European Union (EU) ‘Directive 2009/48 on the safety of toys’

Established by the European parliament and the council on the safety of toys, the Toy Safety Directive (TSD) sets rules for obligatory standards for toy manufacturers, importers and distributors. Toys are generally defined as products designed or intended for play for children under 14. This excludes toy vehicles, for example, with combustion engines or toy steam engines. Annex I lists 19 products that are not considered toys within the meaning of the Directive. Article 10 of the Directive determines ‘essential safety requirements’ such as avoiding health and safety risks to ‘users or third parties when used as intended or in a foreseeable way’*. Warning labels and instructions for use are required to inform users of ‘inherent hazards and risks of harm involved in using the toys, and of ways to avoid such hazards and risks.’* General and specific warnings as well as necessary precautions are documented in Annex V of the Directive, e.g. for toys not intended for use by children under 36 months, or for activity, chemical and aquatic toys. Annex II refers to particular safety requirements, related to e.g. physical and mechanical properties, flammability, chemical and electrical properties as well as hygiene (cleanliness and microbiological contamination) and radioactivity. Prior to placing a toy on the market, design and construction must comply with Article 10 and Annex II. Some concrete requirements are already mentioned here. Article 13 adds that ‘toys in conformity with harmonized standards’* (especially the EN 71 series and EN 62115 standards), ‘the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, shall be presumed in conformity’* with this Directive. Articles 15 – 17 demand that manufacturers draw up an EC Declaration of Conformity (usually as a self-declaration) and ‘the CE marking shall be affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly to the toy, to an affixed label or to the packaging.’* Article 18 additionally requires manufacturers to carry out safety assessments, before placing toys on the market. Article 20 describes the procedure of an ‘EC-type examination’ and involves a Notified Body which ascertains and certifies that a toy satisfies the provisions of the Directive. Article 21 mandates further technical documentation. TÜV Rheinland is accredited to perform all essential toy testing as well as conduct EC-type examinations. Make use of our long-term experience in toy testing and certification to ensure your conformity with the European Union (EU) ‘Directive 2009/48’ as well as your compliance with other regional or local safety regulations and standards. *Source: Directive 2009/48/EC of the European parliament and the council on the safety of toys, Article 2.1 and 2.2, Article 10.2, Article 13, and Article 17 Contact our experts for a quote!