Toy Industry Endorses New Testing System; Comment Period Starts Friday
Meeting in conjunction with its annual Toy Fair in New York City over the weekend, the board of directors of the Toy Industry Association on Feb. 16 unanimously endorsed the general direction of a proposal for a new toy testing and safety verification system for toys sold in the U.S. market. Key elements of the program include procedures for design hazard analysis, auditing manufacturing process controls, and product safety testing.
The proposal was developed by a working group comprised of safety experts and representatives of consumers, government, retailers, the toy industry, and testing laboratories. TIA engaged the American National Standards Institute to chair the initiative and facilitate the development of a proposal to strengthen the safety assurance system for toys sold in the U.S. market. Beginning this Friday (Feb. 22), ANSI will publish a full program description on its Web site at www.ansi.org/publicreview, for a one-month period of public review and comment. Following the public comment period, a final program proposal will be presented to the TIA Board for final adoption and implementation. At that time, a timetable for putting the program in action will also be provided.
"This is an aggressive program and many companies are already implementing the safety assurance measures contained therein," said Carter Keithley, TIA president. "What we are proposing is an industry-wide initiative that would ensure that these measures are adopted for all toy products to be sold in the U.S. market, and to restore the confidence of American consumers in the safety of toys."