March 18, 2010

A Toy Industry Association (TIA) task group will recommend the alignment of the U.S. toy safety standard for heavy metals in substrate materials of toys with European and international requirements.

Currently, ASTM F963 addresses heavy metals in the surface coatings of toys, but not substrate materials. The task group will recommend ASTM F963 be revised to address substrate materials, bringing it in alignment with the requirements in EN 71-3 and ISO 8124-3. 

Formation of the TIA task group – which included participation and input from toy manufacturers, importers, and major toy retailers – was prompted by recent media reports which indicated that cadmium has been found in children's jewelry and that no standards for cadmium or heavy metals exist for children's jewelry and other children's accessories. These products are generally not considered toys and currently are not subject to the strict standards already in place for the toy industry.