JavaScript is disabled. Please enable to continue!

Mobile search icon
Eurofins >> Consumer Product Testing >> Media Centre >> News >> Toys & Childcare | Monthly bulletin | February 2020

Toys & Childcare | Monthly bulletin | February 2020

Sidebar Image

Eurofins newsflash Toys and Childcare

 

UK

 

The United Kingdom has left the European Union

 

On the 1st February 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union. At this moment there is a transition period until the end of 2020 while the UK and EU negotiate additional arrangements. The current standards and legislations for the UK and EU will continue to apply during the transition period. New legislations will take effect on the 1st January 2021.

 

For further general information about Brexit click here to visit the GOV.UK website.

 

Europe

 

Standards Updates

 

See below a table summarising the most recent standard updates and upcoming dates of withdrawal (non-exhaustive):

 

(*) Date of withdrawal: latest date by which national standards conflicting with an EN (and HD for CENELEC) have to be withdrawn.

 

Reference

Title

Date of Withdrawal (*)

Supersedes

EN 1130:2019

Children's furniture - Cribs - Safety requirements and test methods

2020-05-31

EN 1130-2:1996
EN 1130-1:1996

 

Regulation proposals

 

Please find below a table summarising recent regulation proposals made to the European Commission (Non-exhaustive):

 

Notification number

Countries

Title

2019/647/A

Austria

Ordinance of the Federal Minister for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection amending the Lighter Ordinance (Lighter Ordinance Amendment 2020 – FZV 2020 [Feuerzeugverordnungs-Novelle 2020 – FZV 2020])

 

Update to the Lighter Ordinance with reference to the current version of EN 13869:2016. This standard specifies requirements for child-resistance

 

Turkey

 

Alignment of Turkish requirements with European requirements for toys

 

On the 24th December 2019, the Turkish authorities published in the Official Journal Nº 30988 an amendment to the Toy Safety Regulation. The amendment aligns the requirements of chromium (VI), lead, bisphenol A and phenol with the equivalent requirements in the EU Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC.

 

US

 

New York passes Lead-containing jewellery law

 

Recently, the New York governor signed the Assembly Bill A6041 (S4046) into law to regulate lead content in children’s jewellery, which will come into effect on the 1st January 2021.

 

The law defines the age of children as under 12 years old and also provides the definition ofjewellery. Also, this act amends the environmental conservation law to require a warning statement on jewellery with lead content greater than 40 parts per million (ppm) but less than 600ppm or a lower standard for lead content as may be established by federal or state law or rule.

 

The warning statement for children's jewellery shall contain the following:

 

"WARNING: CONTAINS LEAD. MAY BE HARMFUL IF EATEN OR CHEWED. COMPLIES WITH FEDERAL STANDARDS."

 

The label shall be placed on the jewellery itself or on its immediate packaging.

 

Inaccessible component of the children's jewellery are exempted from the warning requirement. And the exempted components from third-party testing under Consumer Product Safety Commission, are also not covered by this law.

 

Please click here for more information.

 

Standards Updates

 

See the below table summarising the most recent ASTM standards updates:

 

Reference

Title

ASTM F3343 - 19a

Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Infant Bathers

ASTM F2613 - 19

Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Children's Chairs and Stools

ASTM F2710 - 19

Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Commercial Cribs

ASTM D4297 - 15(2020)

Standard Practice for Sampling and Handling Bisphenol A(4,4′ -Isopropylidinediphenol)

ASTM F1313-90(2011)

Standard Specification for Volatile N-Nitrosamine Levels in Rubber Nipples on Pacifiers (Withdrawn 2020)

 

China

 

China published or updated GB Standards

 

On the 31st December, 2019, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) approved and released a total of 169 GB standards; some of them are closely related to our testing industry.

 

Toys:

 

No.

Standard No.

Standard Name

Superseded Standard

Implementation Date

1

GB/T 38415-2019

Determination of tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecanes content in toys—High performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Initial

2019-12-31

2

GB/T 38420-2019

Determination of bisphenol A migration in polycarbonate and polysulfone materials in toys—High performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Initial

2019-12-31

3

GB/T 38423-2019

Determination of total concentration of certain elements in toys

Initial

2019-12-31

4

GB/T 38424-2019

Determination of allergenic fragrances in toys—Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry

Initial

2019-12-31

 

The complete update can be found here (in Chinese).

 

International

 

Upcoming dates of application

 

As a reminder, below is a summary table of the standards and legislation that will come into effect within the next six months and which will require application:

 

  • Standards:
    • On the 31st May 2020, the standards EN 1130-1:1996 and EN 1130-2:1996 will be replaced by the new European standard EN 1130:2019, Children's furniture - Cribs - Safety requirements and test methods
  • Legislation:

Manufacturers and importers should carefully consider these upcoming application dates and confirm that their products comply with these restrictions:

 

    • Europe: European Regulation (EC) No 278/2009 - Ecodesign requirements for no-load condition electric power consumption and average active efficiency of external power supplies
      The scope of this Regulation is Toys - Electrically and Battery operated toys/ RC Toys (Radio Control).
      According to Article 8 to Regulation (EU) 2019/1782, Regulation (EC) No 278/2009 is repealed as from 1 April 2020.
    • Switzerland: SR 817.023.11 Swiss Toy Safety Ordinance
      Toys which do not comply with the requirements of Annex 2, chapter 3 from the modification AS 2019 3367 of October 23, 2019 (chemical properties: the migration requirements for nitrosamines (less or equal to 0,05 mg/Kg) and for nitrosatable substances (less or equal to 1.0 mg/kg) apply to toys for children under 36 months and in other toys intended to be placed in the mouth; strengthening the migration limit for chromium (VI) from 0.2 mg/kg to 0.053 mg/kg in scraped-off (category III) toy materials (not updated in the standard EN 71-3:2013+A3:2018) and phthalates (expanding the requirement of less or equal 0.1% for the sum of three phthalates (BBP, DBP and DEHP) to four phthalates (BBP, DBP, DEHP and DIBP) ), can still be imported, manufactured, labeled and delivered to consumers until 31st May 2020.

 

Product Recalls / Alerts

 

Below you will find a monthly summary table of product recalls and alerts in Europe (Source “RAPEX”) and in the US (Source “CPSC”).

 

Europe

 

RAPEX (European Commission Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products – Alerts reported by EU national authorities).

 

The following 29 alerts regarding Childcare articles, equipment and toys have been reported, from week 1 until week 3 of 2020.

 

Type of Risk

Number of alerts

Notes

Burns

1

Plastic toy: A short-circuit can occur, causing the toy to overheat. Not complying with EN 62115

Chemical

12

Phthalates contained: di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

Plastics toys: which contain a short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs)

Slime and drying modelling clay: high level of migration of Boron

Finger paints: contains an excessive amount of 5-Chloro-2-methyl-isothiazolin-3(2H)-one (CMI), 2-methylisothiazolin-3(2H)-one (MI), 1,2-benzoizotiazol-3(2H)-on (BIT). Not complying with Toy Safety Directive

Squeezable toy: The fake bulb screw of the toy can easily detach during use, releasing the internal flashing capsule with button batteries. Not complying with EN 62115

Choking

12

Small parts. Not complying with EN 71-1

Expandable toy: As the toy expands, it can cause fatal occlusion of the respiratory track or intestinal blockage of small children. Not complying with EN 71-1

Rattle toy set: The product has protruding parts and can also easily break, releasing small parts. Not complying to EN 71-1

Soother holder: small parts that can be easily detached. Not complying to EN 71-1

Toy gun set: The suction cups can easily detach from the projectiles. Not complying to EN 71-1

Toy musical instrument: Small parts can easily become detached from the toy and it can easily break, releasing small parts. Not complying with EN 71-1

Soother holder: The garment fastener breaks easily, generating small parts. Not complying with EN 12586

Damage to hearing

1

Plastic rattle: The sound level produced by the toy is too high. Not complying with EN 71-1

Injuries

1

Toy gun set: The kinetic energy of the projectiles, when hitting a person, is too high. Not complying with EN 71-1

Strangulation

2

Wooden toys: The cord of the toy is too long. Not complying with EN 71-1

Soft Musical Toy: The cord of the toy is too long. Not complying with EN 71-1

 

US

 

From the 21st December 2019 to the 20th January of 2020, CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) has published the following recalls: 2 recalls regarding Childcare and children’s products.

 

Type of Risk

Number of alerts

Notes

Chemicals hazard

1

Children’s tricycles: Paint contains levels of lead and tricycle components contain levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban

Fall hazard

1

Mini Strollers: Both of the stroller’s hinge joints can release and collapse under pressure