G/TBT/N/BWA/64  
 
12 October 2017  
(17-5488) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member: BOTSWANA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2  and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  
Ministry of Investment Trade and Industry  
Private Bag 004  
Gaborone  
Tel: (+267) 3601200  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Botswana Bureau of Standards  
Private Bag BO 48  
Gaborone  
Botswana  
Tel: (+267) 3903200  
Fax: (+267) 3903120  
Toll Free Number: (0800 600 900)  
Email: infoc@hq.bobstandards.bw  
3. Notified under  Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Toys 
(ICS 97.200.50).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: BOS ISO 8124 -
1:2014 Saf ety of toys – Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical 
properties (143 page(s), in English)    
6. Description of content: The requirements in this part of ISO 8124 apply to all toys, i.e. 
any product or material designed or clearly intende d for use in play by children under 
14 years of age. They are applicable to a toy as it is initially received by the consumer and, 
in addition, they apply after a toy is subjected to reasonably foreseeable conditions of 
normal use and abuse unless specific ally noted otherwise.  
The requirements of this part of ISO 8124 specify acceptable criteria for structural 
characteristics of toys, such as shape, size, contour, spacing (e.g. rattles, small parts, 
sharp points and edges, and hinge -line clearances) as well  as acceptable criteria for 
properties peculiar to certain categories of toy (e.g. maximum kinetic energy values for 
non-resilient -tipped projectiles and minimum tip angles for certain ride -on toys).  
This part of ISO 8124 specifies requirements and test me thods for toys intended for use by 
children in various age groups from birth to 14 years. The requirements vary according to 
the age group for which a particular toy is intended. The requirements for a particular age G/TBT/N/BWA/64  
 
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  group reflect the nature of the hazards  and the expected mental and/or physical abilities of 
a child to cope with them.  
This part of ISO 8124 also requires that appropriate warnings and/or instructions for use 
be given on certain toys or their packaging. Due to linguistic problems which may occ ur in 
different countries, the wording of these warnings and instructions is not specified but 
given as general information in Annex B. It should be noted that different legal 
requirements exist in many countries with regard to such marking.  
This part of I SO 8124 does not purport to cover or include every conceivable potential 
hazard of a particular toy or toy category. Except for labelling requirements indicating the 
functional hazards and the age range for which the toy is intended, this part of ISO 8124 
has no requirements for those characteristics of toys which represent an inherent and 
recognized hazard which is integral to the function of the toy.  
EXAMPLE 1  An example of such a hazard is the sharp point necessary for the proper 
function of a needle. Th e needle is a hazard which is well understood by the purchaser of a 
toy sewing kit, and the functional sharp -point hazard is communicated to the user as part 
of the normal educational process of learning to sew as well as at the point of purchase by 
means of cautionary labelling on the product's packaging.  
EXAMPLE 2  As a further example, a two -wheeled toy scooter has inherent and recognized 
hazards associated with its use (e.g. instability during use, especially while learning). The 
potential hazards associ ated with its structural characteristics (sharp edges, pinch hazards, 
etc.) will be minimized by compliance with the requirements of this part of ISO 8124.  
Products not included within the scope of this part of ISO 8124 are:  
a) bicycles, except for those c onsidered to be toys, i.e. those having a maximum saddle 
height of 435 mm (see E.1, general);  
b) slingshots;  
NOTE  “Slingshots” are also known as “catapults” and are usually held in the hand; 
examples are given in Figure 1. Toy versions of medieval catapult s and trebuchets are not 
exempt from this part of ISO 8124; an example is given in Figure 2.  
Figure 1 – Examples of slingshots (not within the scope of this part of ISO 8124)  
Figure 2 – Medieval toy catapult (within the scope of this part of ISO 8124)  
c) darts with metal points;  
d) home and public playground equipment;  
e) compressed air - and gas -operated guns and pistols (see E.1);  
f) kites (except for the electric resistance of their strings, which is included);  
g) model kits, hobby and craft items, in whi ch the finished item is not primarily of play 
value;  
h) sporting goods and equipment, camping goods, athletic equipment, musical 
instruments and furniture; however, toys which are their counterparts are included.  
It is recognized that there is often a fine  distinction between, for example a musical 
instrument or a sporting item and its toy counterpart. The intention of the manufacturer or 
distributor, as well as normal use and reasonably foreseeable abuse, determines whether 
the item is a toy counterpart or  not; 
i) models of aircraft, rockets, boats and land vehicles powered by combustion engines; 
however, toys which are their counterparts are included (see E.1);  
j) collectible products not intended for children under 14 years of age;  
k) holiday decorations that are primarily intended for ornamental purposes;  
l) aquatic equipment intended to be used in deep water, swimming -learning devices 
and flotation aids for children such as swim -seats and swim -aids; 
m) toys installed in public places (e.g. arcades and sh opping centres);  G/TBT/N/BWA/64  
 
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  n) puzzles having more than 500 pieces or without a picture, for specialists;  
o) fireworks including percussion caps, except percussion caps specifically designed for 
toys; 
p) products containing heating elements intended for use under the  supervision of an 
adult in a teaching context;  
q) steam engines;  
r) video toys that can be connected to a video screen and operated at a nominal 
voltage greater than 24 V;  
s) babies' pacifiers (dummies);  
t) faithful reproduction of firearms;  
u) electric o vens, irons or other functional products operated at a nominal voltage 
greater than 24 V;  
v) bows for archery with an overall relaxed length exceeding 120 cm;  
w) fashion jewellery for children (see E.1).  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Consumer information, labelling; Protection of human health or safety; 
Quality requirements  
8. Relevant documents:  The following documents, in whole or in part, are normati vely 
referenced in this document and are indispensable for its application. For dated references, 
only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
 ISO 868, Plastics  and ebonite  – Determination  of indentation  hardness  by means  of 
a durometer  (Shore  hardness)  
 ISO 3746:2010, Acoustics  – Determination  of sound  power  levels  and sound  
energy  levels  of noise sources  using  sound  pressure  – Survey  method  using  an 
enveloping  measurement  surface  over a reflecting  plane  
 ISO 4287, Geometrical  Product  Specifications  (GPS)  – Surface  texture:  Profile  
method  – Terms,  definitions  and surface  texture  parameters  
 ISO 6508‑1, Metallic  materials  – Rockwell  hardness  test – Part 1: Test method  
(scales  A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, K, N, T) 
 ISO 11201 , Acoustics  – Noise  emitted  by machinery  and equipment  – 
Determination  of emission  sound  pressure  levels  at a work station  and at other  
specified  positions  in an essentially  free field over a reflecting  plane with negligible  
environmental  corrections  
 ISO 11202 , Acoustics  – Noise  emitted  by machinery  and equipment  – 
Determination  of emission  sound  pressure  levels  at a work station  and at other  
specified  positions  applying  approximate  environmental  corrections  
 ISO 11204 , Acoustics  – Noise  emitted  by machinery  and equipment  – 
Determination  of emission  sound  pressure  levels at a work station  and at other  
specified  positions  applying  accurate  environmental  corrections  
 IEC 61672 -1, Electroacoustics  – Sound  level meters  – Part 1: Specifications  
 IEC 61672 -2, Electroacoustics  – Sound  level meters  – Part 2: Pattern  evaluation  
tests  
9. Proposed date of adoption: 27 November 2017  
Proposed date of entry into force: 27 November 2017  
10. Final date for comments: 27 November 2017  G/TBT/N/BWA/64  
 
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  11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
Botswana Bureau of Standards  
information Centre  
Private Bag BO 48  
Gaborone  
Botswana  
Tel: (+267) 3903200  
Fax: (+267) 3903120  
Toll Free Number: (0800 600 900)  
Email: infoc@hq.bobstandards.bw