CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND RETAIL E-SSENTIALS

Australia: ACCC updates mandatory standard for projectile toys AND AQUATIC TOYS

JUNE 2020 – RELEVANT FOR: TOYS PRODUCTS

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has recently updated the mandatory safety standards for projectile toys¹, and aquatic toys², which aim to further protect children from serious eye injuries or choking from projectile toys and serious injury or death to children from drowning. 

The new standards incorporate by reference with certain sections in national safety standard AS/NZS 8124.1:2019 with modification. They also allow suppliers to comply with relevant sections in international standards to demonstrate the product compliance of mechanical and physical properties. The updates are summarised in the following table.

**A new warning statement “WARNING: Do not aim at eyes or face” is now required for projectile toys which can launch a projectile more than 300 millimetres. This warning statement should be clearly legible and visible on the packaging and instructions accompanying the toy.

The Commission published a combined consultation papers for the five toy standards regulated by existing standards from 1 February to 9 April 2017. The safety standards for projectile toys and aquatic toys are two of the five standards.

[1] Consumer Goods (Projectile Toys) Safety Standard 2020
[2] Consumer Goods (Aquatic Toys) Safety Standard 2020