ASTM Subcommittee F15.22 on Toy Safety met in New York City on Nov. 11, in conjunction with a weeklong meeting of the ISO Technical Committee on Toy Safety (ISO/TC 181). Consistent with ASTM’s demonstrated commitment to principles of international standards development established by the World Trade Organization, and in the interest of collaboration on toy safety standards, the ISO delegates were invited to attend and fully participate in reviewing proposed changes to ASTM F963, Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety.
Representing 17 countries – including Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, Denmark, the United Kingdom and others – nearly 30 toy safety experts joined with members of F15.22 to explore enhancements to technical standards that could address potential toy hazards related to impaction, magnets and projectiles.
“Meeting face-to-face with our colleagues from national standards bodies, regulatory authorities and consumer groups from different regions provided an invaluable opportunity to consider common issues and the latest available toy safety data and input from around the globe,” commented Joan Lawrence, chair of ASTM F15.22. “F15.22 has made harmonization an ongoing consideration for toy safety standards development and we were glad to take the valuable input provided by our ISO counterparts as we further shape the requirements in ASTM F963.”
Additional meetings between the officers of ASTM F15.22 and its CEN and ISO counterparts considered formal and informal approaches to enhance technical cooperation among the three organizations with the goal of developing consistent and compatible safety requirements in all standards for toys – especially as they relate to new and emerging hazards.
“We are pleased to see this unique merging of the world’s experts on toy safety,” added Catherine Pilarz, chair of ASTM Committee F15 on Consumer Products. “The close collaboration between these international stakeholders will benefit all consumers by advancing adoption of a more globally compatible set of safety requirements that can be universally applied.”
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Technical Contact: Joan Lawrence, Toy Industry Association, New York, N.Y., Phone: 646-520-4844; jlawrence@toyassociation.org
ASTM Staff Contact: Leonard Morrissey, ASTM International, Phone: 610-832-9719; lmorriss@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org
Release #8419/Nov2009