Today’s World Standards Day reminds us how important standards are for TIE’s members. For reputable toy manufacturers, safety will always be the top priority and we need standards as practical tools to help us deliver on that promise of safety.
Standardisation guides the range of tests that toys are put through to make sure they are safe. Depending on the toy, these tests include checking that there are no harmful substances, sharp edges, small parts that may be swallowed if the toy is destined for young children, and that they meet the correct flammability standards. For some toys, the combination of rules and standards that have to be followed spans over 2000 pages.
This year’s edition of World Standards Day focusses on Video Standards. For many toy manufacturers, these are also – albeit indirectly – important as they allow for children’s entertainment to be portrayed across a range of different media and to be enjoyed by kids around the world. Together the toy industry and the film and TV industries form a huge part of our children’s entertainment worlds. Children can see their favourite toys come to life on the big and small screen, and likewise toys can bring their favourite film and TV characters into the physical world in the form licensed dolls, figurines, games and costumes.
Thanks to the collective effort of standardisation experts, reputable toy manufacturers and relevant authorities, these crucial support systems are constantly evolving to keep up with new types of toys and technologies. This helps kids to safely enjoy playing with their favourite characters in the real world, as much as they enjoy watching them on the screen.
World Standards Day is celebrated each year on 14 October.
