Toys containing lead and other elements mandatory standard

Products the mandatory standard applies to

The mandatory standard for toys containing lead and other elements applies to children's toys and finger paints that are:

supplied new
designed or intended for use in play by children up to 6 years old.

Harmful elements

The elements known, at certain levels, to be most harmful to children playing with toys are:

antimony
arsenic
barium
cadmium
chromium
lead
mercury
selenium.

Products the mandatory standard does not apply to

This mandatory standard doesn’t apply to:

sporting goods
camping goods
bicycles
home and playground equipment
trampolines
electronic game units
models powered by combustion or steam engines
fashion jewellery for children.

Complying with the mandatory standard

This information is an overview of how to comply with the mandatory standard. Suppliers must not rely on this information as a complete guide to compliance.

View the full detail of the standard.

Testing

The mandatory standard provides guidelines on how to test for lead and other elements in children's toys and finger paints.

To make sure products comply with the standard, suppliers should organise product testing through specialist testing laboratories.

Acceptable element migration levels

The term 'lead migration' refers to how much lead is drawn out of an object or substance and absorbed by a person. The amount is known as the 'migration level'.

Similarly, there can be migration for other heavy elements, such as arsenic migration, mercury migration and chromium migration.

This table outlines the maximum acceptable levels of migratable lead and other elements in children's toys and finger paints.

Acceptable quantity per kilogram
	Antimony	Arsenic	Barium	Cadmium	Chromium	Lead	Mercury	Selenium
Toys	60mg	25mg	1000mg	75mg	60mg	90mg	60mg	500mg
Finger paints	10mg	10mg	350mg	15mg	25mg	25mg	10mg	50mg

Mandatory standard details

Consumer Protection Notice No. 1 of 2009 sets out the mandatory requirements for toys and finger paints.

The accompanying Explanatory Statement has further information

The mandatory standard is based on certain sections of:

voluntary Australian Standard AS 8124.7-2003 Safety of toys Part 7 – Finger paints
voluntary Australian New Zealand Standard AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2003 Safety of toys Part 3 – Migration of certain elements.

You can buy these Australian standards from Standards Australia, Intertek Inform or Accuris.

We can make a copy of these standards available for viewing at one of our offices, subject to licensing conditions.

When a product does not comply

Fines and penalties may apply for failure to comply with a mandatory safety or information standard. For more information, see fines and penalties.

Suppliers may need to recall a product when it doesn't meet the mandatory standard or is potentially unsafe.