ANSI releases revised standard for toy safety.

Press Release Summary:



Revised ASTM F963-2008 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety provides guidelines and test methods to protect children from range of potential hazards, including lead exposure, choking, and sharp edges. Revisions address incidents of swallowing small magnets in toys, acoustics, potential strangulation hazards associated with yo-yo elastic tether toys, impact hazards for children up to 48 months, and flammability testing to federal standards.



Original Press Release:



Revised Standard for Toy Safety Addresses Magnets, Flammability, Other Hazards



A revised version of the toy safety standard mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 is now available. Developed by ASTM International, a member and audited designator of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the standard addresses new safety guidelines for magnetic components in toys, as well as a number of other potential hazards.

ASTM F963-2008, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, is the most recent version of a widely used specification that provides guidelines and test methods to protect children from a broad range of potential hazards, including lead exposure, choking, and sharp edges. According to ASTM, changes in the revised guidelines include:

Magnets: Revisions were made to account for incidents of swallowing small (potentially detachable) magnets in toys and to increase the visibility of age grading on toy packaging.

Acoustics: Revisions were made to provide greater clarity and to align with the stringent European toy standard for acoustics.

Yo-yo tether toys: Revisions were made to address potential strangulation hazards associated with yo-yo elastic tether toys intended for children three years of age or older.

Impaction hazards: A new section providing impaction hazard requirements for toys intended for children up to the age of 48 months has been added.

Flammability: A revision was made to increase flammability testing so that toys meet federal standards.

A prior version of the standard, ASTM F963-2007, was included in the CPSIA signed into law by former President Bush in August 2008. It is now considered a mandatory consumer product safety standard of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after becoming effective on February 10, 2009. [see related article]

ASTM has informed the CPSC of the new version of the standard. If the CPSC agrees that the revisions improve safety, the new version will become mandatory after a six month period.

For more information on ASTM F963-2008, see the ASTM news release.

ANSI is committed to improving toy safety through standards and conformity assessment-based solutions. In September of 2008, ANSI and the Toy Industry Association (TIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in support of the accreditation program of TIA's Toy Safety Certification Program (TSCP). For more information, see this related ANSI Online news item.

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