What is EN 71-1 - Safety of toys about?
EN 71-1 is the first part of a multiple-part European standard on the safety of toys.
The EN 71 series is prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the European Free Trade Association and supports essential requirements of EU Directive 2009/48/EC. The whole series consists of the following parts:
- Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties [this standard]
- Part 2: Flammability
- Part 3: Migration of certain elements
- Part 4: Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities
- Part 5: Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets
- Part 7: Finger paints, Requirements and test methods
- Part 8: Activity toys for domestic use
- Part 9: Organic chemical compounds – Requirements
- Part 10: Organic chemical compounds – Sample preparation and extraction
- Part 11: Organic chemical compounds – Methods of analysis
- Part 12: N-Nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances
- Part 13: Olfactory board games, cosmetic kits and gustative games
- Part 14: Trampolines for domestic use
NB: For the safety of electric toys see: BS EN 62115 Electric toys. Safety
Who is EN 71-1 - Safety of toys for?
EN 71-1 on the safety of toys is for anyone who wants to maintain conformity with the European Toy Safety directive. Specifically, it will be essential reading for:
- Toy manufacturers wishing to comply with the provisions of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 for toys placed on the market after 19 August 2011
- Their authorised representatives
- Importers of toys
- Distributors of toys
EN 71-1 also informs consumers of what information they can expect from manufacturers and retailers.
Why should you use EN 71-1 - Safety of toys?
EN 71-1 on the safety of toys specifies requirements and methods of tests for mechanical and physical properties of toys. The aim is to reduce, as far as possible, hazards that are not evident to users.
EN 71-1 doesn’t cover inherent hazards (e.g. instability of two-wheeled scooters, sharp needles in a sewing kit, etc.) that are obvious to children or the persons in charge of them.
As a general rule, toys are designed and manufactured for particular ages of children. Their characteristics are related to the age and stage of development of the children, and their use presupposes certain aptitudes.
For providers of toys, EN 71-1 offers a management tool to help with planning and a reference document with which to check current processes. It can also be used to indicate conformity via self-declaration or other party assessment.
For consumers, EN 71-1provides a guide to the processes to be followed, confirmation of which test methods must be followed and information on what they can expect from manufacturers and retailers.
EN 71-1 applies to toys for children, toys being any product or material designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children of less than 14 years. It refers to new toys taking into account the period of foreseeable and normal use, and that the toys are used as intended or in a foreseeable way, bearing in mind the behaviour of children.
It includes specific requirements for toys intended for children under 36 months, children under 18 months and children who are too young to sit up unaided. According to Directive 2009/48/EC “intended for use by” means that a parent or supervisor shall reasonably be able to assume by virtue of the functions, dimensions and characteristics of a toy that it is intended for use by children of the stated age group. Therefore, for the purpose of this European Standard, e.g. soft-filled toys with simple features intended for holding and cuddling are considered as toys intended for children under 36 months.
NOTE: Information relating to the age grading of toys and, in particular, which toys are intended for children under 36 months and which toys are not, can be found in the CEN Report CR 14379, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Age determination guidelines, CEN/CENELEC Guide 11 and the European Commission’s Guidance Documents.
EN 71-1 also specifies requirements for packaging, marking and labelling. It does not cover musical instruments, sports equipment or similar items but does include their toy counterparts.
EN 71-1 does not apply to the following toys:
- playground equipment intended for public use
- automatic playing machines, whether coin-operated or not, intended for public use
- toy vehicles equipped with combustion engines (see A.2)
- toy steam engines
- slings and catapults
Items that are propelled into free flight by a child releasing an elastic band (e.g. aeroplanes and rockets) are considered as catapults (see the 5th indent above).
EN 71-1 does not cover electrical safety aspects of toys. These are covered by BS EN 62115.
Furthermore, it does not cover the following items which, for the purpose of this European Standard, are not considered as toys:
- Decorative objects for festivities and celebrations
- Products for collectors provided that the product or its packaging bears a visible and legible indication that it is intended for collectors of 14 years of age and above; examples of this category are:
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1) Detailed and faithful scale models (see A.2)
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2) Kits for the assembly of detailed scale models
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3) Folk dolls and decorative dolls and other similar articles
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4) Historical replicas of toys
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5) Reproductions of real firearms
- Sports equipment including roller skates, inline skates, and skateboards intended for children with a body mass of more than 20 kg
- Bicycles with a maximum saddle height of more than 435 mm, measured as the vertical distance from the ground to the top of the seat surface, with the seat in a horizontal position and with the seat pillar set to the minimum insertion mark
- Scooters and other means of transport designed for sport or which are intended to be used for travel on public roads or public pathways
- Electrically driven vehicles which are intended to be used for travel on public roads, public pathways, or the pavement thereof
- Aquatic equipment intended to be used in deep water, and swimming learning devices for children, such as swim seats and swimming aids
- Puzzles with more than 500 pieces
- Guns and pistols using compressed gas, with the exception of water guns and water pistols;
- Bows for archery over 120 cm long
- Fireworks, including percussion caps that are not specifically designed for toys
- Products and games using sharp-pointed missiles, such as sets of darts with metallic points
- Functional educational products, such as electric ovens, irons or other functional products, as defined in EU Directive 2009/48/EC, operated at a nominal voltage exceeding 24 V which are sold exclusively for teaching purposes under adult supervision
- Products intended for use for educational purposes in schools and other pedagogical contexts under the surveillance of an adult instructor, such as science equipment
- Electronic equipment, such as personal computers and game consoles, used to access interactive software and their associated peripherals unless the electronic equipment or the associated peripherals are specifically designed for and targeted at children and have a play value on their own, such as specially designed personal computers, keyboards, joysticks or steering wheels
- Interactive software, intended for leisure and entertainment, such as computer games, and their storage media, such as CDs
- Babies' soothers
- Child-appealing luminaires
- Electrical transformers for toys
- Fashion accessories for children which are not for use in play (see A.2)
- Personal protective equipment, including flotation aids such as armbands and swim seats (see A.23) and swimming goggles, sunglasses and other eye protectors as well as bicycle and skateboard helmets (see A.19)
In the scope, a number of toys are listed which this standard does not apply to. “Slings and catapults” includes slingshots but also, according to a communication from the EU Commission in 1992, toys (e.g. aeroplanes and rockets) which are propelled into free flight by a child releasing an elastic band.
In addition, a number of products are listed that, for the purpose of EN 71-1, are not considered toys.
However, some comments are considered to be necessary:
- “toy vehicles equipped with combustion engines” also includes the engine itself as well as spare parts
- “detailed and faithful scale models” covers, for example, replicas of ships
- the exemption for “Fashion accessories for children which are not for use in play” does not apply to jewellery with play value, for instance, jewellery sold with toy disguise costumes and (imitation) jewellery to be assembled by the child himself (for classification of toy creative kits, see European Commission’s guidance document)
It should also be observed that the CE-marking is not to be affixed to products or toys excluded from this European Standard unless an EC-type examination certificate has been issued under Directive 2009/48/EC, or if the product falls under the scope of another EU Directive which requires the affixing of the CE-marking.
What’s changed since the last update?
EN 71-1:2014 on the safety of toys supersedes BS EN 71-1:2014 and combines three amendments into one which covers:
- Cords and drawstrings in toys and packaging
- Projectiles, rotors, propellers and flying toys
- EN 71-1:2014/prA3:2015 Safety of toys - Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties
