EN71 refers to a series of standards formulated by the EU for toy safety (EN 71 series standards). It aims to regulate the design, production and sales of toys and guarantee the safety of toys for children (from infants to 14 years old). It is a mandatory compliance requirement for toys exported to the EU market. The standards cover physical and mechanical properties, chemical properties, flammability and other aspects, detailed descriptions are as follows:

I. Core Test Items of EN71 Series Standards

The EN71 standard consists of multiple parts that specify detailed test requirements targeting different risk points. The core parts are listed below:

1. EN 71-1: Physical and Mechanical Property Tests

It mainly evaluates the structural safety of toys to prevent injuries such as swallowing, choking, laceration and entanglement to children. Core test contents include:

• Small Parts Test: For toys intended for children under 3 years old, detachable parts (such as small beads and buttons) shall pass the small parts cylinder test (31.7 mm in diameter, 57.1 mm in depth). Any part that can be fully inserted into the cylinder is defined as a small part with a risk of swallowing and choking, which shall be prohibited or fixed firmly;

• Sharp Edges and Points: Metal or plastic parts of toys shall be free of burrs and sharp edges. All pointed tips shall be inspected with a sharp point tester to avoid cutting children’s skin;

• Cords and Elastic Cords: If the cord of a pull-along toy exceeds 220 mm in length, its strength and toughness shall be tested to prevent neck entanglement. The stretched length of elastic cords shall not exceed 300 mm to eliminate entanglement hazards;

• Stability and Load Bearing Capacity: Items such as walkers and toy furniture shall be tested for stability (to prevent tipping over) and load capacity (to avoid collapse);

• Projectile Toys: The kinetic energy of projectiles (e.g. toy gun bullets) shall be limited to a specific range (e.g. ≤0.08 J) to prevent eye or bodily injuries;

• Packaging Materials: Plastic bags or films shall have a thickness of at least 0.038 mm or be printed with ventilation holes to prevent suffocation when children put them over their heads.

2. EN 71-2: Flammability Tests

It evaluates the flame retardancy of toy materials to avoid fire hazards caused by rapid combustion upon exposure to ignition sources, mainly applicable to:

• Plush and fabric toys: Vertical flammability test is required, with flame spread rate ≤30 mm/s or self-extinguishment within 10 seconds;

• Headwear toys such as wigs and beards: Combustion time shall not exceed 2 seconds, and no molten drips shall be generated;

• Paper or film toys: Horizontal flammability test is conducted to control burning rate and prevent fast flame propagation.

3. EN 71-3: Migration of Certain Elements (Chemical Properties)

It restricts the content of migratable heavy metals in toy materials to prevent children from ingesting harmful elements via sucking or chewing. The tested elements and their limits (calculated by migration amount) are as follows:

Note: Different materials of toys (plastics, metals, paints, fabrics, etc.) shall be tested separately. Migratable elements are extracted under acidic conditions simulating children’s saliva and gastric acid during testing.

4. EN 71-8: Swings, slides and similar toys for indoor and outdoor domestic use

For large outdoor toys such as swings, slides and climbing frames, tests cover structural strength, stability, protective measures (e.g. buffer mats) and firmness of component connections to prevent children from falling or pinching injuries.

5. EN 71-9: Organic chemical compounds — Requirements

It controls organic chemical substances potentially contained in toys (such as flame retardants, plasticizers, dyes and solvents) by limiting their content or migration, including:

• Phthalates (such as DEHP, DBP, BBP, limit value 0.1%);

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), formaldehyde, azo dyes (which may release carcinogenic aromatic amines);

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), etc.

6. EN 71-12: N-Nitrosamines and N-Nitroso Substances

For toys that can be put into the mouth (such as pacifiers and teething toys), the content of N-nitrosamines (potent carcinogens) is restricted. The limit for a single substance is ≤0.01 mg/kg, and the total content shall not exceed 0.05 mg/kg.