SAFETY OF TOYS - PART 1: SAFETY ASPECTS
RELATED TO MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES
(SECOND REVISION)
(ISO 8124-1:2014, IDT)
The requirements in this part of ISO 8124 apply to all toys, i.e. any product or material designed or
clearly intended for use in play by children under 14 years of age. They are applicable to a toy as it is
initially received by the consumer and, in addition, they apply after a toy is subjected to reasonably
foreseeable conditions of normal use and abuse unless specifically noted otherwise.
The requirements of this part of ISO 8124 specify acceptable criteria for structural characteristics of
toys, such as shape, size, contour, spacing (e.g. rattles, small parts, sharp points and edges, and hingeline clearances) as well as acceptable criteria for properties peculiar to certain categories of toy (e.g.
maximum kinetic energy values for non-resilient-tipped projectiles and minimum tip angles for certain
ride-on toys).
This part of ISO 8124 specifies requirements and test methods for toys intended for use by children in
various age groups from birth to 14 years. The requirements vary according to the age group for which a
particular toy is intended. The requirements for a particular age group reflect the nature of the hazards
and the expected mental and/or physical abilities of a child to cope with them.
This part of ISO 8124 also requires that appropriate warnings and/or instructions for use be given on
certain toys or their packaging. Due to linguistic problems which may occur in different countries, the
wording of these warnings and instructions is not specified but given as general information in Annex B.
It should be noted that different legal requirements exist in many countries with regard to such marking.
This part of ISO 8124 does not purport to cover or include every conceivable potential hazard of a
particular toy or toy category. Except for labelling requirements indicating the functional hazards
and the age range for which the toy is intended, this part of ISO 8124 has no requirements for those
characteristics of toys which represent an inherent and recognized hazard which is integral to the
function of the toy.
EXAMPLE 1 An example of such a hazard is the sharp point necessary for the proper function of a needle. The
needle is a hazard which is well understood by the purchaser of a toy sewing kit, and the functional sharp-point
hazard is communicated to the user as part of the normal educational process of learning to sew as well as at the
point of purchase by means of cautionary labelling on the product’s packaging.
EXAMPLE 2 As a further example, a two-wheeled toy scooter has inherent and recognized hazards associated
with its use (e.g. instability during use, especially while learning). The potential hazards associated with
its structural characteristics (sharp edges, pinch hazards, etc.) will be minimized by compliance with the
requirements of this part of ISO 8124.
