Newsletter
CPSIA Reform Bill (H.R. 2715) – amendment of Lead and Phthalate requirements in Toys
The H.R. 2715 was signed into law by US Present Obama on 12 August 2011 to provide the Consumer Product Safety Commission with greater authority and discretion in enforcing consumer product safety laws.
Below please find some important changes on the safety standard of children’s products and toys:
Requirement on Lead in Substrate
Condition 1: Children’s products manufactured on or after 14 August 2011 – Limit 100 ppm
Condition 2: Children’s products manufactured before 14 August 2011 but in current inventories for
sale – Limit 300 ppm
Requirement on Phthalates
The existing limit of 0.1% (1,000 ppm) per phthalate (BBP, DBP, DEHP, DIDP, DINP, DNOP) becomes applicable to accessible materials in toys and childcare items. The guidance on defining product components or classes of components as inaccessible will be provided within 1 year by CPSC.
For more information,please contact us any time.
EU’s Toy Safety Standards published under new Directive 2009/48/EC
The Official Journal published a Commission communication in the framework of the implementation of Directive 2009/48/EC on the safety of toys.
Below please find the standards on the communication of 19 October list:
1) EN 71-1:2011 Safety of toys — Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties.
2) EN 71-2:2011 Safety of toys — Part 2: Flammability
3) EN 71-8:2011 Safety of toys — Part 8: Activity toys for domestic use
4) EN 62115:2005 Electric toys — Safety IEC 62115:2003 (Modified) + A1:2004
5) EN 62115:2005/A2:2011 IEC 62115:2003/A2:2010 (Modified)
6) EN 62115:2005/A2:2011/AC:2011.
In addition, the Commission has issued an announcement with the title “EU DOES NOT ban children from blowing up balloons” stating that some recent media reports have made incorrect claims about the new toys safety directive.
For more information, please refer to below link:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/toys/documents/directives/index_en.htm
Hong Kong Q.C. Center serving in Indonesia!
As your production lines are expanding into different parts of the world, we are building wider network from China to other popular manufacturing territories to serve your Quality Control needs.
If you have any inquiries for inspections in Indonesia, please contact us any time.
Safety concern of folding tables
The Hong Kong Consumer Council has raised the safety issue of folding tables due to a recent accident that a 2 years old boy was trapped at folding table who was later certified dead in hospital.
As toddlers may treat folding table as toy, they may be trapped between the foldable legs when tried to turn it over. The Council advises consumers to purchase a folding table which is equipped with safety locking devices.
Manufacturers or suppliers are urged to improve the safety of folding table and label the item with appropriate user instructions as a safety reminder to the users.
Source:http://www.consumer.org.hk/website/ws_en/news/press_releases/p42001.html
Two New RoHS Exemptions Added by European Commission
The Decision 2011/534/EU of the European Commission amending the list of exemptions for the RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC) on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment was published in the Official Journal of the European Union of 10 September 2011.
The European Commission has added two new entries <<7(c)-IV and 40>> to the RoHS exemptions list.
The annex to RoHS directive 2002/95/EC is amended with the addition of:
The Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC is amended as follows:
(a) the following point 7(c)-IV is inserted:
| 7(c)-IV | Lead in PZT based dielectric ceramic materials for capacitors being part of integrated circuits or discrete semiconductors |
(b) the following point 40 is added:
| 40 | Cadmium in photo resistors for analogue opto-couplers applied in professional audio equipment | Expires on 31 December 2013 |
CPSC Announces Outreach Plan on New Toy Safety Standard
CPSC has been working on the development of a plan to help the industry and stakeholders to learn about children's toys and toy chests tests and certification requirements as well as compliance with the new safety for toys (ASTM F 963-08 and section 4.27 (toy chests) from ASTM F 963-07ε1).
The three stages of this plan are as per below:
Stage 1 – to inform stakeholders about the needs to test and certify to the toy safety standard.
Stage 2 – to provide FQA and examples so as to have a better understanding of the requirements
Stage 3 – Education campaign launched to promote higher rates of compliance with toy standard and the testing and certification requirements.
Ban of BPA at Delaware
products containing bisphenol-A (BPA) has been passed in the state of Delaware.
The law defines children’s products as: “an empty bottle or cup capable of being filled with food or liquid that is designed or intended by a manufacturer to be used by a child under the age of four.” Manufacturers are immediately prohibited from selling these products and merchants cannot sell them after December 31, 2011.
New York Bans Tris Flame Retardant in Childcare Products
The New York state has recently approved legislation to prohibit the use of the flame retardant tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TRIS, TCEP) in childcare products for children under the age of three years.
This new law which will be effective on 1 December 2013 bans the sale of such products in New York state after 1 Dec 2013.