Toy testing OVERVIEW
Austest Laboratories Melbourne is accredited for testing to the toy standards AS/NZS ISO 8124.1 and AS/NZS ISO 8124.2 and can help you confirm your products comply with the Australian Standards.
AS/NZS ISO 8124.1 Safety of toys
Part1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties covers:
This standard applies to all toys, i.e. any product or material clearly intended for use in play by children under 14 years of age. Testing covers the following specific test methods:
- Small parts test,
- Test for shape and size of certain toys,
- Small balls test,
- Test for pompoms,
- Test for preschool play figures,
- Accessibility of a part or component,
- Sharp edge test,
- Sharp point test,
- Test for cords,
- Impact test for toys that cover the face,
- Kinetic energy of projectiles, bows and arrows,
- Determination of temperature increase and
- Reasonable foreseeable abuse tests which include Drop tests, Tip-over tests, Torque tests, Tension tests, Compression tests and Flexure tests.
AS/NZS ISO 8124.2 Safety of toys
Part2: Flammability
This standard includes general requirements relating to all toys and specific requirements and methods of testing relating to:
- toys to be worn on the head,
- toy disguise costumes,
- toys intended to be worn by a child in a play,
- toys intended to be entered by a child and
- soft-filled toys with a piled surface or textile surface.
AS/NZS ISO 8124.3 Safety of toys
Part3: Migration of certain elements
Austest Laboratories also tests toys, components of toys and toy materials for the presence of Lead (Pb) and other heavy elements ( Cd, As, Sb, Ba, Cr, Se, Hg), as indicated in AS/NZS ISO 8124.3, Migration of certain elements, using XRF scanning. Young children often place toys in their mouth to explore them by sucking and chewing on them. Harmful element can enter children’s system and cause them to get very ill. Austest can screen your products for the presence of these restricted elements. The requirements in part 3 of AS/NZS ISO 8124 apply to the following:
- all intended food and oral contact toys,
- cosmetic toys and writing instruments categorized as toys irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling;
- all toys intended for or suitable for children up to 72 months of age;
- accessible coatings, irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling;
- accessible liquids, pastes, gels (e.g. liquid paints, modelling compounds), irrespective of any age grading or recommended age labelling.
Austest Laboratories is the only lab in Australia accredited for parts 1 and 2 of AS/NZS ISO 8124. Accredited testing offers the highest level of testing competence available and accredited labs are independently audited by an accreditation body that is a signatory of the International Laboratory Accreditation Committee (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) . As an example, A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) and NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) are both signatories to the ILAC and APLAC MRA’s for mutual acceptance of test data and reports. Don’t trust non accredited testing!
