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Eurofins >> Consumer Product Testing >> Media Centre >> News >> Toys & Childcare | Monthly bulletin | March 2020

Toys & Childcare | Monthly bulletin | March 2020

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Eurofins newsflash Toys and Childcare

 

Regulatory news


 

France

 

Public Consultation for Restricted Substances in Single-use Nappies

 

On 15th January 2020, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) informed that the public consultation in relation to chemical substances in single-use nappies had been opened in ECHA website.

 

ANSES is proposing to restrict chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, furans, PCBs and formaldehyde found in disposable nappies, under the European chemicals regulation REACH. ANSES is in the process of preparing this proposal for submission in October 2020.

 

For more information, click here to visit the ANSES website.

 

US

 

New York Passes Toxic Chemicals in Children's Products Law

 

On 7th February 2020, the New York governor signed Assembly Bill A06296A into law to regulate toxic chemicals in children's products, which will come into effect as of 1st March 2020.

 

As issued in our newsflash last June, no later than twelve months after a dangerous chemical appears on a published list, manufacturers who offer a children's product for sale or distribution in the State of New York that contains a dangerous chemical or chemical of concern are required to report such chemical use at practical quantification limits to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

 

Children’s products containing the following dangerous chemicals will be prohibited from 1st January 2023:

 

  • Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate
  • Benzene
  • Formaldehyde(other than in textiles)
  • Asbestos
  • Organohalogen flame retardants

Please click here for more information.

 

Maine Revised Draft Rule to Designate PFOS and its Salts as Priority Chemicals

 

Recently the Maine Department published a revised draft rule to Chapter 890 to designate perfluorooctane sulfonic acid ("PFOS") and its salts as priority chemicals and certain children’s products which contain these regulated chemicals must be reported.

 

As a follow on from the former draft rule, as issued in our Newsflash last May, this proposal applies to manufacturers or distributors who offer for sale certain children’s products in the State of Maine containing intentionally added amounts of PFOS or its salts.

 

Comments can be submitted by 9th March 2020.

 

Please click here for more information.

 

Review of the Safety Standards for Baby Cribs

 

On 31st January 2020, the Consumer Product Safety Commission opened a public consultation about the safety standards of full-size baby cribs and non-full-size baby cribs.

 

The CPSC has to review mandatory standards within 10 years after their issuance to assess whether it is necessary to modify standards or maintain them without any changes.

 

The public consultation will be open until 3rd March 2020.

 

For more information, click here to visit the Federal Register website.

 

India

 

Amendment in the import policy on toys

 

On 2nd December 2019, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry published notification nº 33/2015-2020 on the import policy on toys. It is an amendment to Policy Condition No. 2(iii) of Chapter 95 of ITC (HS), 2017–Schedule–1 (Import Policy). The main points are:

 

  • Sample will be randomly picked from each consignment and will be sent to NABL-accredited Labs for testing and clearance may be given by Customs on the condition that the product cannot be sold in the market until successful testing of said sample. Further, if the sample drawn fails to meet required standards, the consignment will be sent back or destroyed at the cost of importer
  • Import policy for Toys/Dolls and similar recreational goods under any chapter will be governed by BIS standards, as specified in Policy Conditions 2 of Chapter 95

This amendment is effective as of the day of its publication in the Indian Gazette (on 2nd December 2019).

 

Taiwan

 

New Inspection Requirements for Cribs

 

On 31st January 2020, The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) of Taiwan published an announcement in relation to new inspection requirements for household cribs and foldable crib products. Certification applications will be accepted from 1 March 2020 and the new requirements will take effect as of 1st September 2020.

 

For more information, click here to visit the BSMI website (in Taiwanese).

 

New Zealand

 

Inclined infant sleep products ban

 

In December 2020, the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs of New Zealand published a notice which indicates that infant sleep products to be unsafe goods and prohibits the supply of the goods for 18 months from the date of publication of the notice in the New Zealand Gazette.

 

For further information, please click here the New Zealand Gazette Office website.

 

International

 

Regulatory proposals notified to WTO

 

Please see the below table summarising the most recent notifications made to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (non-exhaustive):

 

Notification number

Countries

Title

G/TBT/N/TPKM/397

Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu

Proposal for Legal Inspection of Baby Carriers for Domestic Use

Proposal of a conformity assessment procedure which is either Type-Approved Batch Inspection or Registration of Product Certification (Module 2 + Module 3)

G/TBT/N/IND/131

India

Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020

To be published in the Gazette of India (available in English and Hindi) Toys (Quality Control) Order, 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 54 alerts regarding Childcare articles, equipment and toys have been reported, from week 4 to week 7 of 2020.

 

Type of Risk

Number of alerts

Notes

Chemical

18

Soft toy: The battery compartment can easily be opened without the use of any tools, leaving batteries accessible. Does not comply with EN 62115

Toy slime: The migration of boron from the toy slime is too high. Does not comply with EN 71-3

Plastic toys: they contain di-‘isononyl’ phthalate (DINP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)

Modeling clay: The migration of boron from the toy slime is too high. Does not comply with EN 71-3

Toy slime: The migration of boron from the toy slime is too high. Does not comply with EN 71-3

Choking

26

Small parts. Does not comply with EN 71-1

Soft toys: The fibrous stuffing material of the toy is easily accessible due to the weakness of certain seams. Does not comply with EN 71-1

Baby teether: The leaves and stem of the product can easily break, generating small parts. Does not comply with EN 71-1 and EN 1400

Squeezable toy: When using the toy, small parts may become detached. Does not comply with EN 71-1

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

Injuries

6

Trampoline: The gap between two accessible spiral springs is too big and a gap is created between the jumping area and the suspension system when the trampoline is used at maximum weight. Does not comply with EN 71-14

Soft musical toy: The retraction force of cord attached to the toy is too high. Does not comply with EN 71-1

Children's bicycle seat: The child seat can break in the mounting zone in the event of an emergency braking or collision

Baby pushchair: The pushchair is not stable enough and may tip over. Does not comply with EN 1888

Drinking bottle for children: The silicone coating is opaque and the glass easily breaks, releasing small fragments

Toy scooter: The front wheels are too small and could get stuck in holes in the ground. Does not comply with EN 71-1

Strangulation

4

Children's travel seat: The product contains cords designed to be used as ties that are too long and can create a potentially dangerous loop

Fancy-dress costume: There are cords with free ends around the neck area of the costume. Does not comply with EN 14682

 

US

 

From the 21st January 2020 to the 15th February of 2020, CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) published the following recalls: 6 recalls regarding Childcare and children’s products.

 

Type of Risk

Number of alerts

Notes

Infant fatalities

4

Inclined sleep products: infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side

Choking hazard

1

Bead Maze: May contain small parts

Fall hazard

1

Newborn infant carriers: The buckles on the infant carriers can break