Australia: Review of the mandatory safety standard for toys containing lead and other elements

 

Australia has announced a limited review of the mandatory safety standard for toys containing lead and other elements.

The mandatory standard for toys containing lead and other elements came into effect in 2009 to protect children in Australia from harmful levels of lead and other toxic elements in toys. This standard sets maximum migration limits for certain elements and provides guidelines for testing specific elements in children’s toys and finger paints.

The ACCC is currently conducting a limited review of the mandatory standard to seek stakeholder feedback on:

• Expanding compliance options by referencing relevant voluntary Australian and international standards that offer an equivalent or higher level of safety.
• The potential use of dynamic references, allowing updates to referenced voluntary standards to automatically flow through to the mandatory standard.

The review specifically seeks input on permitting suppliers to comply with the most recent version of the voluntary Australian/New Zealand standard:

• AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2021/Amd 1:2023 – Safety of toys, Part 3: Migration of certain elements

Additionally, the review considers allowing compliance with the following voluntary international standard:

• ISO 8124-3:2020/Amd 1:2023 – Safety of toys, Part 3: Migration of certain elements

Note: The Australian/New Zealand standard is a direct adoption of the ISO standard.

The proposed approach would not introduce new requirements beyond those in these standards. Allowing compliance with them would expand options for suppliers and reduce technical barriers to trade.

The overarching objective of the mandatory standard is to minimise the risk of serious injury or death to children under six years of age from ingesting or absorbing heavy elements in toys. It provides manufacturers and suppliers with performance criteria and test procedures for sampling, extraction, and determination of element migration from toy materials and components.

By referencing voluntary international standards alongside the voluntary Australian standard, the review aims to reduce the regulatory burden on suppliers, lowering administrative, testing, and compliance costs where a product already meets the relevant voluntary standard.

To find out more about compliance toys and product compliance in Australia in general, do not hesitate to contact the Product Compliance Institute.