All toys, defined as any object or substance developed or plainly intended for use in play by children under the age of 14, must comply with the requirements of ISO 8124-1:2018. Unless particularly stated differently, they apply to a toy when it is first obtained by the consumer and also after it has been subjected to reasonably foreseeable conditions of normal use and abuse.
The requirements of this document specify acceptable criteria for structural characteristics of toys, such as shape, size, contour, spacing (e.g. rattles, small parts, sharp points and edges, and hinge-line clearances), as well as acceptable criteria for properties unique to specific toy categories (e.g. maximum kinetic energy values for non-resilient-tipped projectiles and minimum tip angles for certain ride-on toys).
ISO 8124-1:2018 provides the standards and test methodologies for toys designed for children aged 0 to 14. The requirements differ depending on the age group for whom a toy is designed. The requirements for a certain age group reflect the nature of the threats as well as a child's expected mental and/or physical capacity to deal with them.
ISO 8124-1:2018 also mandates that certain toys and their packaging bear suitable warnings and/or instructions for use. The phrasing of these warnings and directions is not specified due to linguistic issues that may arise in different countries, but is provided as generic information in Annex B. It should be mentioned that numerous countries have varying legal requirements for such branding.
EXAMPLE NO. 1 A sharp point, which is required for the proper function of a needle, is an example of such a hazard. The functional sharp-point hazard is communicated to the user as part of the usual educational process of learning to sew as well as at the moment of purchase by way of cautionary labelling on the product's package.
EXAMPLE NO. 2 A two-wheeled toy scooter, for example, has inherent and well-known risks associated with its use (e.g. instability during use, especially while learning). Compliance with the criteria of this document will reduce the possible hazards connected with its structural characteristics (sharp edges, squeeze hazards, etc.).