What is the EN 71-2 Flammability Test?

When placing toy products on the EU market, CE certification is a mandatory legal requirement. Among these, the EN 71 series of standards is the core, and EN 71-2 specifically addresses the flammability safety of toys. It aims to minimize the risk of burns to children caused by toys coming into contact with an ignition source. Understanding and meeting its testing requirements is a crucial step for manufacturers and exporters to ensure compliance.

EN 71-2 Standard Requirements:

1. Prohibited flammable materials: The standard explicitly prohibits the use of flammable solids in toys that produce a flash fire upon contact with a flame, such as celluloid (cellulose nitrate) and other highly flammable materials.

2. Beards, wigs, masks, and other toys worn on the head: For hair, pile, or materials with similar characteristics used in these types of products, the rate of spread of flame must not exceed specific limits during testing, or the duration of flaming must be within a restricted range.

3. Fancy dress costumes and toys intended to be entered by a child: Such as children's dress-up costumes, play tents, etc. The textiles and film materials used in these products must undergo vertical flammability tests to assess their rate of spread of flame and must meet strict flame retardant ratings.

4. Soft-filled toys: This refers to toys whose main parts are composed of soft filling materials and are covered with textiles or non-woven fabrics. When exposed to a small ignition source, their rate of spread of flame should be very slow, and once the ignition source is removed, the flame should self-extinguish within a specified time.

Overview of Core Testing Methods:

Testing is typically conducted in a controlled laboratory environment. It primarily uses a specifically sized flame (e.g., a propane flame with a height of approximately 20mm) as the ignition source, which is applied to prepared standard-sized test specimens for a specified contact time (e.g., 2 seconds). Subsequently, key parameters such as the "rate of spread of flame," "length of burn," or "duration of afterflame/afterglow" are precisely measured and recorded. These results are then compared with the limit values in the standard to determine compliance.

Key Compliance Points for Manufacturers and Exporters:

• Material Selection: Prioritize materials that meet flame retardant requirements right from the design source.

• Consistency Control: Ensure that the materials used in mass production are identical to the samples submitted for testing, and establish a stable supply chain quality management system.

• Complete Certification Process: The EN 71-2 test is only one part of CE certification. Toy products typically also need to pass evaluations under other parts such as EN 71-1 (Mechanical and physical properties) and en 71-3 (Migration of certain elements). Furthermore, a technical file must be established, and ultimately, the manufacturer must sign a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) and affix the ce mark.

• Continuous Monitoring of Updates: EU standards are revised periodically. It is necessary to pay close attention to the latest official versions to ensure continuous compliance with the most up-to-date safety requirements.

In conclusion, the EN 71-2 flammability test is a vital link in building a safety defense line for toys. Through scientific testing methods, it mandatorily requires toy materials to possess sufficient flame retardant properties, thereby providing a safer play environment for children.