Abstract
Regulatory systems concerning the safety of toys in Japan, Europe, and the USA are summarized in this paper. The basic concept for regulation of toy safety covers three main hazard areas for protection: mechanical and physical, flammability, and chemicals. Although the essential requirements for each country vary slightly, these three aspects are the same for all. The targeted hazardous substances include Cd, Pb and phtharate esters in Japan ; 8 heavy metals (Sb, As, Ba, Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, Se) in Europe ; and Pb and phtharate esters in the USA. The age group for the products being targeted is also somewhat different for each country : under 6 in Japan, under 14 in Europe, and under 12 in the USA. There has been a worldwide focus on improving toy safety regulations since 2007, when a mass recall of toys from China took place. The movement to regulate the safety of toys continues to grow.
