How Do Toys Testing Labs Assess Toy Packaging to Prevent Choking and Suffocation Risks?

 Ensuring the safety of toys is a top priority for manufacturers, especially when it comes to protecting children from potential hazards. Among the many dangers that can arise from toys, choking and suffocation are the most alarming, particularly for young children. Toys Testing Labs play a crucial role in identifying and eliminating these risks through comprehensive testing. In this blog post, we will explore how these labs assess toy packaging to prevent choking and suffocation hazards, ensuring that toys meet the highest safety standards.

The Importance of Toy Packaging Safety

Before diving into how testing labs assess packaging, it's essential to understand why packaging safety is so critical. Toys, especially for infants and toddlers, often come with small parts, accessories, or packaging materials that can pose a choking or suffocation risk. Small toys, plastic bags, and other packaging materials may look harmless but can quickly turn dangerous if they are not tested for safety.

Choking occurs when an object gets stuck in the airway, preventing air from reaching the lungs, while suffocation happens when a person cannot breathe due to a lack of oxygen. Both are life-threatening hazards that must be mitigated by toy manufacturers before the product reaches the consumer. This is where accredited Toys Testing Lab step in, evaluating toy packaging for potential risks and ensuring compliance with global safety standards.

Key Methods Used by Toys Testing Labs to Assess Packaging

Toys Testing Labs follow specific procedures to assess packaging and eliminate choking and suffocation risks. These methods are designed to ensure that toys comply with international safety standards like the ASTM F963, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), and the European EN 71 toy safety regulations. Below are some of the key methods used to assess toy packaging:

1. Small Parts Testing

One of the first and most critical assessments conducted by Toys Testing Labs is small parts testing. In this test, any component of the toy or packaging that could be small enough for a child to swallow is examined. The lab uses a small parts cylinder, a tool designed to simulate a child’s mouth, to check if an object is small enough to pose a choking hazard. According to safety guidelines, any item that fits entirely inside the cylinder is considered a potential choking hazard and must be redesigned or removed from the toy.

This includes not only the toy itself but also the packaging elements, such as plastic ties, small toys, or accessories that come with the product. If any of these items are small enough to be swallowed by a child under three years of age, they must be safely secured or removed.

2. Warning Labels and Instructions Review

Toys Testing Labs also scrutinize the labeling and instructions on toy packaging to ensure they include appropriate safety warnings. For instance, labels like "Not for children under 3" or "Choking hazard: Small parts" are vital for alerting parents and caregivers to potential risks. These labels must be clear, visible, and placed in areas where they are easy to read and understand.

In addition to warning labels, testing labs also review the product's packaging for instructions regarding the safe use and disposal of small parts or packaging materials. This is particularly important for packaging items like plastic bags or films that can pose a suffocation risk. For instance, if the toy packaging involves a plastic bag, the lab will verify that it is labeled with a warning about suffocation risks and includes instructions to keep the bag away from babies and small children.

3. Plastic Packaging Durability Testing

Plastic packaging is often a necessary part of toy manufacturing, but it must be tested for durability to prevent accidental breakage. If a plastic package breaks easily, it could create small, sharp pieces that can be ingested or inhaled, increasing the risk of choking.

Toys Testing Labs use mechanical stress testing to evaluate the durability of packaging. This testing simulates real-world conditions, including handling, dropping, and exposure to temperature changes, to ensure that the packaging will not break apart under normal use. A failure in durability testing could result in hazardous plastic fragments that could pose serious choking risks. Therefore, ensuring packaging integrity is a vital part of safety assessments.

4. Suffocation Hazard Assessment

Suffocation risks are primarily associated with plastic bags, films, and soft packaging materials. Children can become trapped in a plastic bag, or the bag may become tightly adhered to a child’s face, leading to a lack of oxygen. To assess suffocation risks, Toys Testing Labs examine packaging materials for factors such as:

• Airflow: The lab ensures that plastic bags are perforated or designed to allow air circulation if the bag is placed over a child’s head. Packaging materials without sufficient holes or ventilation may pose a suffocation risk.
  
  

• Bag Size: Small plastic bags that can easily cover a child’s face are particularly dangerous. Labs measure the size of the bag and its opening to ensure they comply with suffocation risk regulations.
  
  

• Thickness: The thickness of the plastic bag material is also tested. Bags made from thicker plastic materials that are more difficult to tear can be more dangerous if a child accidentally puts them over their head.
  
  

By evaluating the packaging for suffocation risks, Toys Testing Labs help prevent dangerous incidents related to plastic bags and other wrapping materials.

5. Tensile Strength Testing

To assess the potential for a toy’s packaging to break apart, Toys Testing Labs conduct tensile strength testing. This involves measuring the strength of materials used in toy packaging, such as plastic films, cords, or ties. If these materials are too weak or easily torn, they can break into smaller pieces, posing a choking hazard.

The tensile strength test checks how well the packaging holds up under stress, simulating real-life handling, transport, and even tampering. Any material that doesn’t pass the tensile strength test can result in the recall or redesign of the packaging to ensure it is secure and safe.

Ensuring Compliance with International Safety Standards

Toys Testing Labs ensure that the packaging of toys meets safety standards outlined by various global regulatory bodies. In the U.S., the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) oversees the safety of toys, while the European Union (EU) has its own set of standards under the EN 71 regulation. Both sets of standards address choking and suffocation hazards and include guidelines for toy packaging.

Testing labs are accredited to ensure compliance with these regulations. For example, they confirm that all toy packaging complies with regulations regarding small parts, suffocation risks, and labeling. These safety checks protect consumers and build trust in the manufacturers who follow these rigorous standards.

Conclusion

Toys Testing Labs play a pivotal role in safeguarding children from choking and suffocation hazards by carefully assessing toy packaging. Their meticulous testing procedures, including small parts testing, suffocation hazard assessments, and durability checks, ensure that toys are safe and compliant with both national and international regulations. By partnering with these labs, manufacturers can provide safe, high-quality products that prioritize the well-being of children, fostering trust with parents and meeting the highest safety standards in the toy industry.