On 5 September 2023, the Australian Government published the new mandatory safety standard for children's toys, the Consumer Goods (Toys for Children up to and including 36 Months of Age) Safety Standard 2023. The new standard sets design and construction requirements for toys for children up to and including 36 months of age, and suppliers must transition to the new mandatory requirements by 4 March 2025.

The safety standard sets out the requirements of the Australian voluntary standard and similar overseas standards, aiming to minimise the risk of young children choking or suffocating on small toy parts and thereby prevent serious injury or death. The standard also imposes new requirements on toy battery compartments: toy battery compartments containing any type of battery (coin/button cell or non-coin/button cell) may only be opened using a tool.

About the toy safety standard

The new Consumer Goods (Toys for Children up to and including 36 Months of Age) Safety Standard 2023 sets out requirements for toys for children up to and including 36 months of age. The mandatory standard allows compliance with any one of the following:

· Australian standard AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2023 Safety of toys - Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties

· International (ISO) standard ISO 8124-1:2022 Safety of toys - Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties

· European (EN) standard EN 71-1:2014 + A1:2018 Safety of toys - Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties

· US (ASTM) standard ASTM F963-17 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety

In addition, electric toys must meet the modified requirements of the Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS 62115:2018 Electric toys - Safety. The aim is to ensure that children in this age group cannot open the battery compartment or remove batteries without a tool. All other requirements of the button cell safety standard, including those relating to battery compartment fasteners, continue to apply to all toys for children up to and including 36 months of age.