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Do you handle products that are attractive to children, but are not specifically designed or intended for children to play with? If so, realize that these products may pose a hazard. In practice, it often proves difficult to assess whether a product is classified as a toy, or can only be considered child-appealing. In the latter case, you will still need to ensure that your product cannot pose a danger to (small) children.
Child-appealing products are often decorative (seasonal) items. Features such as design, material and color make them have play value for small children. Such products fall within the scope of Directive 2001/95/EC on General Product Safety. This directive requires economic operators to place only safe products on the European market.
Child-appealing products are often not designed to be used by children when playing. Therefore, if it is reasonable to expect that this will happen anyway, you will need to ensure that the product cannot pose a safety risk to the user in such situations. A common safety hazard is the loosening of small parts of decorative items of a child-appealing nature. These small parts pose a choking hazard to children under 36 months of age.
What exactly makes a product appealing to children? There are a number of factors that can influence this:
Design: abstract, cartoon-like and animal figures have more play value than realistic designs with lots of details.
Features: three-dimensional shapes are easier and more appealing for children to hold than two-dimensional products, for example.
Material: Soft materials have cuddly value. Hard materials, on the other hand, are less attractive to children.
Colors: Bright, cheerful colors often attract children's attention. Natural tones less so.
Weight and dimensions: Children are less likely to play with large or heavy products.
Interactive elements: Sounds, lights and movable elements often pique children's interest. For example, if the wheels of a car cannot roll, it already has less play value for a child.
If a product can be used by a child to play with under reasonably foreseeable circumstances, it is essential that you conduct a risk analysis. When conducting a risk analysis, you identify the possible safety hazards of the product, based on its intended and reasonably foreseeable use. Once you have identified the risks and their associated hazards, you need to determine how these risks can be eliminated.
In some cases, it is possible to make modifications to the design that will allow you to reduce the play value or reduce the risks. You can also have your product tested according to European toy standards. These can serve as a diagnostic source to prove that your product is in compliance with Directive 2001/95/EC on General Product Safety For example, by testing that no small parts come off the product.
Relevant usage instructions and warnings can help ensure the safe use of the product. Keep in mind, however, that a product must be safe and may not be written safely.
Do you sell child attractive products on the European market and wonder which legislation is relevant to your product. Precon can offer you support on:
Contact us at +31 (0)30 - 65 66 010 or info@precongroup.com. You will then receive our no-obligation quotation.
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