EN 71-2:2020 “Safety of Toys – Part 2: Flammability” is Now Published

EN 71-2:2020, approved by CEN on 2020-09-28, has now been published on 2020-12-09 to supersede EN 71-2:2011+A1:2014. As the 2nd of the 13 parts of the EN 71 series of standards on safety of toys, this standard specifies the categories of flammable materials which are prohibited in all toys, and requirements concerning flammability of certain toys when they are subjected to a small source of ignition.  Particularly, this newly revised standard increases levels of child safety when wearing “fancy dress” or “disguise costumes”.

Significance:

This standard includes general requirements relating to all toys and specific requirements and methods of test relating to the following toys, which are considered as being those presenting the greatest hazard:

• toys to be worn on the head: beards, moustaches, wigs, etc. made from pile or flowing elements; masks; hoods, headdresses, etc. (excluding paper and paperboard hats without embellishments or attachments);
• toy disguise costumes and toys intended to be worn by a child in play;
• toys intended to be entered by a child and constructed from textiles and/or polymer sheets and films;
• soft-filled toys.

Changes:

Comparing with previous revision, this standard EN 71-2:2020 increases testing of certain types of toy materials, and improves ease of use. Among the key changes, this revision:

• Increases the number and type of test specimens taken from toy disguise costumes
• Adds new definitions, including for cleansing, flowing elements, highly flammable solids, toy disguise costumes, toys intended to be entered by a child and washing
• Adds new requirements, e.g. for disguise costumes to be tested before and after washing, and for loose stuffing
• Increases the testing of smaller specimens by allowing combined or half-size specimens
• Adds clarifications on the measurement of unhindered dimensions, and of test categories applicable to toys worn on the head and to toy disguise costumes
• Adds new advice on assessing whether toys are to be entered
• Adds an annex on suggestions to manufacturers on how to reduce the rate of flame spread
• Adds an annex that clarifies how to obtain test specimens from disguise costumes

Effective Date:

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard for all EU member state, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by June 2021, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by December 2021.

References:

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