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USA: ASTM publishes F963-23 toy safety standard

OCTOBER 2023 - TOYS AND CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS

On 13 October 2023, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) released the long-awaited revised Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety (ASTM F963-23¹). The revisions reflect changes approved by the F15.22 Subcommittee on Toy Safety in recent years.

The technical requirements for acoustics, battery accessibility, expanding materials, and projectiles have been impacted by the revisions. Additionally, the requirements for phthalates, exemptions for toy substrate materials, and tracking labels for toys have been clarified and aligned with relevant federal regulations and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) policy, plus numerous editorial changes.

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) mandates ASTM to send the revised standard to CPSC for review. If no objections are raised within 90 days of the notification, the revision becomes mandatory 180 days after the notification. If the Commission informs ASTM that the proposed revision does not improve safety, the existing F963 standard (ASTM F963-17) will remain in effect as a consumer product safety rule².

ASTM F963 is a comprehensive standard that addresses numerous hazards associated with toys. In 2008, the CPSIA mandated the voluntary toy safety standard in effect at that time to become a nationwide mandatory children's product safety rule.

[1] ASTM F963-23

[2] 16 CFR Part 1250

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