Prioritizing Safety: Understanding G Mark Certification for Toys in the GCC Region

Ensuring a child’s safety is at the forefront of every parent’s mind. Parents should not need to wonder whether store-bought toys are safe for their children.

Unfortunately, seemingly harmless toys and other children’s products can pose serious health risks. These risks can be in the form of either electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazards. For this reason, it is crucial that the toys children play with must be tested and certified.

It has long been known that several chemicals used in plastic materials can be harmful to human health. However, it is particularly difficult for parents to figure out how to avoid plastic baby juvenile products containing chemicals that may cause possible health risks to their children.

This is made even more difficult as regulations and labeling schemes are different across regions and countries, and there is no international agreement on which substances should be banned from use in some of the materials used for children.

Why does it matter?

Multiple recent studies conducted by the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) into consumer products such as baby toys showed that the majority of them contained high amounts of toxic chemicals that can disrupt the immunity, nervous systems, and overall health of a baby’s long-term. The risks double when the toys produced are manufactured using certain recycled plastics. These studies revealed the presence of concerning amounts of harmful elements such as heavy and toxic metals in consumer children’s toys all across the globe. The levels revealed were well above the legal limits.

Toys Regulation in the GCC Region: G-Mark

Fortunately, considering the high risks involved, the regulations in the juvenile toy industry are constantly evolving. In the GCC region, every toy manufacturer/distributor requires a G-mark on their products. G-mark is GCC conformity quality mark which indicates that the product conforms the health, safety and environmental requirements. It is very important for the manufacturer, before placing a toy on the market, carry out an analysis of the chemical, physical, mechanical, electrical, flammability, hygiene and radioactivity hazards that the toy may present, as well as an assessment of the potential exposure to such hazards.

How can SGS help?

SGS is a Notified Body approved by the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) to test and certify toys against the legislative requirements to qualify for the G-Mark. Their experts can help carry out the necessary sampling, testing, and certification efficiently and professionally. Furthermore, with their global network of state-of-the-art toy testing laboratories, SGS can smooth your path to market.