The Toys & Children's Products Safety (Amendment) Ordinance 2010, designed to update the safety standards applicable to toys and designated children's products, was gazetted today and will take effect on April 1.

According to the amendment ordinance, a toy should comply with all the requirements in any one of the three sets of toy safety standards that contain requirements applicable to that toy.

The three sets of toys standards are:

* International Standard ISO 8124 established by the International Organisation for Standardisation (supplemented by IEC 62115 for electric toys established by International Electrotechnical Commission);

* European Standard EN 71 Series and EN 62115 standard for electric toys as specified in BS EN 71 and BS EN 62115; and

* ASTM F963-08 established by the American Society for Testing & Materials.

In relation to designated children's products, the amendment ordinance replaces the outdated standards with the most up-to-date, operative ones. 

The updated safety standards for toys and designated children's products are specified in the schedules added by sections 20 and 21 of the Amendment Ordinance.