BS EN 71 Safety of toys
BS EN 71 is made up of eleven parts. Briefly these are:
Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties
This means all the parts of a toy that can be touched. This part of
the Standard tries to make sure that toys cannot stab, trap, mangle
or choke.
Part 2: Flammability
This part, for example, covers wendy houses, soft toys, fancy dress
clothes and disguise masks. The Standard tries to ensure that if a product
does catch fire you can drop it or get out of it before serious injury
occurs. Certain flammable materials, that pose the greatest risk, are
prohibited from all toys.
Part 3: Migration of certain elements
This basically means poisons. Limits are set for chemicals such as lead,
cadmium and mercury which may be dangerous if swallowed or chewed by
a child. For instance, you wouldn't want large quantities of lead in
paint for toy cars that could be chewed by a baby.
Part 4: Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities
Its aim is to limit the dangers of using such sets by, for example,
limiting the amount of certain chemicals used in sets.
Part 5: Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets
Includes 'toys' containing chemicals such as water based paints or photographic
developing sets. This part of the Standard sets the requirements for
the substances and materials used in them.
Part 6: Graphical symbol for age warning labelling
Covers age warning symbol labelling and specifies the requirements of
the symbols used on toys not suitable for children under the age of
three.
Part 7: Finger paints
Specifies requirements for colourants and preservatives, and is concerned
with limiting the risks of ingesting paint and of prolonged skin contact
with paint.
Part 8: Swings, slides and similar activity toys for indoor
and outdoor family domestic use
This part is concerned with limiting the dangers of protruding parts,
limiting heights and ensuring stability, and requires that no part of
a child or a child's clothing can be trapped. It also specifies that
the toy or its packaging is clearly labelled "for domestic use" and
whether it's for indoor or outdoor use.
Part 9: Organic chemical compounds (limits)
Sets the limits for over 600 substances that might be present in
toys that could cause harm to a child from chewing or sucking, from
swallowing, from contact with skin or with eyes, or from inhalation.
Part 10: Organic chemical compounds (preparation of samples)
This part specifies how samples from toys and extracted toy materials
can be prepared for testing to see if the compounds present, such as
solvents and preservatives covered by in Part 9, could cause harm to children.
Part 11: Organic chemical compounds (testing)
The third part of the series on chemical compounds sets out testing procedures
so that the toys and toy materials prepared using Part 10 can be checked
against the limits set in Part 9.