Modified:
The strong connection between European Union legislation and the corresponding “harmonized” standards has resulted in several important toy safety standards required for the sale of toys in Europe. Released as EN standards, they can only be purchased as reprints available from each country in Europe as they are adopted. Here’s the list of European Toy Safety Standards available in the official English language editions (BS-EN) from Document Center Inc.
EN-71-1 (BS-EN-71-1 – currently BS EN 71-1:2005+A9:2009), Safety of toys. Mechanical and physical properties
BS EN 71-1 specifies requirements and methods of tests for mechanical and physical properties of toys. It applies to toys for children, toys being any product or material designed or clearly intended for use in play by children of less than 14 years. It refers to new toys taking into account the period of foreseeable and normal use, and that the toys are used as intended or in a foreseeable way, bearing in mind the normal behavior of children.
BS EN 71-1 is aimed at reducing the risks which are not evident to users. It does not cover inherent dangers (e.g. instability of scooters, sharp needles in a sewing kit etc.) that are obvious to children or the persons in charge of them. Assuming that the toys are used in the manner for which they are intended, they should not present any further risk to children for whom they are intended.
BS EN 71-1 includes specific requirements for toys intended for children under 36 months and for children who are too young to sit up unaided. It also specifies requirements for packaging, marking and labeling.
EN-71-2 (BS-EN-71-2 – currently BS EN 71-2:2006+A1:2007), Safety of toys. Flammability
BS EN 71-2 covers the flammable materials which are prohibited in all toys and the requirements concerning flammability of certain toys when exposed to fire.
The tests described in this standard are used for determining the flammability of toys under the test conditions specified, the results cannot be considered as providing overall proof of the possible fire hazards of toys or their material when subjected to other types of flame.
The standard also lists the toys which are considered to present the greatest hazard to children.
EN-71-3 (BS-EN-71-3 – currently BS EN 71-3:1995, BS 5665-3:1995), Safety of toys. Specification for migration of certain elements
This part of this European Standard specifies requirements and test methods for the migration of the elements antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium from toy materials and from parts of toys except materials not accessible.
Requirements are included for the migration 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
- paper and paper board
- textiles, whether natural or synthetic
- glass/ceramic/metallic materials
- other materials whether mass colored or not (e.g. wood, fiber board, hard board, bone and leather)
- materials intended to leave a trace (e.g. the graphite materials in pencils and liquid ink in pens)
- pliable modeling materials, including modeling clays, and gels
- paints, varnishes, lacquers, glazing powders and similar materials in solid or in liquid form appearing as such in the toy.
Toys and parts of toys which, due to their accessibility, function, mass, size or other characteristics, obviously exclude any hazard due to sucking, licking or swallowing, bearing in mind the normal and foreseeable behavior of children, are not covered by this standard.
Packaging materials are not included unless they are part of the toy or have intended play value.
EN-71-4 (BS-EN-71-4 – currently BS EN 71-4:2009), Safety of toys. Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities
This part of the European Standard EN 71 specifies requirements for the maximum amount of certain substances and preparations used in experimental sets for chemistry and related activities. These substances and preparations are chemicals classified as dangerous by the Directives on dangerous substances and dangerous preparations (including substances which have been self-classified according to the requirements of these Directives), substances and preparations which in excessive amounts may harm the health of the children using them but which are not classified as dangerous by the above mentioned Directives and any other chemical substances and preparations delivered with the toy.
This standard applies to chemistry sets and supplementary sets. It also covers toys for experiments within the fields of mineralogy, biology, physics, microscopy and environmental science whenever they contain one or more chemical substances and/or preparations. It also specifies requirements for marking, contents list, instructions for use and for equipment intended for carrying out the experiments. Other chemical toys are specified in EN 71-5.
NOTE: The terms substance and preparation as used in directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC are also used in the REACH Regulation Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. This latter regulation requires also that account be taken of the emerging international standards in the regulation of chemicals such as the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labeling of chemicals. The EU has now proposed a timetable for the introduction of GHS and it is expected that the above two mentioned directives will be repealed on 1 June 2015. In the GHS regulation the term ‘mixtures’ rather than ‘preparation’ is used. Preparations and mixtures should be considered synonymous; both are mixtures or solutions of substances that do not react with each other.
EN-71-5 (BS-EN-71-5 – currently BS EN 71-5:1993+A2:2009, BS 5665-5:1993), Safety of toys. Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets
This part of EN 71 specifies requirements and test methods for the substances and materials used in chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets.
It specifies:
- the maximum amounts of substances and preparations classified as dangerous by the definitions in Directives 67/548/EEC and 88/379/EEC ; and
- the maximum amounts of substances and preparations which in excessive amounts may harm the health of children using them and which are not covered by the above mentioned Directives; and
- the maximum amounts for other substances or preparations delivered with the toy.
Additionally, requirements are specified for markings, warning, safety rules, contents list, instructions for use and first aid information.
This Part of EN 71 applies to:
- plaster of Paris (gypsum) molding sets;
- ceramic and vitreous enameling materials supplied in miniature workshop sets;
- oven hardening plasticized PVC modeling clay sets;
- plastic molding sets;
- embedding sets;
- photographic developing sets;
- adhesives, paints, lacquers, varnishes, thinners and cleaning agents (solvents) supplied or recommended in model sets.
EN-71-6 (BS-EN-71-6 – currently BS EN 71-6:1995, BS 5665-6:1995), Safety of toys. Graphical symbols for age warning labelling
This European Standard, a part of the EN 71 series, specifies requirements for the use and design of a graphical symbol for age warning labeling on toys not suitable for children under 3 years of age.
This standard does not apply to toys which on account of their function, dimensions, characteristics, properties or other cogent grounds are manifestly unsuitable for children under 3 years of age.
The purpose of the symbol is to inform adults that the toy might be hazardous to a child under 3 years of age.
EN-71-7 (BS-EN-71-7 – currently BS EN 71-7:2002), Safety of toys. Finger paints. Requirements and test methods
This part of EN 71 specifies requirements for the substances and materials used in finger paints and applies to finger paints only.
Additional requirements are specified for markings, labeling and containers.
EN-71-8 (BS-EN-71-8 – currently BS EN 71-8:2003+A4:2009), Safety of toys. Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use
This part of EN 71 specifies requirements and test methods for activity toys for domestic family use often attached to or incorporating a crossbeam, and similar toys intended for children under 14 years of age to play on or in and to bear the mass of one or more children. This part of EN 71 also specifies requirements for:
– separately sold accessories for, and components of activity toys;
– separately sold swing elements that are ready for use on or in combination with activity toy;
– construction packages for activity toys including components used to build activity toys according to a scheduled building instruction.
The scope excludes equipment intended for use in schools, kindergartens, public playgrounds, restaurants, shopping centers and similar public places dealt with in EN 1176 part 1 to 6.
EN-71-9 (BS-EN-71-9 – currently BS EN 71-9:2005+A1:2007), Safety of toys. Organic chemical compounds. Requirements
This Part 9 of the document EN 71 for safety of toys specifies requirements for the migration or content of certain hazardous organic chemical compounds from/in certain toys and toy materials (see Table 1) by the following exposure routes:
– mouthing
– ingestion
– skin contact
– eye contact
– inhalation
when used as intended or in a foreseeable way, bearing in mind the normal behavior of children and the function and design of the toy.
This document does not contain requirements for chemical toys, experimental sets or finger-paints, which are addressed by other parts of EN 71.
Packaging materials used with toys are not within the scope of the document unless they form part of the toy or have intended play value.
EN-71-10 (BS-EN-71-10 – currently BS EN 71-10:2005), Safety of toys. Organic chemical compounds. Sample preparation and extraction
BS EN 71-10 is a safety standard that helps to ensure that toys sold in the European Community are safe for children. The standard lays down the procedures to be followed when sampling and extracting toys and toy materials prior to chemical analysis. BS EN 71-10 is intended to be used in conjunction with BS EN 71-9, which stipulates requirements for organic chemicals in toys, and BS EN 71-11, which specifies the methods of analysis to be used for the determination of these organic chemicals. The standard is aimed at toy manufacturers, toy importers, enforcement authorities and test houses.
EN-71-11 (BS-EN-71-11 – currently BS EN 71-11:2005), Safety of toys. Organic chemical compounds. Methods of analysis
BS EN 71-11 is a safety standard that helps to ensure that toys sold in the European Community are safe for children to play with. The standard specifies the methods of analysis to be used for the identification and determination of organic chemicals in toys and toy material extracts. Methods have been elaborated and validated for various types of chemicals, e.g. flame retardants, colorants and preservatives. BS EN 71-11 is intended to be used in conjunction with BS EN 71-9, which stipulates requirements for organic chemicals in toys, and BS EN 71-10, which lays down the procedures to be followed when sampling and extracting toys prior to chemical analysis. The standard is aimed at toy manufacturers, toy importers, enforcement authorities and test houses.
EN-62115 (BS-EN-62115 – currently BS EN 62115:2005), Electric toys. Safety
BS EN 62115 is the European Standard which deals with the safety of toys that have at least one function dependent on electricity.
Examples of toys also within the scope of this standard are:
– Constructional sets
– Experimental sets
– Functional toys (models that have a function similar to an appliance or installation used by adults)
– Video toys (toys consisting of a screen and activating means, such as a joystick or keyboard. Separate screens having a rated voltage exceeding 24 V are not considered to be a part of the toy).
Additional requirements for experimental sets are given in Annex A.
Toys using electricity for secondary functions are within the scope of BS EN 62115.
A doll’s house having an interior lamp is an example of such a toy.
Additional requirements for toys incorporating lasers and light-emitting diodes are given in Annex E.
In order to comply with this standard, electric toys also have to comply with EN 71, since it covers hazards other than those arising by the use of electricity.
Transformers for toys and battery chargers are not considered to be a toy, even if supplied with it.
If it is intended that a child also plays with the packaging, the latter is considered to be part of the toy.
BS EN 62115 does not apply to:
- Toy steam engines;
- Scale models for adult collectors;
- Folk dolls and decorative dolls and other similar articles for adult collectors;
- Sports equipment;
- Aquatic equipment intended to be used in deep water;
- Equipment intended to be used collectively in playgrounds;
- Amusement machines (IEC 60335-2-82);
- Professional toys installed in public places (shopping centers, stations, etc.);
- Products containing heating elements intended for use under the supervision of an adult in a teaching context;
- Portable child-appealing luminaires (IEC 60598-2-10);
- Christmas decorations.
All these toy standards and more are available from Document Center Inc. at www.document-center.com, or by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) and email (info@document-center.com). And please feel free to comment or check in with us should you have any questions about these or any other standards.
