Product Safety Laws, Regulations and Standards

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a notice to address the CPSC acceptance requirements for accreditation of third-party conformity assessment bodies for testing toys, pursuant to ASTM F963-08, and for testing toy chests, pursuant to section 4.27 of ASTM F963-07e1.

Accordingly, each manufacturer of children’s products covered by the ASTM Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety shall have the products with a certificate of compliance following applicable sections of prescribed standards issued by a third-party conformity assessment body that is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by an ILAC-MRA member and recognized by the CPSC if such products are manufactured on or after January 1, 2012:

1.    ASTM F963-07e1 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety
Section 4.27 Toy Chests (except labeling and/or instructional literature requirements)

2.    ASTM F963-08 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety

• Section 4.3.5.2 Surface Coating Materials-Soluble Test for Metals
• Section 4.3.6.3 Cleanliness of Liquids, Pastes, Putties, Gels, and Powders (except for cosmetics and tests on formulations used to prevent microbial degradation) 
• Section 4.3.7 Stuffing Materials 
• Section 4.5 Sound Producing Toys 
• Section 4.6 Small Objects (except labeling and/or instructional literature requirements) 
• Section 4.7 Accessible Edges (except labeling and/or instructional literature requirements) 
• Section 4.8 Projections 
• Section 4.9 Accessible Points (except labeling and/or instructional literature requirements) 
• Section 4.10 Wires or Rods 
• Section 4.11 Nails and Fasteners 
• Section 4.12 Packaging Film 
• Section 4.13 Folding Mechanisms and Hinges 
• Section 4.14 Cords, Straps, and Elastics 
• Section 4.15 Stability and Overload Requirements 
• Section 4.16 Confined Spaces 
• Section 4.17 Wheels, Tires, and Axles 
• Section 4.18 Holes, Clearances, and Accessibility of Mechanisms 
• Section 4.19 Simulated Protective Devices (except labeling and/or instructional literature requirements) 
• Section 4.20.1 Pacifiers with Rubber Nipples/Nitrosamine Test 
• Section 4.20.2 Toy Pacifiers 
• Section 4.21 Projectile Toys 
• Section 4.22 Teethers and Teething Toys 
• Section 4.23.1 Rattles with Nearly Spherical, Hemispherical, or Circular Flared Ends 
• Section 4.24 Squeeze Toys 
• Section 4.25 Battery-Operated Toys (except labeling and/or instructional literature requirements) 
• Section 4.26 Toys Intended to Be Attached to a Crib or Playpen (except labeling and/or instructional literature requirements) 
• Section 4.27 Stuffed and Beanbag-Type Toys 
• Section 4.30 Toy Gun Marking 
• Section 4.32 Certain Toys with Spherical Ends 
• Section 4.35 Pompoms 
• Section 4.36 Hemispheric-Shaped Objects 
• Section 4.37 Yo-Yo Elastic Tether Toys 
• Section 4.38 Magnets (except labeling and/or instructional literature requirements) 
• Section 4.39 Jaw Entrapment in Handles and Steering Wheels

However, the following sections in ASTM F963-08 and labeling requirements in section 4.27 of ASTM F963-07e1 do not need to be third-party tested in support of the certification required by section 14 of the CPSA (Consumer Product Safety Act):

1.    ASTM F963-08

• food and cosmetics, products traditionally outside the Commission’s jurisdiction
• manufacturing process that cannot be evaluated meaningfully by a test of the finished product (e.g. the purified water provision at section 4.3.6.1) 
• requirements for labeling, instructional literature, or producer’s markings 
• assessments that are conducted by the unaided eye and without any sort of tool or device 
• specific phthalate (because section 108 of the CPSIA specifically addresses phthalates and will be the subject of a separate notice of requirements) (Section 4.3.8)

2.    Section 4.27 of ASTM F963-07e1

• requirements for labeling, instructional literature, or producer’s markings

3.    For products subject to ASTM F963–08 and/or section 4.27 of ASTM F963–07e1 that are not "children's products" as defined in the CPSA.

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