CPSC to Vote by Feb 15 on New ASTM Toy Standard, Staff Recommends Adoption
The Consumer Product Safety Commission will vote by February 15, 2012 on whether the agency should adopt ASTM F963-11 as the new mandatory standard for toys, replacing ASTM F963-08 (Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety1). CPSC staff recommends that the Commission accept ASTM F 963-11 as the new toy standard, and has made a briefing package available for the upcoming vote as well as the February 2 meeting to discuss the new version of the standard.
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CPSC must adopt if improves safety. Under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), CPSC must adopt the 2011 standard, unless it notifies the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) within 90 days of its receipt of ASTM’s notification of the standard (December 15, 2011) that the new standard will not improve toy safety. If no such notice occurs, the revised standard becomes effective 180 days after that December date (mid-June 2012).
Staff summarizes changes in new standard. The staff briefing package states that the new standard contains refinements, corrections, and new requirements that will increase safety and enhance the clarity and utility of the standard. Twelve new definitions, 16 references to other standards, and three new figures were added. The amount of heavy metals in substrates of toys and the test methods for determining those levels were updated to the most current requirements and procedures. The levels of lead allowed in surface coatings were also aligned with the newest federal requirements. One requirement was aligned with an international toy standard (ISO 8124).
ASTM notes changes for heavy metals, compositing, etc. According to the ASTM, changes made to the standard from the 2008 version include revisions to the section on heavy metals (e.g. cadmium), the introduction of compositing procedures, and new safety requirements and technical guidance for bath toy projections, acoustics and other potential safety hazards in toys.
1ASTM F963-08 replaced ASTM F963-07 on August 16, 2009, except that section 4.27 which covered toy chests was removed. The toy chests provision of ASTM F963-07 remains in effect (and will continue to remain in effect if ASTM F963-11 becomes the mandatory standard.
(See ITT's Online Archives 12012603 for summary of CPSC's upcoming meeting on February 2, 2012 to discuss the new ASTM F963-11 toy standard.)