The U.S. Toy Industry Association (TIA), in conjunction with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), announced on February 21 that a new safety assurance program for toys has been published for public review and comment. Developed in response to toy safety concerns raised during the summer of 2007, the new program prescribes procedures and provides audit mechanisms for design hazard analysis, auditing manufacturing process controls, and product safety testing.
The initiative was launched immediately following an August 28, 2007, vote by the TIA Board of Directors to endorse a three-point plan that would reinforce toy testing and inspection systems. TIA commissioned ANSI, coordinator of U.S. voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment activities, to chair the initiative. Toy manufacturers and retailers, safety experts, consumer advocates, and government authorities have been involved in the program’s development.
At its February 16, 2008, meeting in conjunction with its annual Toy Fair in New York City, the TIA Board of Directors 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.
In a statement issued following the meeting, Daniel Grossman, chairman of the TIA Board of Directors, said, “Once again, our industry has responded quickly and effectively when toy safety issues have been identified. We moved quickly to involve all interested parties, including government and NGOs in order to move this effort along as quickly as possible.”
The availability of the program for public review and comment was announced today in ANSI’s Standards Action. The review period will extend from February 22 to March 24, 2008.
Following the public comment period, a final 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,” added 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.”
The draft program and accompanying public comment reply form are available for download from the ANSI website at www.ansi.org/publicreview.
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