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Australia: Adoption of the new safety standard for toys for children 3 years old and under

SEPTEMBER 2023 - TOYS AND CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS

On 4 September 2023, the Australian Government published the new safety standard¹ for children’s toys. The mandatory standard, the Consumer Goods (Toys for Children up to and including 36 Months of Age) Safety Standard 2023, sets out the requirements for toys for children up to and including 36 months of age. Suppliers have until 4 March 2025 to transition to the requirements of the new mandatory standard.

This safety standard prescribes requirements from the voluntary Australian and comparable overseas standards which seek to minimise the risk of young children choking or suffocating on small parts in toys and therefore preventing serious injury or death. The standard also places a new requirement on the battery compartments of toys.

The mandatory standard allows compliance with one of the following:

• Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2023 Safety of toys – Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties; or
• International (ISO) standard ISO 8124 1:2022 Safety of toys – Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties; or
• European (EN) standard EN 71 1:2014 + A1:2018: Safety of toys – Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties; or
• American (ASTM) standard ASTM F963 17 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety.

In addition, an electric toy must comply with modified requirements of the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 62115:2018 Electric toys – Safety. The aim is to ensure that kids in this age group cannot open the battery compartment or take out the batteries without the use of a tool. All the other requirements of the Button Batteries Safety Standard², including the requirement relating to compartment fasteners, still apply to all toys for children up to and including 36 months that contain batteries.

[1] Consumer Goods (Toys for Children up to and including 36 Months of Age) Safety Standard 2023

[2] Consumer Goods (Products Containing Button/Coin Batteries) Safety Standard 2020

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