Toy safety and compliance testing for UK/EU (EN71 Part1, EN71 Part2, EN71 Part3)
Compliance testing for toys including:
Stuffed toys
Plastic toys
Wooden toys
Painted toys
Balloons
Slimes
If your product is specifically for children, you need to be confident it's safe. We test toys for toxicity, flammability and durability/physical in line with EU toy safety EN71 standards. Read below to find out more about EN71.
Toy testing for the UK/EU (EN71) - what does it mean?
Product safety testing and compliance is vital for the toy and children’s product sector, protecting company reputation and driving consumer confidence.
At The Northern Testhouse Ltd, we specialise in the safety testing of toys to European Standards EN71 Parts 1, 2 and 3, adopted by EU member states in their own national language and in the UK as BS EN 71 series.
EN71 Part 1
This checks for physical and mechanical safety aspects.
The standard covers two age groups; toys intended for children under 3 years and toys intended for children over 3 years.
Toys intended for children under 3 years prohibit sharp points, sharp edges, and small parts,
Assessment is performed after a series of abuse tests such as torque, tension, drop etc, designed to mimic children’s behavior. Small parts are determined using a small parts cylinder, often referred to as choking hazard tube.
Toys with specific functions such as projectiles, acoustics etc, also have additional requirements
EN71 Part 2
This checks for flammability aspects. All toys must comply with the general requirements which prohibit highly flammable and cellulose nitrate type materials.
Burn rate in mm/sec. only applies to certain toys such as soft toys, disguise costumes, and toys intended to be entered such as play tents and tunnels.
EN71 Part 3
This checks for the toxicity/migration of certain elements. Materials are classified in the relevant Category I, II or III type and each category has different limit of compliance expressed as mg/kg.
Most materials, such as textiles, polymers, wood, coatings, paper and paperboard etc., are Category III type.
Element |
Symbol |
Category 1 Limits |
Category 2 Limits |
Category 3 Limits |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aluminium |
Al |
2,250 |
560 |
28,130 |
Antimony |
Sb |
45 |
11.3 |
560 |
Arsenic |
As |
3.8 |
0.9 |
47 |
Barium |
Ba |
1,500 |
375 |
18,750 |
Boron |
B |
1,200 |
300 |
15,000 |
Cadium |
Cd |
1.3 |
0.3 |
17 |
Chromium (III) |
Cr |
37.5 |
9.4 |
460 |
Cobalt |
Co |
10.5 |
2.6 |
130 |
Copper |
Cu |
622.5 |
156 |
7,700 |
Lead |
Pb |
2.0 |
0.5 |
23 |
Manganese |
Mn |
1,200— |
300 |
15,000 |
Mercury |
Hg |
7.5 |
1.9 |
94 |
Nickel |
Ni |
75 |
18.8 |
930 |
Selenium |
Se |
37.5 |
9.4 |
460 |
Strontium |
Sr |
4,500 |
1,125 |
56,000 |
Tin |
Sn |
15,000 |
3,750 |
180,000 |
Zinc |
Zn |
3,750 |
938 |
46,000 |
Chromium (VI) |
|
0.02 |
0.005 |
0.2/0.053 (Scrapped) |
Organic Tin |
|
0.9 |
0.2 |
12 |
After an initial review, we will test your product and assess its conformity for the relevant safety test and certification needed to import, distribute, or sell it.
If your product passes, you will receive:
The product test reports
The UK/EU certification you need
Should your product fail, we will advise you on how to make it safe.
Contact us now to see if your product complies, and to get a personalised quotation.