Whether your child is playing with a climbing frame, a chemistry set or a plastic car, you need assurance that the product won’t cause harm.
All toys on sale in the Europe must carry the CE mark. This shows that the manufacturer has declared that the toy meets the requirements of the European Directive and is intended for sale in the European Community
The Directive defines a toy as any product ‘designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children under 14 years of age.
There are lots of different toys to test, from chemistry sets to swings and slides, and things to test for, such as:
- Making sure toys cannot stab, trap, mangle or choke
- Checking the fire safety of high-risk products such as fancy dress costumes, play houses and soft toys
- Ensuring children aren’t at risk from elements such as lead, cadmium and mercury when sucking or chewing toys, with limits and test procedures for more than 80 potentially dangerous substances, such as solvents and preservatives
- Regulating the ingredients in finger paints, and requiring that these taste bitter to deter a child from swallowing them
More parts are always being added to the standard to cover a range of safety aspects from new methods of analysing certain chemicals to new specifications for domestic trampolines, cosmetic kits, and board games involving smell and taste. A full list of all the existing standards and more information is going on is available through contact us.