On October 13, 2023, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) released the toy safety standard ASTM F963-23. Currently, the federal regulation 16 CFR 1250 still adopts ASTM F963-17.

Key revisions and updates include:

Base Material Heavy Metals:

Separately describe the situations of exemption to make them clearer.

Phthalates:

Consistency with Federal Regulation 16 CFR 1307.

Sound-Producing Toys:

Refined Definitions for Some Sound-Producing Toys

Battery:

Enhanced Accessibility Requirements for Batteries

• Abuse Testing for Toys Intended for Ages 8 and Up;
• Screws on Battery Covers Must Remain Secure After Abuse Testing; and
• Special Tools for Opening Battery Compartments Must Be Explained in Instructions.

Expanding Materials:

• Adjusted Scope of Application; and
• Corrected Testing Dimension Tolerances

Projectile Toys:

Reordered Sections for Improved Logical Flow

Marking and Labeling:

Added Requirements for Tracking Labels

Clarification of Exemptions:

Special Tools for Opening Battery Compartments:

• Consumer should be reminded to retain the tool for future use;
• It should be stored out of children's reach; and
• It should be clearly stated that this tool is not a toy.

These updates aim to enhance toy safety standards and ensure compliance with the latest regulations.

Reference link

https://www.astm.org/f0963-23.html

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