Hi there, I’m looking for a bit of advice. I’m actually interested in designing toys for children, and have some concepts that I’d like to take further than my desk. I was wondering, if I’m producing these toys on a small scale with an aim to sell them locally (in the UK) which safety standards I need to meet. And if there are any standards that I do need to meet how can I find out about which apply to my products. Cheers!
There are a lot of safety standards for toys that you’d need to know about, all specific to the kind of product concept that you have.
Here is a great place to start, the Consumer Product Safety Commission:
Also, I would recommend using a product safety consultant after you’ve gotten an early prototype together. They will be able to do a DHA (Design Hazard Analysis, I think) and give you guidance on how to make your product safe. It may be pricey, but well worth it. Here’s one place that I know of that provides this service:
You can send your design concept/prototype to a company such as SGS and they will do a product feasibility review (quite pricey). They will point out areas of concern and the relevant standards that your product will need to satisfy.