out in Council Directive 85/C 136/01) with the aim of setting out the 'essential safety requirements' and calling up 'harmonised standards', compliance which would ensure that these requirements were met.
Accordingly, a mandate was given to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) to publish standards to cover mechanical & physical hazards, flammability, and chemical and electrical properties. Subsequently, the first of these standards was published in 1988 but these have been (and are regularly) up-dated, and as at January 2002, the following are the current standards:
EN71-1:2002 - Mechanical & Physical
EN71-2:1994 - Flammability
EN71-3:1995 - Toxicity
EN71-4:1990 - Chemistry Sets (Amended 1998)
EN71-5:1993 - Chemical Toys
EN71-6:1994 - Graphical age warning symbol
EN50088:1996 - Electrical properties
These standards apply to all toys for children up to the age of 14 years but have special requirements for warnings for children of various ages within this category (Click here for Age labeling information), and in particular, warnings for toys that are deemed to be unsuitable for children under 36 months. EN71-6 (above) gives an alternative symbol for such warnings in the place of text.
The EEC toy safety directive was adopted by the British Government by publishing in July 1989 new Toys (Safety) Regulations (Statutory Instrument 1989 No. 1275) which came into force on 1st January 1990. This directive, through the implementing regulations of each member state in the Community, is meant to ensure the free circulation of toys throughout the EU and as an identification to enforcement officers, all such toys will carry a CE Mark, together with the name and address of the first supplier in the Community. An updated set of regulations was issued in 1995 (Statutory Instrument 1995 No. 204).
Toy safety has a very good track record. As far as accident statistics are concerned, it is worth noting that only about 1.5% of all accidents involve toys, and even in these rare instances the toy is rarely the cause of the accident.
The UK injury data also indicates that most of the injuries reported appeared to be incidental to the toy involved. For example, the victim (and it is not always a child) tripped over the toy, fell over the toy etc. The toy industry is frequently faced with sensational press stories which initially blame the toy for the accident when subsequent investigation reveals gross misuse of an otherwise safe toy. One instance of such misuse was when a little girl tried to get her teddy bear to smoke a cigarette using her mother's lighter and cigarettes and finished up setting the house on fire.
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