Safety of electric toys: revised standard EN 62115

Electronic and electrical toys help children develop or improve their motor skills or language skills more through fun. But through poorly designed toys or their misuse, fun can turn into a serious hazard. Adding electricity to a toy through a battery or transformer can pose a number of risks to children.

Every week in Safety Gate, you see electrical toys being recalled because they do not meet the requirements of the Toys Directive 2009/48/EC and the relevant European standard EN 62115. EN 62115 specifies safety requirements for electric toys. Examples of electric toys that fall under the scope include construction sets, electric toy computers or a dollhouse with a built-in lamp.

One of the most common hazards with electric toys is that the battery compartment can be easily opened without a screwdriver or coin, making the small batteries accessible. The battery compartment should only be opened with a tool. If this is not the case, the child can easily reach it resulting in the batteries being put in the mouth. This can cause internal chemical burns or choking hazards. Another common risk is that the accessible surface of the toy may overheat, leading to burns to children.

To take into account the latest technologies in the field of toys, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) published EN IEC 62115:2020 on February 21, 2020. This is the European version of IEC 62115: 2017, an electrical toy standard aimed at global harmonization. CENELEC published an EU version to ensure alignment with the requirements of the Toy Safety Directive. These are listed separately in Amendment A11: 2020.

Highlights of changes in EN IEC 62115:2020+A11:2020 compared to EN 62115:2005+A12:2015:

• New clauses and/or tests have been introduced for new electric toys:
o speelgoed dat in/met water of vloeistof wordt gebruikt;
o speelgoed met een USB-aansluiting;
o speelgoed dat boven een kind geplaatst wordt (bijv. bij kinderbedjes);
o speelgoed dat op andere apparatuur wordt aangesloten, zoals bij computers en consoles.
• Button cell batteries: new warnings.
• Changes in construction for battery accessibility.
• New warnings for radio-controlled vehicles.
• Changes related to sample preparation.
• Change in requirements regarding impact resistance for housings. Impact energy reduced from 0.7J to 0.5J.
• Clarification of the term humidity and associated requirements.
• Changes were made to the general conditions for testing and criteria for reduced testing.
• Annex E was amended with additional requirements and procedures for luminous toys, mainly LED.
• Appendix J was added with new requirements for the safety of remote controls supplied with radio-controlled vehicles for driving.

Once the EN IEC 62115:2020+A11:2020 standard is harmonized, that is, when it is accepted by the European Commission and member states and also published in the Official Journal of the EU (OJ), it can be used to demonstrate conformity with the Toy Safety Directive. Currently, the date when the new standard will be harmonized is not known, but is likely to be in the fall. The transition period between the old and modified standard is expected to be within two years.

Need support?

Do you have questions about what specific requirements your toys need to meet? Précon Quality Services can help! We have a team with extensive experience in training, advising and supporting product compliance for toys. Feel free to contact us at +31 (0)30 - 65 66 010 or info@precongroup.com.