EU Toy Directive Testing

EU Toy Safety Directive testing from SGS ensures that your products comply with current and planned EU safety requirements.

The revised directive updates the Essential Safety Requirements to take account of technical progress since the original directive. EU Toy Safety Directive testing services from SGS ensure that your toys conform to updated and new toy standards (EN 71, EN 62115, etc.) as they are published. 

We offer products and material testing as part of our one-stop solution to all of your toy directive compliance needs. In accordance with applicable standards and regulations our toy testing labs carry out a wide range of tests including:

• Mechanical/physical testing
  To ensure that there are no hazardous sharp edges, sharp points or small parts, or other potential hazards (strength, fatigue, durability, tensile, torque, static, impact, noise tests etc.)
• Flammability testing
  To ensure that if a toy made from fabric, a soft toy, or a plush toy catches fire, a child can drop it or climb out of it before serious injury occurs
• Electrical safety testing
  Assess electrical safety, resistance to heat and fire, short-circuit testing
• Labeling
• Chemical testing
  The new directive brings in particular greater restriction on the volume of chemicals that may be contained in materials used in toys. The new chemical requirements will be applied from July 2013 and include:
  • Ban on substances classified as CMR (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Toxic for Reproduction)
  • New migration limits for 19 restricted elements

  • 55 allergenic fragrances may not be used in toys, only technically unavoidable traces are allowed, up to 100ppm
  • Nitrosamines/Nitrosable Substances may not be used in toys for children under 36 months and in toys intended to be placed in the mouth
  • Toys shall comply with EU REACH

Toy safety testing ensures that banned or restricted chemicals and dangerous materials are not present, as they could pose a risk if chewed or swallowed. Restricted substances include:

• Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, etc)
• Phthalates on plastic toys (softeners)
• Azo dyes in textiles
• Formaldehyde emission from wooden toys
• Nickel release when in prolonged contact with skin
• Organic chemical compounds
• etc

SGS testing services help ensure your toys are manufactured to the new requirements. Because we have experts worldwide who participate in standardization committees, we are always up to date with developing toy standards. Our global network of toy laboratories are internationally recognized by major industry associations, accreditation bodies and authorities including, but not exclusively:

• China National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (CNAL) in China
• Hong Kong Accreditation Services (HOKLAS)
• Comité Français d’Accréditation (COFRAC) in France
• United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) in UK

SGS is also an EU Notified Body for toys in France, UK, Germany and the Netherlands.

Contact SGS to find out how you can make sure your toys comply with the new EU Toy Safety Directive.