A complete analysis of TPR toy safety requirements in the EU market

A complete analysis of TPR toy safety requirements in the EU market: Compliance points and response strategies

Introduction
In the global business environment, the EU market has become an important target market for many TPR toy exporters with its huge consumption capacity and strict quality standards. However, in order to successfully enter and gain a foothold in the EU market, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of and strictly abide by its series of special safety requirements for TPR toys. This article will deeply analyze the EU’s safety regulations on TPR toys and provide you with comprehensive compliance guidance when developing the EU market.

1. EU Toy Safety Regulatory Framework
Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC: This is the core regulation of the EU toy safety management, requiring all toys sold in the EU market to comply with relevant safety standards, covering special safety requirements in six aspects, including physical and mechanical properties, flammability, chemical properties, electrical properties, hygiene, and radioactivity.
EN71 Standard Series: This is the EU’s testing standard for toys, crafts, and decorations, and it is also one of the key standards that TPR toys must meet when exporting to the EU.
REACH Regulation: The full name is the “Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals” Regulation, which mainly manages chemical substances in toys to protect human health and environmental protection.

2. Physical and mechanical performance requirements of TPR toys
Sharp edges and corners test: TPR toys must not contain sharp edges and corners to avoid cutting, scratching and other injuries to children under normal use or reasonably foreseeable abuse. During the test, it is necessary to check whether the surface of the toy is smooth and whether there are edges that may scratch children’s skin.
Small parts tensile test: For TPR toys with small parts, such as plush toy eyes, plastic toy joints, etc., tensile tests are required to ensure that these small parts will not fall off under a certain tensile force to prevent children from swallowing them by mistake and causing suffocation. Generally, the tensile force of small parts is required to be ≥90N.
Pressure test: Test the deformation of TPR toys under pressure, requiring the deformation rate to be <15% to ensure that the toys will not cause safety hazards due to excessive deformation during normal use.

3. Flame retardant performance requirements for TPR toys
Burning speed limit: According to the different materials and usage scenarios of toys, the EU has certain restrictions on the burning speed of TPR toys. For example, the burning speed of plush TPR toys should be ≤30mm/s, and head-mounted TPR toys must self-extinguish within 5 seconds after flame contact.
Flame retardant test method: Use standard test methods, such as ISO 10302, to test the flame retardant performance of TPR toys to ensure that they will not burn quickly when encountering a fire source, thereby reducing the risk of fire.

4. Chemical safety requirements for TPR toys
Eight heavy metal dissolution test: It is necessary to test the dissolution of eight heavy metals such as antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and tin in TPR toys to ensure that their content is lower than the specified limit value to prevent children from absorbing these harmful substances through oral or skin contact and being harmed.
Phthalates content test: Since TPR toys are plastic products, the content of phthalates is strictly controlled. For TPR toys for children under 3 years old, 6 phthalate tests are usually required; for toys for children over 3 years old, 3 tests are generally required.
Other Hazardous Chemical Restrictions : According to REACH regulations, TPR toys must not contain harmful chemicals such as carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproductive toxic substances, endocrine disruptors, inhaled allergens, specific organic toxic substances, etc.

5. Electrical Performance Requirements for TPR Toys
Voltage Limitation : TPR toys must not be driven by a DC power supply with a rated voltage exceeding 24 volts or an equivalent AC power supply, and any accessible part of the toy must not exceed 24 volts DC or an equivalent AC voltage to prevent electric shock hazards.
Insulation and Mechanical Protection Requirements : The electrical parts of the toy must have appropriate insulation and mechanical protection measures to ensure that no safety accidents are caused by electrical failures during normal use.
Temperature Limitation : The maximum temperature reached by all directly accessible surfaces during operation will not cause burns due to contact.

6. Hygiene and radioactivity requirements for TPR toys
Hygiene requirements: The design and production of TPR toys must ensure that they meet hygiene and cleanliness requirements to avoid any infection, disease and contamination hazards. The design and production of TPR toys for children under 36 months must ensure that they can be cleaned.
Radioactivity requirements: Toys must not contain radioactive substances to prevent potential harm to children’s health.

7. Special requirements in the EU’s new toy safety regulation proposal
Product passport requirements: Manufacturers must create a product passport containing compliance information for TPR toys, which will replace the EU’s compliance declaration. The product passport should include the toy’s unique product identifier, the name and address of the manufacturer or the manufacturer’s authorized representative, the CE mark, a list of allergenic fragrances, and any substances of high concern present in the toy.
Special warning requirements: TPR toys should be accompanied by special warnings, and the warning sign should start with “Warning” or use a universal image to remind consumers of the potential risks that the toy may have.

8. Compliance certification and testing process
Choose an authoritative testing agency: Manufacturers should choose testing agencies with relevant qualifications and experience, such as SGS, TÜV, Intertek, etc., to conduct comprehensive testing and certification of TPR toys.
Prepare test samples and documents: Prepare sufficient test samples and relevant technical documents according to the requirements of the testing agency, such as detailed descriptions of design and manufacturing, safety assessments, and conformity assessment procedures followed.
Conduct testing and evaluation: The testing agency will conduct a series of tests on TPR toys, including physical and mechanical properties tests, flame retardant tests, chemical tests, etc., to evaluate whether they meet EU safety requirements.
Obtain certification certificates: If TPR toys pass all tests and evaluations, manufacturers will obtain corresponding certification certificates, such as CE certification certificates, etc., proving that the products meet EU safety standards and can legally enter the EU market.

9. Strategies and suggestions for responding to EU safety requirements
In-depth understanding of regulatory requirements: Manufacturers should pay close attention to the latest developments and changes in EU toy safety regulations, and have an in-depth understanding of the specific content and implementation details of various safety requirements, so that they can accurately follow the relevant regulations during product design, production and sales.
Strengthen supply chain management: Select qualified raw material suppliers and component manufacturers to ensure that the raw materials and components provided meet the EU safety standards. At the same time, establish a complete supply chain quality control system to strictly control the procurement, acceptance, and use of raw materials to prevent unqualified raw materials from entering the production process.
Optimize product design and production process: According to the EU safety requirements, optimize and improve the product design and production process of TPR toys. For example, in the design stage, fully consider the physical and mechanical properties, flame retardant properties and other factors of the toys, and adopt reasonable structural design and material selection to improve the safety and quality of the products.
Establish a complete quality control system: Manufacturers should establish a complete quality control system, strengthen the monitoring and management of each link in the production process, and ensure that the quality and safety performance of the products are stable and reliable. From the inspection of raw materials, the inspection of semi-finished products in the production process, and the factory inspection of finished products, they must be strictly operated in accordance with relevant standards and specifications to promptly discover and solve quality problems.
Strengthen communication and cooperation with customers: Maintain close communication and cooperation with international wholesale buyers, understand their specific needs and expectations, and promptly inform them of product compliance and quality assurance measures. At the same time, we actively cooperate with customers to cope with various challenges in the EU market, jointly develop the market and improve the competitiveness of products.

Conclusion
The EU market has extremely strict safety requirements for TPR toys, covering physical and mechanical properties, flame retardant properties, chemical safety, electrical properties, hygiene and radioactivity. When developing the EU market, manufacturers must fully understand and strictly abide by these safety requirements to ensure product compliance. By selecting authoritative testing agencies for certification and testing, strengthening supply chain management, optimizing product design and production processes, and establishing a sound quality control system, we can effectively improve the safety and quality of TPR toys, reduce market risks, and thus succeed in the EU market.