Toys
Toy safety and production standards are published by ASTM, ISO, CSA and AS. The ISO 8124 series covers production specfications for a variety of different types of toy sets, security features, and chemical and physical properties or paints and components. Standards from other SDOs cover topics such as electrically operated toys and their conformity to electrical codes, as well as safety of outdoor toys such as swings and slides that children typically play with.
CSA C22.2 No. 149-1972 (R2017)
Electrically Operated Toys
Scope
1.1 This Standard applies to household electric toys operating at nominal potentials of 120 volts or less, including extra low potential, and intended for use in ordinary (ie, non-hazardous) locations as defined in the Canadian Electrical Code Part I.1.2 This Standard does not apply to battery operated toys: (a) having a battery of a non-rechargeable (primary) type; and (b) having a battery of a rechargeable (secondary) type which must be removed from the toy for recharging.
1.3 This Standard does not apply to wood burning tools or similar burning devices.
ASTM F963-17
Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety
1.1 This specification2 relates to possible hazards that may not be recognized readily by the public and that may be encountered in the normal use for which a toy is intended or after reasonably foreseeable abuse. It does not purport to cover every conceivable hazard of a particular toy. This specification does not cover product performance or quality, except as related to safety. Except for the labeling requirements pointing out the functional hazards and age range for which the toy is intended, this specification has no requirements for those aspects of a toy that present an inherent and recognized hazard as part of the function of the toy. Such an example is a sharp point necessary for the function of a needle. The needle is an inherent hazard that is well understood by the purchaser of a toy sewing kit, and this hazard is communicated to the user as part of the normal educational process.
1.2 On the other hand, while a riding toy has inherent hazards associated with its use (for example, falling off onto the sidewalk), the possible hazards associated with its construction (sharp edges, exposed mechanisms, etc.) will be minimized by the application of this specification.
1.3 This specification covers requirements and contains test methods for toys intended for use by children under 14 years of age. Different age limits for various requirements will be found in this specification. These limits reflect the nature of the hazards and expected mental or physical ability, or both, of a child to cope with the hazards.
1.4 Articles not covered by this specification are as follows:
Bicycles
Tricycles
Non-Powered Scooters
(see Consumer Safety Specification F2264)
Recreational Powered Scooters and Pocket Bikes
(see Consumer Safety Specification F2641)
Sling shots and sharp-pointed darts
Playground equipment
Non-powder guns
Kites
Hobby and craft items in which the finished item is not
primarily of play value
Model kits in which the finished item is not primarily of
play value
Crayons, paints, chalks, and other similar art materials in
which the material itself or the finished item is not
primarily of play value, except that all art materials,
whether or not a component of a toy, shall comply with
LHAMA, in accordance with 4.29.1 – 4.29.3.
Sporting goods, camping goods, athletic equipment,
musical instruments, juvenile products, and furniture;
however, toys that are their counterparts are covered.
(It is recognized that there is often a fine line between,
for example, a musical instrument or a sporting item
and its toy counterpart. The intention of the producer
or distributor, as well as normal use and reasonably
foreseeable abuse, determines whether the item is a
toy counterpart.)
Powered models of aircraft, rockets, boats, and land
vehicles; however, toys that are their counterparts are
covered.
Constant air inflatables
1.5 General guidelines for age labeling toys and toy packaging are contained in Annex A1.
1.6 Information regarding packaging and shipping is contained in Annex A2.
ISO 8124-1:2022
Safety of toys - Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties
The requirements in this document apply to all toys, i.e. any product 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 this document specify acceptable criteria for structural characteristics of toys, such as shape, size, contour, spacing (e.g. rattles, small parts, sharp points and edges, and hinge-line clearances) as well as acceptable criteria for properties peculiar to certain categories of toy (e.g. maximum kinetic energy values for non-resilient-tipped projectiles and minimum tip angles for certain ride-on toys).
This document specifies requirements and test methods for toys intended for use by children in various age groups from birth to 14 years. The requirements vary according to the age group for which a particular toy is intended. The requirements for a particular age group reflect the nature of the hazards and the expected mental and/or physical abilities of a child to cope with them.
This document also requires that appropriate warnings and/or instructions for use be given on certain toys or their packaging. Due to linguistic problems which 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.
This document 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, this document has no requirements for those characteristics of toys which represent an inherent and recognized hazard which is integral to the function of the toy.
EXAMPLE 1 An example of such a hazard is the sharp point necessary for the proper function of a needle. The needle is a hazard which is well understood by the purchaser of a toy sewing kit, and the functional sharp-point hazard is communicated to the user as part of the normal educational process of learning to sew as well as at the point of purchase by means of cautionary labelling on the product's packaging.
EXAMPLE 2 As a further example, a two-wheeled toy scooter has inherent and recognized hazards associated with its use (e.g. instability during use, especially while learning). The potential hazards associated with its structural characteristics (e.g. sharp edges, pinch hazards) will be minimized by conformity to the requirements of this document.
Products not included within the scope of this document are:
a) bicycles, except for those considered to be toys, i.e. those having a maximum saddle height of 435 mm (see 1);
b) slingshots;
NOTE 1 “Slingshots” are also known as “catapults” and are usually held in the hand; examples are given in Figure 1. Toy versions of medieval catapults and trebuchets are not exempt from this document; an example is given in Figure 2.
c) darts with metal points;
d) public playground equipment;
e) compressed air- and gas-operated guns and pistols (see 1);
f) kites (except for the electric resistance of their strings, which is included);
g) model kits, hobby and craft items, in which the finished item is not primarily of play value;
h) sporting goods and equipment, camping goods, athletic equipment, musical instruments and furniture; however, toys which are their counterparts are included;
NOTE 2 It is recognized that there is often a fine distinction between, for example, a musical instrument or a sporting item and its toy counterpart. The intention of the manufacturer or distributor, as well as normal use and reasonably foreseeable abuse, determines whether the item is a toy counterpart or not.
i) models of aircraft, rockets, boats and land vehicles powered by combustion engines; however, toys which are their counterparts are included (see 1);
j) collectible products not intended for children under 14 years of age;
k) holiday decorations that are primarily intended for ornamental purposes;
l) aquatic equipment intended to be used in deep water;
m) swimming-learning devices and flotation aids for children, such as swim-seats and swim-aids;
n) toys installed in public places (e.g. arcades and shopping centres);
o) puzzles for specialists, for example those with more than 500 pieces and those without a picture;
p) fireworks, including percussion caps, except percussion caps specifically designed for toys;
q) products containing heating elements intended for use under the supervision of an adult in a teaching context;
r) steam engines;
s) video toys that can be connected to a video screen and operated at a nominal voltage greater than 24 V;
t) babies' pacifiers (dummies);
u) faithful reproductions of firearms;
v) electric ovens, irons or other functional products operated at a nominal voltage greater than 24 V;
w) bows for archery with an overall relaxed length exceeding 120 cm;
x) fashion jewellery for children (see 1).
ISO 8124-3:2020
Safety of toys - Part 3: Migration of certain elements
1.1 This document specifies maximum acceptable levels and methods of sampling, extraction and determination for the migration of the elements antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium from toy materials and from parts of toys.
1.2 Maximum acceptable levels are specified for the migration of the elements listed in 1.1 from the following toy materials:
— coatings of paints, varnishes, lacquers, printing inks, polymers and similar coatings (see 9.1);
— polymeric and similar material, including laminates, whether textile-reinforced or not, but excluding other textiles and non-woven textiles (see 9.2);
— paper and paperboard (see 9.3);
— natural, artificial or synthetic textiles (see 9.4);
— glass/ceramic/metallic materials, excepting lead solder when used for electrical connections (see 9.5);
— other materials, whether mass-coloured or not (e.g. wood, fibreboard, hardboard, bone and leather) (see 9.6);
— materials intended to leave a trace (e.g. the graphite materials in pencils and liquid ink in pens) (see 9.7);
— pliable modelling materials, including modelling clays and gels (see 9.8);
— paints to be used as such in the toy, including finger paints, varnishes, lacquers, glazing powders and similar material in solid or liquid form (see 9.9).
1.3 The requirements in this document apply to the following toys and toy components of toys and toy materials (see D.2.1):
— 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 under 72 months of age;
— accessible coatings, irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling;
— accessible liquids, pastes and gels (e.g. liquid paints, modelling compounds), irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling.
1.4 Packaging materials are not included, unless they are intended to be kept, for example boxes and containers, or unless they form part of the toy or have intended play value (see D.2.2).
NOTE No requirements are given for toys and parts of toys which, due to their accessibility, function, mass, size or other characteristics, are obviously unlikely to be sucked, licked or swallowed, bearing in mind the normal and foreseeable behaviour of children (e.g. the coating on the crossbeam of a swing set, the tyres of a toy bicycle).
ISO 8124-4:2014
Safety of toys - Part 4: Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use
ISO 8124-4:2014 specifies requirements and test methods for activity toys for domestic family use intended for children under 14 years to play on or in.
Products covered by ISO 8124-4:2014 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.
Inflatable activity toys are included in the scope of ISO 8124-4:2014.
ISO 8124-5:2015
Safety of toys - Part 5: Determination of total concentration of certain elements in toys
ISO 8124-5:2015 specifies methods of sampling and digestion prior to analysis of the total concentration of the elements antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium from toy materials and from parts of toys.
Digestion methods for the elements mentioned above are specified for the following types of 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, paperboard, and cardboard;
- natural or synthetic textiles;
- metallic materials whether coated or not;
- 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, and similar materials in solid or liquid form;
- packaging materials that form part of the toy or have intended play value.
ISO 8124-6:2018
Safety of toys - Part 6: Certain phthalate esters in toys and childrens products
This document specifies a method for the determination of di-iso-butyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), di-iso-nonylphthalate (DINP) and di-iso-decyl phthalate (DIDP) (as specified in Annex A) in toys and children's products.
This document is applicable to toys and children's products which are made of plastics, textiles, coatings and liquids. This document has been validated for polyvinylchloride (PVC) plastics, polyurethane (PU) plastics and some representative paint coatings (see Annex B). It might also be applicable to other phthalate esters and other product materials provided that adequate validation is demonstrated.
ISO 8124-7:2015
Safety of toys - Part 7: Requirements and test methods for finger paints
ISO 8124-7:2015 specifies requirements for the substances and materials used in finger paints. It is applicable to finger paints only.
It is not applicable to paints intended to be applied to the face or body e.g. face paints.
Additional requirements are specified for markings, labelling and containers.
AS/NZS 8124.6:2016
Safety of toys - Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use (ISO 8124-4:2014, MOD) (FOREIGN STANDARD)
Adopts ISO 8124-4, which provides requirements to minimize the risk from certain specific hazards associated with the referenced products when used in a domestic environment.
ISO 8124-10:2019
Safety of toys - Part 10: Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities
This document specifies requirements for the maximum amount and, in some cases, the maximum concentration of certain substances and mixtures used in experimental sets for chemistry and related activities.
These substances and mixtures are:
— those classified as dangerous by the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)[1];
— substances and mixtures which in excessive amounts could harm the health of the children using them and which are not classified as dangerous by the GHS; and
— any other chemical substance(s) and mixture(s) delivered with the experimental set.
This document applies to experimental sets for chemistry and related activities, including crystal-growing sets, carbon-dioxide-generating experimental sets and supplementary sets. It also covers sets for chemical experiments within the fields of mineralogy, biology, physics, microscopy and environmental science, whenever they contain one or more chemical substances and/or mixtures which are classified as hazardous according to the GHS[1].
This document also specifies requirements for marking, a contents list, instructions for use, eye protection and the equipment intended for carrying out the experiments.
Requirements for certain other chemical toys are given in ISO 8124-11.
ISO 8124-11:2019
Safety of toys - Part 11: Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets
This document specifies requirements and test methods for the substances and materials used in chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets. These substances and mixtures are:
— those classified as dangerous by the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)[1];
— substances and mixtures which in excessive amounts could harm the health of the children using them and which are not classified as dangerous by the GHS; and
— any other chemical substance(s) and mixture(s) delivered with the chemical toy.
Additionally, requirements are specified for markings, warnings, safety rules, contents lists, instructions for use and first aid information.
This document applies to:
— plaster of Paris (gypsum) moulding sets;
— oven-hardening plasticised PVC modelling clay sets;
— polystyrene granules sets;
— embedding sets;
— adhesives, paints, lacquers, varnishes, thinners and cleaning agents (solvents) supplied or recommended in model sets.
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