ASTM_F_963_-_11.pdf

Designation:F96311An American National StandardStandard Consumer Safety Specification forToy Safety1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F963;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of originaladoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of this consumer safety specification is to establish nationally recognized safetyrequirements for toys.Although this specification will not eliminate the need for the exercise ofparental responsibility in selecting toys appropriate to the age of a child,or parental supervision insituations in which children of various ages may have access to the same toys,its application willminimize accidents in the normal,intended use and reasonably foreseeable abuse of the toys coveredby this specification.This specification was developed originally as a Voluntary Product Standardunder the auspices of the National Bureau of Standards,Department of Commerce,and published in1976(PS 7276).The present revision is intended to update the safety requirements to include thefollowing by reference:published federal mandatory requirements,relevant voluntary standards,certain new requirements for addressing potential hazards,and several technical revisions based onproducer experience with the original standard.1.Scope1.1 This specification2relates to possible hazards that maynot be recognized readily by the public and that may beencountered in the normal use for which a toy is intended orafter reasonably foreseeable abuse.It does not purport to coverevery conceivable hazard of a particular toy.This specificationdoes not cover product performance or quality,except asrelated to safety.Except for the labeling requirements pointingout the functional hazards and age range for which the toy isintended,this specification has no requirements for thoseaspects of a toy that present an inherent and recognized hazardas part of the function of the toy.Such an example is a sharppoint necessary for the function of a needle.The needle is aninherent hazard that is well understood by the purchaser of atoy sewing kit,and this hazard is communicated to the user aspart of the normal educational process.1.2 On the other hand,while a riding toy has inherenthazards associated with its use(for example,falling off ontothe sidewalk),the possible hazards associated with its con-struction(sharp edges,exposed mechanisms,etc.)will beminimized by the application of this specification.1.3 This specification covers requirements and contains testmethods for toys intended for use by children under 14 years ofage.Different age limits for various requirements will be foundin this specification.These limits reflect the nature of thehazards and expected mental or physical ability,or both,of achild to cope with the hazards.1.4 Articles not covered by this specification are as follows:BicyclesTricyclesNon-Powered Scooters(see Consumer Safety Specification F2264)Recreational Powered Scooters and Pocket Bikes(see Consumer Safety Specification F2641)Sling shots and sharp-pointed dartsPlayground equipmentNon-powder gunsKitesHobby and craft items in which the finished item is notprimarily of play valueModel kits in which the finished item is not primarily ofplay valueCrayons,paints,chalks,and other similar art materials inwhich the material itself or the finished item is notprimarily of play value,except that all art materials,whether or not a component of a toy,must comply withLHAMA,in accordance with 4.29.1 4.29.3.Toy Chests1This consumer safety specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Commit-tee F15 on Consumer Products and is the direct responsibility of SubcommitteeF15.22 on Toy Safety.Current edition approved Dec.1,2011.Published December 2011.Originallyapproved in 1986.Last previous edition approved in 2008 as F963 08.DOI:10.1520/F0963-11.2Toy Industry Association,Inc.(TIA)sometimes provides its interpretations ofthis specification through its counsel as a service to its members and others.TheTIAs interpretations are not reviewed or approved by ASTM and should be viewedas TIAs alone.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 Sporting goods,camping goods,athletic equipment,musical instruments,juvenile products,and furniture;however,toys that are their counterparts are covered.(It is recognized that there is often a fine line between,for example,a musical instrument or a sporting itemand its toy counterpart.The intention of the produceror distributor,as well as normal use and reasonablyforeseeable abuse,determines whether the item is atoy counterpart.)Powered models of aircraft,rockets,boats,and landvehicles;however,toys that are their counterparts arecovered.Constant air inflatables1.5 General guidelines for age labeling toys and toy pa