Safety Education Program

 

Toy safety has long been the priority for The Toy Association and the toy industry.

Bringing joy through the magic of play is what motivates this industry – and toy safety is a critical part of that quest. Toys are highly regulated worldwide, and it’s critically important that industry representatives be knowledgeable regarding these requirements so that companies can remain compliant, even as regulations and standards change.

The Toy Association’s Safety Education Program is designed to provide participants with a detailed overview of the key state, federal, and international safety regulations and requirements impacting the toy industry.

Toy Association senior staff and outside experts will conduct educational sessions on varied topics such as the basic requirements for the US and some key markets, testing and certification, and how to navigate compliance-related barriers between markets. This program is fully accessible online in structured modules.

Who Should Attend

All toy industry stakeholders.

The session is specifically recommended for quality assurance, product integrity, product safety, and regulatory affairs professionals, as well as toy inventors and designers, compliance officers and legal team members. 

The course is free for Toy Association members and $495 for non-members.

Register for course

Course Description

Objective:

Wherever your toys are sold in the U.S., they need to be compliant with federal product safety requirements. In four 30-minute modules, learn about these requirements, the laws and regulations that apply to toys, the agencies that regulate them, and how to ensure compliance.

What You Will Learn

In this section, the following topics are among those that will be covered:

  • Federal Rules, Regulations, and Enforcement Agencies
    This section will provide an overview of the federal product safety landscape. We will introduce the laws, regulations, and requirements that you must comply with and the agencies who enforce the regulations.
  • The ASTM F963 Toy Safety Standard: What you Need to Know
    Toys sold in the U.S. market are required to comply with ASTM F963 which includes dozens of provisions that apply to all sorts of toys. This module will help decode the standard by going through the basics of the requirements, provide information on how to determine which of the provisions apply to your toy, and how to keep track of updates to the standard, etc. This topic is divided into two sections as follows:
    • Part 1 – Introduction, Mechanical and Physical Requirements
    • Part 2 – Labeling, Electrical, Flammability, Chemical and Other Requirements 
  • U.S. Testing and Certification Requirements: A Practical Guide for Manufacturers, Importers and Retailers
    All toys sold in the U.S. need to be certified compliant based on third-party testing. Where do you begin? Learn about the basic legal testing and certification requirements – covering topics like frequency of testing, identifying a testing lab, creating a sample, and how long a certification is valid.

Presenters

  • Al Kaufman, senior vice president, technical affairs, The Toy Association
  • Joan Lawrence, senior vice president, standards and regulatory affairs, The Toy Association
  • Rebecca Mond, vice president of federal government affairs, The Toy Association

Objective

In addition to the federal laws in the U.S., some states have layered on additional requirements for products sold in their states.  In three roughly 30-minute modules, participants will gain knowledge of state laws related to children’s products including chemical regulation, electronic waste requirements, packaging laws, plush toy regulations, toy gun standards, and children’s privacy laws.

What You Will Learn:

  • U.S. State Laws and Regulations 101
    This module is an overview of the state laws related to children’s products including chemical regulation, electronic waste requirements, packaging laws, plush toy regulations, toy gun standards, and children’s privacy laws. The module will include resources related to these programs, and standards and guidance on where to find additional information.
  • U.S. State Laws and Regulations 102:
    This module is a closer look at the key requirements/deadlines of state/local chemical regulations specific to children’s products. State and local regulations covered will include:
    • Washington State “Children’s Safe Products Act” (CSPA)
    • Oregon “Toxic Free Kids Act” (TFKA)
    • Maine “Kid’s Safe Products Act”
    • Vermont “Chemicals Disclosure Program” (CDP)
    • New York County Laws in Albany, Suffolk & Westchester
  • U.S. State Laws and Regulations 103:
    California’s Prop 65: This module will provide an overview of California’s Proposition 65, requirements for warning regulations & product labeling, safe harbors, and other requirements specific to toys. Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to California residents about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

Presenter

Jennifer Gibbons, vice president of state government affairs, The Toy Association

Objective

This session, in four 30-minute modules, will provide attendees with an overview of how toys are regulated in Canada, the European Union, and in countries using the ISO toy safety standard as the basis of their national requirements.  

What You Will Learn

This session will provide an overview of international requirements for toys, including specifics of how compliance may be most efficiently achieved. International requirements covered will include the following, as well as guidance regarding which regulations apply to specific types of toys:

  • International Standards: What you Need to Know Part 1 – Canada Requirements
    The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, Toy Regulations, Heavy Elements requirements, Phthalates Regulations, Play Tent Flammability
  • International Standards: What you Need to Know Part 2 – European Union
    EN71, Parts 1, 2, and 3 (mechanical/physical, flammability, heavy elements)
  • International Standards: What you Need to Know Part 3 – European Union
    EN71 Parts 4, 5, 7, and 9-13 (e.g. chemistry sets, finger paints, organic substances, etc.)
  • International Standards: What you Need to Know Part 4 – ISO  8124
    Overview of ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) and key areas of ISO’s toy standard ISO 8124

Presenters

  • Alan Kaufman, senior vice president of technical affairs, The Toy Association
  • Christian Wetterberg, senior director of product safety and compliance, The LEGO Group and chairman of CEN Technical Committee 52 on Toy Safety and ISO Technical Committee 181 on Toy Safety