Flammability Testing
Are your items required to undergo Flammability Testing? If your toy/item is designed for children under 14, then, yes, it is required to undergo flammability testing.
ASTM F963-08 contains the specification for toy flammability testing and states that "materials other than textiles (excluding paper) used in toys shall not be flammable." This is regulated under 16 CFR 1500.3 (c) (6) (vi) under the Federal Hazardous Substances ACT (FHSA). Currently the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does not require certification for flammability testing; however, it will be required upon commission vote to lift the stay, which is scheduled to be lifted on 2/10/11. Some states have enacted their own legislation and a number of retailers are enforcing flammability testing, making this a requirement of manufacturers, importers, and distributors. ASTM F963-08 states that all children’s toys must meet flammability requirements, and any fabrics used in the manufacture of toys should comply with 16 CFR 1610 regulations. Flammability requirements also apply to
the following areas which may affect your products:
- Fabrics Exemptions are only for fabrics made entirely or in combinations of acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, or wool.
- Children’s Sleepwear – this applies to children’s sleepwear which is regulated in 16 CFR 1615 and 1616.
In researching labs to test and certify your items, it is important to work with a lab that is accredited to perform flammability testing to ASTM F963-08. Additionally, you may want to ensure that they have the ability to test to European flammability requirements for toys, which is EN 71 Part 2.
Soluble Metals Analysis vs. Total Metals Content
What is soluble metals analysis versus analyzing for total metal content?
The Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, ASTM F963-08, became a mandatory consumer product safety standard on February 10, 2009. This standard, in conjunction with CPSIA § 101 and 16 CFR Part 1303 with regards to lead levels, places additional limits on the amount of lead, as well as antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, mercury and selenium, based on the soluble portion of that material using the prescribed extraction process. Toys manufactured after February 10, 2009, have to meet this requirement. Soluble metals analysis simulates a human digestion
process to determine if any of the eight heavy metals could be absorbed by the body of a child if the item is swallowed. A dilute hydrochloric acid solution is used as an extractant, which is similar to stomach acid. This extracted solution is then analyzed on an ICP or by an equivalent analytical technique. This testing is important since young children do most of their exploring by way of their mouth. The problem is that heavy metals absorbed into the human body are not readily removed and can reach toxic proportions in repeated exposures.
Analyzing for total metals content is different in that the total concentration for each heavy metal element is determined, as
