ISO/TC 181 - Safety of toys

This document consists of a comparison of the mechanical and physical requirements covered by the following toy safety standards: a) ISO: ISO 8124‑1:2018; b) Europe (CEN): EN 71‑1:2014+A1:2018; c) USA: ASTM F963:2017.

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).

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.

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.

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.

The requirements in ISO 8124-1:2018 apply to all toys, i.e. any product or material 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). ISO 8124-1:2018 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. ISO 8124-1:2018 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. ISO 8124-1:2018 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 (sharp edges, pinch hazards, etc.) will be minimized by compliance with the requirements of this document.

ISO/TR 8124-8:2016 provides guidelines for the determination of the lowest age at which children start playing with toys in specific toy sub-categories and is primarily directed to manufacturers and agencies that evaluate the compliance of toys with safety standards. This Technical Report can also be used as a reference to determine the appropriateness of toys by earliest age, for use by distributors, institutions, and organizations involved with child play, as well as by paediatric institutions, teachers, other professionals that use toys in their routine activities, and consumers. The age at which children develop different abilities is unique for each individual child. These guidelines illustrate the age ranges during which a typical child has developed certain abilities. Although age grading has safety implications, these guidelines are not intended to address specific safety requirements. Specific safety requirements for toys can be found in the ISO 8124 series of toy safety standards (and in other regional toy safety standards and regulations). As an example, such standards will restrict the presence of small parts and small balls in toys intended for certain age groups, due to the choking hazard. These age determination guidelines are based on the advice of experts and traditional play patterns of children; they might differ from national or regional regulations or directives that classify a toy, or category of toy, as being intended for a different age. Annex B gives details on how information on electronic toys and electronics in toys was considered in the development of these age determination guidelines.

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.

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 8124-4:2014 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 8124-2:2014 specifies the categories of flammable materials that are prohibited in all toys, and requirements concerning flammability of certain toys when they are subjected to a minor source of ignition. ISO 8124-2:2014 includes general requirements relating to all toys and specific requirements and test methods relating to the following toys, which are considered as being those presenting the greatest hazard: ? toys intended to be worn on the head: beards, moustaches, wigs, etc. made from hair, pile or material that behaves in a similar manner to hair; masks; hoods, headdresses, etc.; flowing elements of toys to be worn on the head, but excluding paper novelty hats of the type usually supplied in party crackers; ? toy disguise costumes and toys intended to be worn by a child in play; ? toys intended to be entered by a child; ? soft-filled toys.

This document consists of a comparison of the mechanical and physical requirements covered by the following toy safety standards: a) ISO: ISO 8124‑1:2014; b) Europe (CEN): EN 71‑1:2014; c) USA: ASTM F963:2011.

The requirements in ISO 8124-1:2014 apply to all toys, i.e. any product or material 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 ISO 8124-1:2014 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). ISO 8124-1:2014 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. ISO 8124-1:2014 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. ISO 8124-1:2014 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, ISO 8124-1:2014 has no requirements for those characteristics of toys which represent an inherent and recognized hazard which is integral to the function of the toy.

ISO/TR 8124-8:2014 provides guidelines for the determination of the lowest age at which children start playing with toys in specific toy sub-categories and is primarily directed to manufacturers and agencies that evaluate the compliance of toys with safety standards. ISO/TR 8124-8:2014 can also be used as a reference to determine the appropriateness of toys by earliest age, for use by distributors, institutions, and organizations involved with child play, as well as by paediatric institutions, teachers, other professionals that use toys in their routine activities, and consumers.

ISO 8124-6:2014 specifies a method for the determination of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DINP), and di-iso-decyl phthalate (DIDP) (see Annex A) in toys and children's products. ISO 8124-6:2014 is applicable to toys and children's products which are made of plastics, textiles, and coatings, etc.

The requirements in ISO 8124-1:2012 apply to all toys, i.e. any product or material 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 ISO 8124-1:2012 specify acceptable criteria for structural characteristics of toys, such as shape, size, contour and spacing as well as acceptable criteria for properties peculiar to certain categories of toy. ISO 8124-1:2012 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.

ISO 8124‑4:2010 specifies requirements and test methods for activity toys for domestic family use intended for children under fourteen years to play on or in. Products covered by ISO 8124‑4:2010 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.

ISO 8124-3:2010 specifies maximum acceptable levels and methods of sampling and extraction prior to analysis for the migration of the elements antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium from toy materials and from parts of toys. Maximum acceptable levels are specified for the migration of the elements listed above from the following 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 and non-woven textiles; paper and paperboard, up to a maximum mass per unit area of 400 g/m2; natural, artificial or synthetic textiles; glass/ceramic/metallic materials, excepting lead solder when used for electrical connections; 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, glazing powders and similar materials in solid or liquid form. The requirements in ISO 8124-3:2010 apply to the following toys and toy components of toys and toy materials: 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 up to 72 months of age; accessible coatings, irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling; accessible liquids, pastes, gels (e.g. liquid paints, modelling compounds) irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling.

The requirements in ISO 8124-1:2009 apply to all toys, i.e. any product or material 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 ISO 8124-1:2009 specify acceptable criteria for structural characteristics of toys, such as shape, size, contour, spacing, as well as acceptable criteria for properties peculiar to certain categories of toy. ISO 8124-1:2009 specifies requirements and test methods for toys intended for use by children in various age groups from birth to 14 years. It also requires that appropriate warnings and/or instructions for use be given on certain toys or their packaging. Due to linguistic problems that 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. ISO 8124-1:2009 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, it has no requirements for those characteristics of toys that represent an inherent and recognized hazard that is integral to the function of the toy

ISO 8124-2:2007 specifies the categories of flammable materials that are prohibited in all toys, and requirements concerning flammability of certain toys when they are subjected to a minor source of ignition. The test methods described are used for the purposes of determining the flammability of toys under the particular test conditions specified. The test results thus obtained cannot be considered as providing an overall indication of the potential fire hazard of toys or materials when subjected to other sources of ignition. ISO 8124-2:2007 includes general requirements relating to all toys and specific requirements and methods of test relating to the following toys, which are considered as being those presenting the greatest hazard: toys to be worn on the head: beards, moustaches, wigs, etc., made from hair, pile or material with similar features; molded and fabric masks; hoods, head-dresses, etc.; flowing elements of toys to be worn on the head, but excluding paper novelty hats of the type usually supplied in party crackers; toy disguise costumes and toys intended to be worn by a child in a play; toys intended to be entered by a child; soft-filled toys (animals and dolls, etc.) with a piled surface or textile surface.

Specifies the categories of flammable materials which are prohibited in all toys and requirements concerning flammability of certain toys when they are submitted to a small source of ignition. Includes general requirements relating to all toys and specific requirements and methods of test relating to following toys which are considered as being those presenting the greatest hazard: beards, moustaches, wigs, masks and other products worn on the head with pile, hair or other attached material; disguise costumes including the associated headgear, and toys intended to be worn by a child; toys intended to be entered by a child, such as a tent; filled soft toys with a pile surface or textile surface but excluding soft-bodied dolls with heads and limbs made entirely from nontextile polymeric material.