SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is helping toy manufacturers understand recent changes to Switzerland’s Toys Ordinance.
Switzerland published Official Collection 2022 125 in February 2022, thereby revising its mechanism for regulating toy safety – the Ordinance of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) on the Safety of Toys (Toys Ordinance).
The Toys Ordinance contains elements from a variety of sources, including European Union (EU) Directive 2009/48/EC, the so-called Toy Safety Directive (TSD), and Annex XVII of Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).
The recent amendment further aligns the requirements in the Toys Ordinance with those in the TSD, including:
- Amending the requirements for allergenic fragrances to be consistent with Directives (EU) 2020/2088 and (EU) 2020/2089 by:
- Adding 3,7-dimethyl-2-octen-1-ol (6,7-dihydrogeraniol) to Annex 2 Part 3 Point 9a entry 10 under Chemical Properties – the Prohibited List
- Deleting methyl heptane carbonate from Annex 2 Part 3 Point 9b Entry 10 under Chemical Properties – the Labelling List
- New restriction on aniline in certain toys:
- Intended for children under 36 months
- Intended to be placed in the mouth
The Prohibited List contains allergenic fragrances that are prohibited but their presence is allowed provided it is technically unavoidable under good managing practice (GMP) and each fragrance is no more than 100 mg/kg.
The Labeling List contains allergenic fragrances that must be listed on the toy, packaging, affixed label or accompanying leaflet if their concentrations are greater than 100 mg/kg
The requirements for aniline cover textile and leather materials – no more than 30 mg/kg after reductive cleavage – and finger paints:
- No more than 30 mg/kg after reductive cleavage
- No more than 10 mg/kg as free aniline
Official Collection 2022 125 also contains a list of the latest set of toy safety standards that demonstrate presumption of conformity:
- SN EN 71-1+A1:2018 ‘Mechanical and physical’
- SN EN 71-2:2021 ‘Flammability’
- SN EN 71-3+A1:2021 ‘Migration of certain elements’
- SN EN 71-4:2021 ‘Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities’
- SN EN 71-5:2016 ‘Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets’
- SN EN 71-7+A3:2020 ‘Finger paints’
- SN EN 71-8:2018 ‘Activity toys for domestic use’
- SN EN 71-12:2017 ‘N-nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances’
- SN EN 71-13:2021 ‘Olfactory board games, cosmetic kits and gustative game’
- SN EN 71-14:2019 ‘Trampolines for domestic use’
- SN EN IEC 62115:2020 with amendment A11:2020 ‘Electric toy safety’
These amendments came into effect on March 15, 2022. Official Collection 2022 125 states that toys which do not comply with allergenic fragrance requirements under Annex 2 in the latest amendment may be manufactured and imported under the previous law until March 14, 2023. They may then be sold to consumers until stocks are exhausted.
SGS Toy & Juvenile Product Services
SGS offers a wide range of services to ensure that products comply with relevant standards for childcare articles and children’s equipment. They provide consulting, training, product development, testing, audit and inspection services to ensure that products comply with strict regulations worldwide, demonstrating the safety and quality of juvenile products being brought to the market. After all, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s Toy & Juvenile Product Services.
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For further information contact:
Dr. HingWo Tsang
Global Information and Innovation Manager
Tel: (+852) 2774 7420
Email: crs.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines
LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail
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