TOYS AND CHEMICAL SAFETY - Toys available on the market today are generally safer than those manufactured as recently as 10 years ago. U.S. toymakers must follow a set of mandatory safety rules and regulations under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The toy industry also continually reviews this standard to keep pace with new child development research, medical and toy-related incident data, risk assessment techniques, science and manufacturing innovations. If a toy manufacturing company changes a toy’s components then manufacturers need to certify again. Finally, all toys sold in the U.S. must comply with more than 100 toy safety regulations tests, and requirements designed to protect children at play.

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Toys and Chemical Safety

ChemicalSafetyFacts.org

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and leading retail and toy industry groups have joined forces to promote toy safety and help parents make safe choices for their kids.

Still, many parents might not be aware of key facts on the chemical safety of toys and how toys are regulated.

Many parents may not know that federal agencies have regulated toy safety for decades.

The Consumer Safety Commission was created back in 1972 to protect the public from unreasonable risks in the use of consumer products. 

A number of product safety recalls in 2007 related to lead found in imported children’s toys directly resulted in important, regulatory changes, including passage of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in 2008 and the EU’s Directive on the Safety of Toys, issued in 2009.

Because of these regulatory updates in toy safety, toys available on the market today are generally safer than those manufactured as recently as 10 years ago.

Here’s what you need to know about chemicals and toy safety…

·          U.S. toymakers must follow a set of mandatory safety rules and regulations under the Consumer Product Safety Act and the CPSIA, including the CPSC’s adoption of a slightly modified version of ASTM F963 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety.

ASTMF963 includes test methods and requirements related to chemical and material safety.

The toy industry also continually reviews this standard as well as additional, voluntary standards to keep pace with new child development research, medical and toy-related incident data, risk assessment techniques, science and manufacturing innovations.

·         CPSC requires children’s products to be certified in compliance with the law.

This means testing by CPSC-approved, third-party labs, which analyze toys and other products, determine whether certain chemicals are present in hazardous amounts and if relevant safety regulations are met.

·         If a toy manufacturing company changes a toy’s components – for example, re-designs a toy truck with faster, new wheels or uses a different color or brand of paint – then manufacturers need to certify again.

Certification will involve third-party laboratory re-testing of either the new component or the whole toy.

·         Finally, all toys sold in the U.S. must comply with more than 100 toy safety regulations tests, and requirements designed to protect children at play, including the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and the Consumer Product Safety Act, as well as the CPSIA.

Among other protections, these regulations make it illegal to sell toys or children’s products containing substances harmful to children and to which they might be exposed.

·         If you have concerns about a specific toy’s safety or are wondering if it has been recalled, you can check the list of recalls on the CPSC website.

General Toy Safety Tips

·          Avoid toys with small parts that can be choking hazards for small children.

·          Toys with cords or wires can also be a hazard for small children. For electronics, consider battery-powered toys, but be mindful of safe storage and containment of tiny “button batteries.”

·         Be careful with magnets: High-powered magnet sets can pose a safety risk to children – toddler through teen ages. Children unintentionally swallowing loose magnets could cause serious intestinal injuries.

·          Get safety gear to go along with skateboards, scooters and bikes. With scooters and other riding toys, be sure to include helmets. Helmets should be worn properly at all times, and they should be sized to fit.

The purpose of ChemicalSafetyFacts.org is to provide consumer-friendly information about some of the chemicals that are essential to the products that people use every day.

This website is intended to provide general information only about various chemistries, their uses and function; it does not and cannot provide safety information specific to any particular consumer product or chemical, it is not intended to be comprehensive or complete, and should not be relied upon to ensure safe and appropriate use of any particular product or chemical.

https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/toys-and-chemical-safety/