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Notice Regarding Canada's Legislated Safety Requirements Related to the Security of Eye and Nose Attachments on Dolls, Plush Toys and Soft Toys
Legislated Requirements for the Security of Eye and Nose Attachments on Dolls, Plush Toys and Soft Toys
In Canada, the legislated safety requirements for children's toys are specified within the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) and the Hazardous Products (Toys) Regulations. It is the responsibility of manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to ensure that any toy advertised, imported or sold in Canada, including second-hand toys, meets all applicable safety requirements as set out in the HPA and the associated regulations.
Item 14(c) of Part II of Schedule I to the HPA restricts the advertising, importation and sale of dolls, plush (raised fibre) toys and soft toys that have attached eyes or a nose, the greatest dimension of which is 32 mm (1 ¼ inches) or less. All such eyes and noses, other than those made entirely of felt or soft textile material, shall be attached to the toy in such a manner that:
- a) the eye or nose cannot be gripped by a three-pronged hook referred to in Schedule III of the Hazardous Products (Toys) Regulations; or
- b) when tested in accordance with the method described in Schedule III of the Hazardous Products (Toys) Regulations, the eye or nose does not become detached. This method involves freely suspending a 9 kilogram (20 pound) weight from the eye or nose component for a period of 5 minutes.
Information on the Canadian Test Methods That are Used to Verify Compliance with Canadian Law
Health Canada's surveillance and testing activities in 2008 and 2009 resulted in several recalls of children's dolls, plush (raised fibre) and soft toys due to the detachment of eye or nose attachments; such separated eye and nose attachments present a choking hazard to young children.
A product that is tested for the United States or European market will not necessarily meet the Canadian legislated requirements for the security of eye and nose attachments on dolls, plush and soft toys, due to differences between requirements and associated test methods. Health Canada strongly recommends that children's toys be tested for compliance with all Canadian legislated requirements before they are offered for sale on the Canadian market.
Furthermore, manufacturers are encouraged to establish effective control systems for on-going monitoring of safety compliance throughout the design and manufacturing phases. Establishing effective controls for regular compliance monitoring of the supply chain is also critical for manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers.
Health Canada's Product Safety Laboratory has developed test method M01.2 Reasonable Foreseeable Use of Dolls and Plush Toys, to determine, among other requirements, the security of eye and nose attachments on dolls, plush and soft toys. These test methods, and all other test methods relating to children's toys, are available from the Product Safety Laboratory.
Additional Toy Safety Information
In June 2009, Health Canada proposed two regulatory amendments that would affect future requirements for children's toys sold, imported or advertised in Canada. These amendments relate to phthalate content and total lead content. The links to these two proposals are provided below:
- Lead:
- Phthalates:
Health Canada's Industry Guide to Canadian Safety Requirements for Children's Toys and Related Products, 2006 provides an overview of Canadian toy safety requirements.
Enquiries
If you have questions regarding the content of this notice or if you require further information, please contact your nearest Health Canada Consumer Product Safety office.
