An overview of EU wooden toy safety legislation and testing standards

While there are many new types of materials of toys out in the market, wooden toys have not become obsolete over the years. Highly endurable and great for developing children’s cognitive, social and physical skills, wooden toys come with all sorts of designs, styles, colours and features. 

When a retailer is selling or an importer is bringing wooden toys to the EU market, there is a wide range of safety legislations and testing standards to observe to protect the little ones who will play with them. Here we put together an overview of all essential regulations and requirements relevant to wooden toys so that buyers and suppliers can take note easily.

Wooden toys safety legislation

Quite a few product safety legislations are applicable to wooden toys in the EU. First and foremost, as for all other toys intended for use by children aged 14 years or under, wooden toys are regulated by the EU Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC). As goods for end consumers, wooden toys also fall under the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (EU REACH) and Directive 2001/95/EC General Product Safety Directive (GPSD). Another applicable legislation, relating to chemical restriction, is POP Recast Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

Apart from the four notable safety regulations named above, wooden toys can also be subjected to two directives concerning packaging -- Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste, as well as Commission Decision 97/129/EC, CEN-CR 14311 - Packaging Material Identification & Recycling Marking, with the latter being a voluntary application. 

Wooden toy safety testing

In order to indicate compliance with corresponding safety regulations, testing must be done against the required safety testing standards.

On the chemical side, requirements are especially stringent, as children often put the toys into their mouths, intentionally or unintentionally, so it is crucial to make sure that the wooden toys are free from hazardous chemicals.

Wooden toys as a whole are subject to the Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) obligations under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (EU REACH). Additionally, mercury compounds (Entry 18) and arsenic compounds (Entry 19) are of particular concern for wooden toys as they are sometimes used in the preservation of wood. Other common hazardous chemicals such as formaldehyde, organotin compounds, cadmium and other heavy metals should also be considered under the REACH requirements properly.

Besides these, several chemicals are regulated specifically in EU Toys Safety Directive and applicable to wooden toys, which include TCEP, TCPP, TDCP, bisphenol A, formamide, phenol, formaldehyde and others. 

When we speak of toy testing in the EU, we cannot finish without mentioning EN 71 series of Standards on Safety of Toys. EN 71 series consists of 14 parts, some of which are mandatory for all toys being sold in the EU market. In the case of wooden toys, the three parts below are required:

• Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties (EN 71-1:2014 + A1:2018)
• Part 2: Flammability (EN 71-2:2011+A1:2014 and EN 71-2:2020)
• Part 3: Migration of certain elements (EN 71-3:2019 + A1:2021)

Evaluation of wooden toy performance

The tests under EN 71-1, EN 71-2 and EN 71-3 can provide a general idea of the behaviour/ performance of the toys at the time of purchase when they are brand new and over the course of use, under different reasonable and foreseeable conditions. 

To better evaluate and anticipate the toys’ performance, more mechanical tests such as impact tests, torque tests, bite tests, and resistance to soaking and cleaning are commonly conducted.

Marking and labelling requirement for wooden toy

To provide consumers with essential information on product safety and usage instructions, wooden toys have to comply with the marking and labelling requirements of the EU Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC), which includes a warning message and symbol, CE Marking, the manufacturer’s/ importer’s information (name and address), and style details.

In another of our articles about costumes, we have a detailed Declaration of Conformity (DoC) and Technical File of toys. You can refer to the article here to learn more about DoC and Technical File.

The Eurofins Toys and Hardlines network of companies offers different services for toy testing, risk assessment, marking/technical file review, and product safety programme development. Find out how we can assist you here or send us a query anytime!