Key Learnings from 2019 EU Recalls: STRANGULATION

Why it’s dangerous?

These toys can cause asphyxiation, leading to an interruption of oxygenation.

Specific risk

Toys intended for children under 3 years that contain the following elements may pose a risk of strangulation due to the presence of nooses and loops:

• Cords connected to a self-retraction mechanism
• Cords in pull-along toys
• Toys with cords intended to be strung across a cradle, cot or pram
• Cords and chains with attachments or a free end (i.e., with no attachments)
• Toys with electrical cables
• Straps intended to be worn fully or partially around the neck

Requirements

There are certain requirements on the length of cords, the perimeter of loops and self-retracting force, depending on the nature and age grading of products.

Exemption

Toys intended to be strung across a cradle, cot or perambulator, where the cords of such toys are intended to be out of reach of the children.

Other cases

Besides infant toys, yo-yo balls (defined as a toy made from elastic material consisting of a tether usually having a loop at one end to place around a finger and a flexible object at the other end) may also present a potential hazard for strangulation as the elasticated tether may be wound around the neck. There is a particular testing method within EN 71–1 specifically for such items. For toy disguise costumes, products must also comply with the relevant EN 14682 as the presence of functional cords that are to be tied at the back and around the waist area may pose an injury risk as the cords may become caught.

Suggested testing package

To evaluate the strangulation risk, the testing method to apply is within the EN 71–1 standard. For toy disguise costumes, products must also comply with the relevant EN 14682, Safety of Children’s Clothing — Cords and Drawstrings on Children’s Clothing.

Overview reports of SAFETY GATE notifications, published free of charge in English on ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumers_safety/safety_products/rapex/alerts/repository/content/pages/rapex/index_en.htm, © European Union, 2005–2020. The official contact points of the Member and EFTA-EEA States provide the information published in these weekly overviews. Under the terms of Annex II.10 to the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) responsibility for the information provided lies with the notifying party. The Commission does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.