SAFETY-LABELLING GUIDELINES FOR

TOYS
The purpose of safety labelling is to supply appropriate safety information to the customer at the
point of purchase or prior to the initial use of the toy. Safety labelling guidelines includes-

• Manufacturer's markings

• Good Practice for visibility and legibility

• Age grading

• Warning for the toys that are small parts, toys containing small parts and toys with removable small
part components

• Electrical Charger for toys

• Information and instructions for the safe use of toys

 MANUFACTURER'S
MARKINGS

A principal component of the toy, the packaging, a label or a leaflet accompanying the toy should be
marked with the following –

• Name of the manufacturer or the distributor

• Address of the manufacturer or the distributor

• A trademark and/or mark which clearly identifies the manufacturer/distributor

All these marking should be clearly visible and easily legible by the consumer and should resist
normal use conditions.
GOOD PRACTICE FOR VISIBILITY AND
LEGIBILITY
The safety labelling should be in a clearly visible, easily legible,
understandable, accurate and in the language of the country in which the
toys will be distributed.

The following points provides information on good practice for the visibility
and legibility of safety labelling-
• Emphasizing the warning by placing them in the prominent position on
the package
• Contrast, background and colors: the color of the warning should be in
sharp contrast with the color of the back ground
• Avoid highly reflecting surfaces and super glossy paper which leads to
poor legibility of warning text
• Preferably use sans-serif font type and appropriate font size which is
easily visible
• Place the warning text in the logical direction considering the layout of
the information, or, if appropriate, the normal orientation of the toy
AGE
GRADING
Good age grading practices are important to ensure that a toy
is appropriate and safe at the various stages of physical and
mental development of the child using the toy.

Age labeling is meant to provide purchase guidance to

customers for the selection of appropriate toy for their child
with respect to average ability, interests of various age groups
and safety aspects of the toys themselves.

Different age group requires different conditions to be

fulfilled. So, all the toys should be labelled to indicate the
minimum age for intended use in a clear and conspicuous
manner.
 WARNING STATEMENTS AS PER DIFFERENT TYPE OF TOYS

• Balloons – “Warning! Children under 8 years can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Adult supervision required.
Keep uninflated balloons from children. Discard broken balloons at once”

• Small balls and marbles – “Warning! Not suitable for children under 3 years. Small ball(s)/Marbles. Choking hazard.”

• Aquatic toys – “This is not a life saving device. The toy should only be used in shallow water and under supervision”

• Crib, playpen toys and mobiles – There should be statement drawing attention to the possible entanglement or strangulation
injury if the toy is not removed when a baby begins to push up on hands and knees.

• Toys in contact with food – Statement alerting the adults to wash the product thoroughly before and after use.

• Toys intended to be assembled by an adult – A statement must be there on toy packaging that are intended to be assembled by
adults.

• Toys intended to be strung across a cradle, cot, perambulator or carriage - “Warning! To prevent possible strangulation or
injury by entanglement, remove this toy when the child starts trying to get up on its hands and knees in a crawling position.”

• Projectile toys - “Warning. Do not aim at eyes or face.”

 WARNING STATEMENTS AS PER DIFFERENT TYPE OF TOYS

• Toys which produce high peak sound pressure levels - “Warning! Do not use close to the ear! Misuse may cause damage to hearing.”

• Toys with functional sharp edges and functional sharp points – A statement saying that the package contains toy with sharp edges or
sharp point or both.

• Simulated protective equipment – Toys that stimulate safety (for e.g., sports helmets/fire-fighting helmets) must have a statement on
their package that they are toys and do not offer safety.

• Toy kites – Toy kites or other flying toys must carry a warning that they are not to be used near overhead power lines or during
thunderstorms.

• Percussion caps – “Warning! Not to be used indoors or near eyes and ears and not to be carries loose in a pocket.

• Toy scooters - “Warning! Protective equipment should be worn” and “Not for children with a body mass of more than 20 kg (or, as
appropriate, “of more than 50 kg”).”

• Magnetic/electrical experimental sets for children 8 years and over - “Warning. Not suitable for children under 8 years. This product
contains (a) small magnet(s). And “Swallowed magnets can stick together across intestines causing serious injuries. Seek immediate
medical attention if magnet(s) are swallowed.”
TOYS WITH SMALL
PARTS
Toys that are small parts, toys containing small parts and toys with removable
small part components or their packaging or relevant point of sale material,
should carry a statement similar to the following:
“Warning! Not suitable for children under 3 years. Contains small parts.”
The word “Not suitable for children under 3 years” may be substituted by a
graphical symbol in which case the symbol should be accompanied by the
word “WARNING”.
The indication of hazard (i.e., “small parts”) should appear on the toy itself,
on the packaging or in the instructions for use.
The detail of the graphical symbol is as follows-
• The circle and the stroke should be red
• The background should be white
• The age range and outline of the face should be black
• The symbol should have a diameter of 10 mm
• The age range for which the toy is not suitable should be expressed in
years i.e. 0-3 years
TOYS ELECTRICAL
CHARGERS
Toys that are battery operated have their chargers and only the children of
age 8 years or above are allowed to use the battery charger. Given sufficient
instructions so that the child is able to use the battery charger in a safe way
and explain that it is not a toy and must not be played with .
• Instruct the child not to try and recharge the non-rechargeable batteries
because of the danger of eruption.
• Examine the battery charger regularly for damage, especially the cord,
plug and enclosure.
The instructions for battery chargers shall state that they must be supplied
from a transformer for toys.
The height of symbols marked on the appliance shall be at least 10 mm and
the height of the lettering shall be at least 3 mm.
The battery charger should carry the below symbols:-
For indoor use only

Suitable for use by children at least 8 years old

INFORMATION AND
INSTRUCTIONS

The information or instruction provided on the toy packaging

for the safe use or assembly, or both, of a toy, whether on the
packaging or on the leaflet form, should be easy to read.

There should be instruction for proper assembly, installation

and use to ensure that the product does not present an
entanglement hazard.
 PRESENTED BY

Head Office: Sales Office:

99, Phase 2, No. 26, “Shri”
Badli Industrial Area, Complex, 2nd
Floor,
Delhi – 110042
Bendre Nagar, Kadirenahali
Contact Number:
+91-11-49491400 Bangalore -
560070
Contact Number: +91-80-
42000680