The Toy Association™ Experts Lead U.S. Delegation During International Toy Safety Discussions
November 9, 2023 | Toy Association staff attended meetings from October 27 through November 3 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 in Melbourne, Australia. This year’s representation for the ANSI/US Technical Advisory Group on Toy Safety was comprised of Toy Association staff. Jos Huxley, senior vice president of technical affairs, and Joan Lawrence, senior vice president of standards & regulatory affairs, represented the U.S. perspective in the discussions that were held among representatives from more than 20 ISO member countries.
From previous committee work, the following ISO documents were published in 2023:
- Part 2 Flammability
- Part 3 Migration of certain elements (amendment)
- Part 6 Certain Phthalate Esters
- Part 12 Microbiological
Topics covered in the meetings included actions to update the ISO standards for: mechanical & physical properties of toys, total concentration of certain elements, phthalates, age determination guidelines, and activity toys, as well as the potential inclusion of requirements for short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). The working group meetings concluded with a full technical committee vote on resolutions for further work. All resolutions were approved.
In addition, Huxley serves as the convenor of the ISO working groups on mechanical and physical properties of toys (WG 1) and on age determination guidelines (WG 7), as well as acting as interim convenor on microbiological requirements (WG 10). Lawrence, as chair of the ASTM Subcommittee on Toy Safety, also presented information on the recent update to ASTM F963 to the ISO technical committee.
“Engaging in these international meetings within ISO is a crucial component of The Toy Association's ongoing effort to support harmonization of standards and to ensure that the stringent ASTM U.S. toy safety requirements are part of the alignment work for international regulatory development,” Huxley said. “By actively participating, we not only advocate for enhanced safety measures but also foster collaboration amongst international stakeholders and support a collective commitment to children's well-being & product safety.”
Toy Association members will continue to be kept apprised of ongoing updates to toy safety standards.