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US Publishes ASTM F963-23 for Toy Safety

01 Nov 2023

U.S. toymakers follow a mandatory set of safety rules and regulations under ASTM F963 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, created under ASTM International, is a comprehensive standard addressing numerous hazards that have been identified with toys. In 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) mandated that the voluntary toy safety standard in effect at that time become a nationwide mandatory children's product safety rule.

On October 13, ASTM International has published a revised F963 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety (ASTM F963-23), reflecting changes on Toy Safety as approved by the F15.22 Subcommittee over the past few years.

The revisions impact the sections for acoustics (sound level of toys), battery accessibility, expanding materials, and projectiles, in addition to clarifying and aligning the requirements for phthalates, exemptions for toy substrate materials, and tracking labels for toys with respective federal regulations and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) policy. Numerous editorial changes to the standard were also made.

CPSC has 90 days to object to any changes the agency determines as not enhancing toy safety. If no objections are raised, the revision becomes mandatory 180 days after notification (expected in mid-April 2024).

The detail of this revision is shown below:

Safety RequirementsRevisions
Heavy Metal
  • Revised the substrate exemption scope to align with CPSC.
Acoustics
  • Add use and abuse tests for sound-producing toys intended for children ages 8 years to 14 years. The use and abuse requirements appropriate to a child 36 months to 96 months of age are to be applied.
  • Add statement to specify if the toy has features that allow it to fit into multiple categories, it shall be tested to all applicable requirements and toys that do not clearly fit in any of the categories listed shall conform to the most appropriate requirements.
  • The following new categories and sound pressure level were listed:
  1. Hand-held Toys
  2. Rattles
  3. Stationary or Self-propelled Tabletop, Floor, or Crib Toys
  4. User-propelled Tabletop, Floor, or Crib Toys
Battery Accessibility
  • A new battery accessibility requirement was added. The new requirement specified if a fastener is used to secure the battery compartment, it shall remain attached to the toy or battery compartment cover, before and after abuse tests.
Expanding Materials
  • Added a paragraph to specify the expanding material requirement was also applicable to the following:
  1. Components of a toy which are small parts but are encased in an outer covering that is not a small part, and the outer covering is intended to be dissolved in liquid, opened, or broken by the child to reveal the inner expanding component.
  2. Components received by the consumer in an expanded state which are not small parts, but which have the potential to contract in size (such as during storage) to yield are-expandable small part.
Projectiles
  • A detail kinetic energy test method for bow and arrow was added.
Phthalates
  • Revised to align with CPSC requirement.
Tracking Label
  • New added requirement to align with CPSC requirement.

 

SGS offers a one-stop solution to all your toy needs, so that you can be sure your toys comply with relevant regulations and quality standards.

For enquiries, please contact our Customer Service team.

 

 

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