ISO 8124:2018 Certification

ISO 8124:2018 apply to all toys, for example any item or material structured or unmistakably expected for use in play by kids less than 14 years old. They are relevant to a toy as it is at first gotten by the customer and, furthermore, they apply after a toy is exposed to sensibly predictable states of typical utilize and misuse except if explicitly noted something else.

Universally, the ISO 8124 Certification arrangement of worldwide models created by the ISO specialized panel for the security of toys (ISO/TC 181) is looked to for confirmation.

Advantages :

 Security angles identified with mechanical and physical properties
 Toy Safety Standards
 Security of toys like Swings slides and comparable movement toys for indoor and open air family household use.
 Assurance of all out centralization of specific components in toys
 Prerequisites and test techniques for finger paints
 Trial sets for science and related exercises

Applicability :

ISO 8124:2018 is appropriate to all toys. As per the universal standard, this is any item or material planned or obviously expected for use in play by kids under 14 years old. Its degree, in any case, does exclude items, for example, bikes and slingshots. Since toys shift being used among the combination of age gatherings secured by this degree, rules cut off between various age gatherings.

Over the last ten years, there has been an increased global focus on the quality and safety of toys after a series of toy recalls made international headlines. 2007 was considered a particularly egregious year for recalls on children's products, with a total of 231 recalls, including the largest crib recall in history.

With the majority of the world's toy manufacturing output housed under one roof (China manufactures 70% of the world's toys), countries are seeing not only how internationally intertwined the toy industry is, but how truly universal are our concerns over safe children's products. In response, individual countries have both strengthened national safety regulations and taken a greater interest in conforming to a more harmonized set of international standards.

ISO 8124 "Toy Safety Standards" is an attempt by the International Organization for Standardization to establish a comprehensive set of testing methods and/or uniform standards for toy products meant to "minimize potential hazards associated with toys." ISO 8124 has been modeled largely on the European Union's EN-71 and the United States' ASTM F963.

However, ISO emphasizes that national markets still have the final word on market compliance and that toy manufacturers and importers should stay up to date on all individual market requirements.

Here are the eight principal Toy Safety Standards which make up ISO 8124.

ISO 8124 Part 1:2018: "Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties"

Part 1, with a few exceptions, covers all toys meant for children 14 years and younger. The focus of this section is on the physical and mechanical aspects of a toy's various components. The standard was updated in 2018 to harmonize with recent changes to ASTM F963 and EN-71. Changes include:

• Established minimum tip angles of certain ride on toys
• Modified definitions, including "cords", "elastic", "A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level" and "pull or push toy"
• Modified kinetic energy requirements for arrows
• Warning clarifications for toys designed for children between the ages of 36 and 72 months
• Subclauses distinguishing various cords, loops, strings, and straps.

Perhaps the most common deviation of ISO 8124 from various national standards would be for labeling requirements, as it is difficult for an international body to establish definitive phrasing for countries with different languages. Labeling standards here are largely generalized, so even if you follow ISO 8124 closely, you should pay particular attention to your target market's labeling (and language) requirements.

Part 2:2014: "Flammability"

This section is concerned with the potential of all toys to catch fire under the slightest ignition source. Under the standard, particular attention is paid to toys:

• meant to be worn (costumes, wigs, fake mustaches and beards, masks, hoods, head-dresses, etc.)
• toys meant to be entered by a child
• soft-filled toys (stuffed animals, dolls) with either a piled or textile surface.

Part 3:2010: "Migration of certain elements"

The chemical makeup of toy products have come under increased scrutiny as more and more traditional manufacturing materials have been found to be hazardous to children's health. Toys come in constant contact with children's skin (and babies' mouths) and substances can thus be easily absorbed or ingested.

This standard specifies acceptable substance threshold levels, as well as methods of sampling and extraction prior to testing, for migration of antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium.

Toy materials with established acceptable migration levels include:

• coatings (paints, varnishes, lacquers, inks, polymers)
• laminates
• paper and cardboard
• natural and synthetic textiles
• metallic materials
• modeling materials (clays, gels)
• children's use paints
• packaging material

Part 4:2014: "Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family domestic use"

This section addresses home playground equipment, also classified as "activity toys" -- "intended to bear the mass of one or more children" -- such as swings, slides, rocking toys, climbing frames, inflatable bounce houses, and toy pools.

Safety standards cover aspects of these activity toys, such as their:

• anchor (the device used to connect the product to the ground)
• barrier (the device used to keep children from falling from elevated surfaces)
• entrapment (potential for the body or clothing to become trapped in a section of the product)
• forced movement (the swinging, sliding, rocking or revolving of equipment under a child's use).

Part 5:2015: "Determination of total concentration of certain elements in toys"

Part 5 is associated with Part 3 "Migration of certain elements." It defines a method for determining the total concentration of the elements specified in ISO 8124.3:2010.

Any material with total concentration limits below the prescribed threshold can also be considered in conformance with Part 3 of ISO 8124.

Part 6:2014: "Certain phthalate esters in toys and children's products"

Over the last few decades, research has brought new focus to the potential harms of these commonly used plastic softeners. Because they are used as intermolecular "lubricants" and are not chemically bonded to the host material, phthalates, particularly those with low molecular weight, can easily become separated from plastic. Phthalate residue, when ingested or absorbed by the body, has been linked to long-term developmental disorders, such as disrupted hormonal development and reproductive disorders.

The EU introduced the first major phthalate restriction in 1999, which restricted the use of six phthalates. In 2008, both the United States and China implemented similar phthalate restriction standards. ISO 8124.6:2014 is based largely off of China's GB/T 22048-2008.

The goal of this section isn't to set prescriptive phthalate limits in toy materials -- ISO acknowledges that national standards determine those limits -- but to establish a standard method for conformity assessment.

Part 7:2015: "Requirements and test methods for finger paints"

Because of the tactile nature of finger paints, and the fact that these substances will inevitably find their way into children's bodies -- through the mouth, the eyes and the skin -- this section focuses on the use of safe ingredients and limitations on impurities which may be found in these ingredients (occurring either naturally or during production).

ISO makes clear that this standard specifically applies to finger paints and not paints meant for the face or the body.

Substances, such as colorants, humectants (which helps delay drying), binding agents and preservatives, are addressed in this section, along with specific packaging and labeling requirements.

ISO/TR 8124 Part 8:2016: "Age determination guidelines"

One of the most important first steps to toy development is determining the appropriate age for toy product usage. Part 8 is a Technical Report that harmonizes with leading national standards (EN-71 and ASTM F963), so that a reliable guide can be used to provide information about ages at which children begin playing with certain toys. It is useful for toy manufacturers and compliance evaluation agencies, as well as for toy product safety organizations and individual parents.

International Standards for Streamlined Testing and More Consistent Production

In essence, the international harmonization of toy safety standards aims to:

• Reduce testing redundancies
• Close toy safety testing gaps
• Allow more various national input into improving current standards
• Produce more uniform Technical Reports -- like ISO Part 8 "Age determination guidelines"
• Eliminate discrepancies and oversights between a toy company and their factory.

To the last point, a significant amount of toy recalls are not caused by initial design flaws, but rather by problems introduced during production -- and often after successful initial batch tests. The continued harmonization of toy safety standards will help make communication between toy companies and factories more transparent.

So will a proven testing service with extensive lab and factory inspection experience.

DASH provides toy safety testing and factory line inspections that begins at the Quality Assurance stage and continues through your initial product check and beyond, so you can stay on top of your production, batch after batch. With constant eyes on the factory floor, you do not need to worry about sudden production deviations that can put your safety standards -- and the safety of children -- at risk.

Our testing methods are in line with all national and international specifications so that your toy product won't fall through regulations gaps.

Toys and children's products are truly part of an international industry, with shared concerns and increasingly shared specifications. ISO 8124 "Toy Safety Standards" has developed into an essential touchstone for national markets as they continue to evolve their own testing requirements. With DASH lab testing and inspection, your safe toy product is capable of making any market.

The International Standards Organization (ISO) published an updated version of ISO 8124-1 “Safety of toys -- Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties”. The updated standard, ISO 8124-1:2018, includes updates to several areas including:

Definitions:

• Modification of the following definitions: cords, elastic, fixed loop, tangled loop, noose, electrical cable, cord with the potential to tangle, large and bulky toy, paper, pompom, A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level, maximum A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level, pull or push toy.

• Addition of the following definitions: paperboard and steady state sound

• Deletion of the following definitions: steady state sound and impulsive sound

Exemptions reasonably foreseeable abuse testing:

• Exemption of paperboard and fibrous filling material from foreseeable abuse testing

Warnings

• Clarification of warning requirements for toys for children 36 months and over but under 72 months

Arrows

• Modification of energy density requirements.

Cords

• Revision of cord requirements and methods to align with EN 71-1.

• Addition of yo-yo balls, straps, sledges and toboggans requirements

Acoustics

• Modified c-weighted requirements for close-to-the-ear toys

• Reformatted for clarity, but no alignment with EN 71-1 regarding child activated toys

Large and bulky toys

• Modified tip over test and definition

ISO 8124-1:2018 specifies requirements and test methods for toys intended for use by children up to 14 years of age. Several countries including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa and Vietnam accept ISO 8124 to show compliance to toy safety. The United States and EU have their own mandatory standards, ASTM F963 and EN 71, respectively.

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