The mandatory standard prescribes requirements for the levels of various chemicals that can be found in children's toys and finger paints and their testing.
About the mandatory standard
The mandatory standard applies to children's toys and finger paints that are:
- supplied new
- designed or clearly intended for use in play by children who are up to six years old.
Exclusions
This mandatory standard excludes:
- sporting goods
- camping goods
- bicycles
- home and playground equipment
- trampolines
- electronic game units
- models powered by combustion or steam engines
- fashion jewellery for children.
Hazardous 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.
Mandatory standard
Consumer Protection Notice No. 1 of 2009 sets out the mandatory requirements for toys and finger paints as prescribed.
The mandatory standard is based on certain sections of the voluntary Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2003 'Safety of toys, Part 3—Migration of certain elements'. Clause 4.4 covers 'Safety of toys Part 7 – Finger paints'. AS 8124.7-2003 is available from Intertek Inform.
Acceptable migration levels
The term 'lead migration' is used to refer 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 arsenic migration, mercury migration, chromium migration, etc.
The table below 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 |
Testing methods
The mandatory standard provides specific guidelines on how to test for lead and other elements in children's toys and finger paints. To ensure products comply with the standard, suppliers should organise testing through specialist laboratories.