The ACCC is proposing to update the mandatory safety standard for children’s toys containing magnets to allow suppliers to comply with any of the following widely-adopted voluntary standards:
- International Standard (ISO 8124-1:2018 Safety of toys – Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties)
- European Standard (EN 71-1:2014+A1:2018 Safety of toys – Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties)
- American Standard (ASTM F963 – 17 Standard consumer safety specification for toy safety)
- Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2019 – Safety of toys Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties, which is a domestic adoption of the International Standard).
The proposed safety standard would not impose any requirements other than those contained in these standards. Allowing compliance with these standards would reduce the current regulatory complexity and duplication for suppliers, thereby reducing technical barriers to trade.
While these standards have comparable requirements to the current mandatory safety standard, they intend to reduce the consumer hazard by limiting the scope of toys that are permitted to be supplied with ‘loose as-received’ small high-powered magnets.
The attached consultation paper outlines our preliminary consideration of the hazards and policy approaches for five children's toys standards, including the mandatory safety standard for children's toys containing magnets.
