Toy Association Contributes to International Talks About Toy Safety

November 8, 2022 | Toy Association staff and members attended virtual meetings over the past two weeks that brought together consumer product safety professionals from around the world to help align global toy safety standards and identify areas for improvement.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 181 on Toy Safety and its various technical working groups, together responsible for the ISO 8124 series of toy standards, met October 26 through November 4. The U.S. delegation, comprised of members of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group on Toy Safety on behalf of the American National Standards Institute (the U.S. member of ISO), and included staff from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other experts. The delegation presented the U.S. perspective in the discussions that were held among representatives from government, industry, testing labs, and consumer groups from 17 ISO member countries.

Topics covered in the meetings included standards for: migration of certain elements (such as a new requirement in development for boron in slimes and putties), flammability, age determination guidelines, and, following the recent 2022 publication of ISO 8124 Part 1, potential future work items for physical and mechanical properties. The working group meetings concluded with a full technical committee vote on resolutions for further work. All resolutions were approved.

Among the approved resolutions was recognition of the leadership of Frank Gibbs, senior director of regulatory compliance for Mattel, who was the former convenor of the international working group on mechanical and physical properties. Gibbs led the group for many years and shepherded the revision of the standard completed earlier this year before retiring from his ISO leadership role. Jos Huxley, senior vice president of technical affairs for The Toy Association, was approved by the ISO technical committee as the new convenor for this working group and will carry on this work.

“Participating in these ISO meetings is an essential part of The Toy Association’s ongoing work in advocating for consistent global safety standards that align with the rigorous U.S. toy safety requirements,” Huxley said. “We are encouraged by the outcome of these meetings that will ultimately help to ensure safer products for children everywhere.”

Toy Association members will continue to be kept apprised of ongoing updates to toy safety standards.