Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 333 - OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY, PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION › Division 16 - HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES › Section 333-016-0056 - Test Methods for Simulating Use and Abuse, Toys, Games, and Other Articles Intended for Use by Children

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
(1)
			 Objective. This rule and OAR
			 333-016-0057,
			 333-016-0058,
			 and
			 333-016-0059  describe specific test methods for simulating normal use of toys and other
			 articles intended for children as well as the reasonably foreseeable damage or
			 abuse to which the articles may be subjected. The test methods are for use in
			 exposing potential hazards that would result from the normal use or the
			 reasonably foreseeable damage or abuse of such articles intended for
			 children.
(2) Application:
(a) Toys intended for children 96 months of
			 age or less must satisfy all tests in this section and shall also satisfy tests
			 which have been established for articles intended for the specified age groups
			 of children: 18 months of age and less, over 18 months but not over 36 months
			 of age, and over 36 months but not over 96 months of age, which are set forth
			 in OAR
			 333-016-0057,
			 333-016-0058,
			 and
			 333-016-0059.
			 If an article is marked, labeled, advertised, or otherwise intended for
			 children of an age spanning more than one of such age groups, the article will
			 be subjected to those tests providing the most stringent requirements. If an
			 article is not age-labeled or is unreasonably age-labeled and is intended for
			 children 96 months of age or less, it will also be subjected to the most
			 stringent test requirements;
(b)
			 Each of the test methods described in this rule and in OAR
			 333-016-0057,
			 333-016-0058,
			 and
			 333-016-0059  shall be applied to a previously untested sample, except the tension test which
			 shall be conducted with the test sample used in the torque test if no failure
			 occurred during that test;
(c)
			 Normal use testing:
(A) (Known herein as
			 Requirement No. 1) These tests are intended to simulate normal use conditions
			 so as to assure that hazards are not generated through normal wear and
			 deterioration. The object of these tests shall be to simulate the normal play
			 mode of the toy, and the tests in Requirement No. 2, are therefore unrelated.
			 The tests are intended to uncover hazards, rather than to demonstrate the
			 reliability of the toy. The fact that a mechanism or material of a toy fails
			 during testing is only relevant if the failure creates a potential hazard. Toys
			 shall be subjected to appropriate tests to repeatedly simulate the normal use
			 of the particular toy. For example, levers, wheels, catches, triggers, strings,
			 wires, chains, and so on, that are intended to be actuated by a child shall be
			 repeatedly operated. Spring or power-operated devices shall be similarly
			 tested. The tests shall be carried out in a normal use environment. For
			 example, toys intended for use in the bathtub shall be tested in soapy water,
			 and toys intended for use in the sandbox shall be exposed to sand during
			 testing. The toy should be inspected after such tests, and hazards such as
			 points, sharp edges, and release of small parts shall be evaluated according to
			 the relevant requirements under OAR
			 333-016-0080;
(B) Abuse testing and impact testing. Tests
			 in (A,i) through (A,iii); (B,i) through (B,v); (E,i) through (E,v);(F,i)
			 through (F,v); and (G,i) through (G,v); (known herein as Requirement No. 2) are
			 to simulate the exposure of a toy to mechanical damage through dropping,
			 throwing, and other actions likely to be performed by a child, and to simulate
			 situations in which possible damage can occur to a toy by reason of it falling
			 from a crib, a table or counter top, or other impact situation which may occur
			 as a result of reasonably foreseeable abuse. After testing, the toy shall be
			 examined for mechanical hazards, such as hazardous sharp edges and points, and
			 ingesting hazards, such as small liberate components, chips, or fragments
			 according to the particular age grading requirement for each hazard, as
			 described in OAR
			 333-016-0080.
(d) Special impact tests for
			 certain classes of toys exempted from drop tests:
(A) Tip over test for large floor-standing
			 toys. Toys intended for use on the floor, such as refrigerators and ovens, that
			 have a volume of greater than 3 cubic feet, calculated without regard to minor
			 appendages, or a projected base area of 400 square inches or more, shall be
			 tipped over onto an impact area of the construction described in Test (E,i).
			 The impact area shall be sufficiently large to accommodate the toy in whatever
			 attitude it falls. The toy shall be placed on the floor in intended use
			 position and tipped over 3 times by pushing on the floor in intended use
			 position and tipped over 3 times by pushing it slowly past its center of
			 balance, and allowed to fall without restraint. For toys with legs, projected
			 base area is determined by calculation area enclosed by straight lines
			 connecting outermost edge of each leg of the perimeter. (Known herein as Test
			 (A,i));
(B) Impact test for
			 projectiles. Projectiles shall be propelled by their discharge mechanism three
			 times into a concrete block wall (or equivalent surface) located at a distance
			 twice the length of the projectile from the front end of the launcher. The
			 discharge mechanism shall be aimed perpendicular to the wall. (Known herein as
			 Test (A,ii)) The discharge mechanisms shall be drop tested according to another
			 test, (F,i);
(C) Tumble test for
			 wheeled toys. Wheeled toys weighing more than 3.0 pounds shall be tumbled down
			 a flight of six steps with risers not less than seven inches high (see
Figure 4
). The treads may be wood, cement, or metal. The toy shall
			 be caused to fall down the steps two times in each of four attitudes: Tumbling
			 forwardly, tumbling rearwardly end-over-end, and tumbling from each side. The
			 toy shall be pushed slowly over the edge of the top step in the appropriate
			 attitude, and released as soon as it begins to fall of its own weight. The test
			 shall be considered complete for an attitude even if the toy does not reach the
			 bottom of the flight of steps. (Known herein as Test (A,iii));
(D) Exemptions from impact tests. The
			 following categories are exempted from test (A,i) through test (A,iii):
(i) Toys or assembled toys having nonwheeled
			 bases, such as gas stations and farm sets in which the base has an area greater
			 than 175 square inches and which do not tip over when placed on a 45 degree
			 incline in any direction. If the toy tips, then it shall be tested according to
			 test (A,i). However, accessories, or components of these toys that are not
			 affixed to the base structure shall conform to test (E,i) or test (F,i) or test
			 (G,i);
(ii) Toys weighing more than
			 ten pounds; and
(iii) Paints,
			 chalks, and crayons. However, the containers provided for these articles shall
			 conform to test (E,i), test (F,i), or test (G,i).
(E) Impact test for toys that cover the face.
			 The toy shall be held firmly in a suitable clamp with that portion covering the
			 eyes in a horizontal plane. Drop a 5/8-inch diameter steel ball weighing 0.56
			 ounce (tolerance plus 0.03 ounce, minus zero ounce) from a height of 50 inches
			 upon the horizontal upper surface of the toy in the area that would cover the
			 eyes in normal use. The ball may be guided, but not restricted, in its fall by
			 being dropped through a perforated tube extending to within approximately
			 4-inches of the toy. The toy will be considered to have failed if the material
			 cracks through its entire thickness or if any material visible to the naked eye
			 becomes detached. (Known herein as Test (A,iv).)
(e) Special tests for certain classes of toys
			 exempted from drop and impact tests. These tests relate to the requirements of
			 OAR
			 333-016-0080:
(A) Tires, wheels, axles:
(i) The toy shall be clamped so that the
			 wheel axle is vertical. A wire hook shaped as shown in
Figure 5
shall be positioned on the lower tire and attached to a dead weight of ten
			 pounds if the tire is on a toy intended for children aged up to 18 months, or
			 to a dead weight of 15 pounds if the tire is on a toy intended for children
			 aged from 18 months to 36 months and if the tire falls within the limits of
			 ingestion hazards as defined in OAR
			 333-016-0080.
			 The load shall be applied gradually and maintained for ten seconds. Test
			 (E,iii) and (E,iv) shall also be applied. (Known as Test (B,i).);
(ii) Pull test for wheels on hubs free to
			 rotate. The toy shall be supported or clamped with the axle in a vertical
			 position. If the lower wheel is accessible so that all of the claws of a
			 three-pronged claw hook can be engaged around the wheel hub or tire, then a
			 load of 10, 15, or 20 pounds shall be applied. The load shall be 10 pounds in
			 the case of wheels 3/4-inch or less in diameter on toys intended for children
			 aged less than 18 months, 15 pounds in the case of wheels 3/4-inch or less in
			 diameter on toys intended for children from 18 months but not over 96 months,
			 and 20 pounds in the case of wheels greater than 3/4-inch in diameter. The
			 three-pronged claw hook shall be equivalent in type to that shown in
Figure 6
and described in
British Standard No.
			 3443
,
Code of Safety Requirements for Children's Toys and
			 Playthings
,
1968
,
p. 12
. The load shall be
			 applied gradually over a five-second period and shall be maintained for ten
			 seconds. If the wheel hub or tire is inaccessible to the three-pronged claw,
			 then a suitable test hook shall be substituted for the three-pronged device.
			 The hook shall be applied to the periphery, and the test shall be carried out
			 as described above. Tests (E,iii) and E,iv) shall also be applied. (Known
			 herein as Test (B,ii));
(iii) Pull
			 test for wheels fixed onto axles. A schematic diagram of a device for applying
			 torque is shown in
Figure 7
. A load of 20 pounds is applied. The
			 procedure is that used in Test (B,ii). (Known herein as Test
			 (B,iii));
(iv) Toys assembled with
			 "snap-in" axles. A 15 pound dead weight shall be applied to the axle, adjacent
			 to a bearing, for ten seconds, using a hook and string for attachment to the
			 toy. The toy shall be held horizontally in a test-convenient fixture, and the
			 load shall be applied gradually over a five second period and then shall be
			 maintained for ten seconds. If the axle cannot be hooked as described above,
			 the toys shall be held horizontally, and a ten pound dead weight shall be
			 attached to one wheel by means of a hook or clamp. The load shall be applied
			 gradually over a five-second period and then shall be maintained for ten
			 seconds. (Known herein as Test (B,iv));
(v) Compression test for "snap-on" wheel and
			 axle assemblies. This test is for compliance with OAR
			 333-016-0080(3)
			 (b)(A)  (iii) if the axle and wheel are
			 removed by the procedure described in test (B,iv). The wheel and axle assembly
			 shall be positioned with the axle vertical over a hole in a rigid plate as
			 shown in
Figure 8
. The hole shall be large enough in diameter to
			 permit the axle to pass through. A load of 20 pounds is applied to the upper
			 wheel, using a suitable adaptor to prevent interference with the axle. The load
			 shall be applied gradually over a five-second period and then shall be
			 maintained for ten seconds. When applying the load, the upper wheel shall be
			 guided, if necessary, in order to maintain the axle vertical, but shall not be
			 restrained from moving downward. In those cases where the axle is forced
			 through either wheel, the axle shall not form a hazardous point or projection.
			 (Known herein as Test (B,v))
(B) Bending test for wires and rods. Any toy
			 that is intended to be bent or formed and that is equipped with metal wire(s)
			 or other metal material(s) for retention of form shall be subject to this test.
			 The toy shall be suitably secured in a vise equipped with vise shields of
			 3/8-inch inside diameter as shown in Figure 9. The component containing the
			 wire or rod shall be held not less than three inches from the clamping point.
			 The component shall then be bent through a 60 degree arc. The component shall
			 then be bent in the reverse direction through a 120 degree arc. A back and
			 forth bending through the 120 degree arc shall be repeated for 30 cycles. One
			 back and forth bending (two 120 degree arc bends) shall constitute one cycle.
			 The test shall be conducted at the rate of one-half cycle or 120 degrees per
			 second with a 60 second rest period occurring after each ten cycles. Apply a
			 maximum force of 10 pounds plus or minus 0.5 pound when testing toys covered by
			 OAR
			 333-016-0057  and 15 pounds plus or minus 0.5 pound when testing toys covered by OAR
			 333-016-0058  or
			 333-016-0059.
			 Apply the force perpendicularly to the major axis of the component at a point
			 two inches (5 centimeters) from the intersection of the component with the main
			 body of the toy or at the end of the component if the component is less than 2
			 inches plus or minus 0.05 inch (5 centimeters) long. (Known herein as Test
			 C,i));
(C) Test for removal of
			 components from toys. The toy shall be restrained in a test-convenient clamp,
			 and the component connected to an extensometer by a 3-pronged claw hook or
			 other suitable means of attachment. Care shall be taken to ensure that the hook
			 or attachment device does not compress the protective components of OAR
			 333-016-0080(3)(a)(C)(i)
			 and (3)(b)(A)  (iii) so that it hinders
			 possible removal. The extensometer shall be pulled perpendicular to the joint
			 between the component and the body of the toy. The load shall be applied
			 gradually over a five second period and then shall be maintained for ten
			 seconds. With regard to the push force requirement in OAR
			 333-016-0080,
			 the projection, or the toy, shall be held in a test-convenient clamp. A push
			 force of ten pounds shall be applied using an extensometer or dead weight
			 gradually over a period of five seconds and then shall be maintained for ten
			 seconds. (Known herein as Test (D,i));
(D) Test for mouth-actuated toys. A piston
			 pump, such as bicycle pump, capable of discharging and taking in more than 18
			 cubic inches of air in less than three seconds shall be connected to the
			 mouthpiece of the toy, and to the air outlet if applicable. The toy shall be
			 subjected to ten alternation blowing and sucking cycles of 18 cubic inches of
			 air. Any objects released as a result of this test shall be inspected for
			 conformance with OAR
			 333-016-0080(4)(a).
			 (Known herein as Test D,ii));
(E)
			 Tests for thermal and fire features:
(i)
			 Electrical toy. When tested under the conditions described in test (T,i) an
			 electrical toy shall not attain a temperature at any point sufficiently high to
			 constitute a fire hazard or to adversely affect any materials employed and
			 shall not show a maximum temperature higher than those established by
			 subparagraphs (2)(e)(E)(v) and (vi) of this rule. These maximum surface
			 temperature requirements are not applicable to educational or hobby-type
			 products such as lead-casting sets and wood-burning tools which are
			 appropriately labeled on the shelf pack or package as being intended only for
			 children over twelve years provided that the maximum surface temperature of any
			 such toy does not exceed that reasonably required to accomplish the intended
			 technical effect. Such toys shall be provided with specific instructions and
			 the warning statements required by and in accordance with
			 333-016-0080,
			 and shall be appropriately labeled as educational or hobby-type
			 products;
(ii) Test conditions.
			 (Known herein as Test (T,i)):
(I) General.
			 Tests shall be conducted while the toy is connected to a circuit of
			 60-cycle-per-second (60 Hertz) current using the materials supplied with the
			 toy or using materials otherwise intended to be used with the toy. Following
			 such tests, the toy shall be energized for a 6-hour period to determine that no
			 hazardous conditions would result from unattended use of the toy;
(II) Voltage. The toy shall be tested at the
			 voltage indicated in the manufacturer's rating or at 120 volts, whichever is
			 greater.
(iii)
			 Temperature measurements:
(I) General. (Known
			 herein as Test (T,ii)) Temperatures shall be measured by means of instruments
			 utilizing thermocouples of No. 30 AWG (American Wire Gage) wire (either copper
			 and constantan or iron and constantan) and potentiometer-type instruments that
			 are accurate and are calibrated in accordance with current good laboratory
			 practices. The thermocouple wire shall conform with the requirements for
			 "special" thermocouples as listed in the table of limits of error of
			 thermocouples
(Table VIII)
in
"American Standard for
			 Temperature Measurement Thermocouples
,
C96.1-1964"
,
			 approved June 9, 1964, by American National Standards Institute, Inc. The
			 Standard was sponsored and published by the Instrument Society of
			 America;
(II) Test procedures. The
			 thermocouple junction and adjacent thermocouple lead wire shall be securely
			 held in good thermal contact with the surface of the material whose temperature
			 thermal contact will result from securely taping or cementing the thermocouple
			 in place. If a metal surface is involved, brazing or soldering the thermocouple
			 to the metal may be necessary. The surface temperatures of a toy shall be
			 measured with the toy operating in any unattended condition (e.g., with and
			 without opening and closing doors or covers) for a sufficient period of time to
			 allow temperatures to become constant, or, in the case of a toy with a
			 thermostatically controlled heating element, for a sufficient period of time to
			 determine the maximum surface temperature attained. A temperature shall be
			 considered to be constant when three successive readings taken at 15 minute
			 intervals indicate no change.
(iv) Heating devices. Toy ovens, casting
			 toys, popcorn, and candy makers, and other toys requiring the insertion of any
			 materials or substances shall be additionally tested by feeding crumpled strips
			 of newspaper and tissue paper into or onto the toy in place of the intended
			 materials or substances. The test strips shall be conditioned for at least 48
			 hours in air at a temperature of 25 degrees plus or minus four degrees C. (77
			 degrees plus or minus seven degrees F.) and a relative humidity of 50 percent
			 plus or minus five percent. The test strips shall be two inches wide by eight
			 inches long before crumpling. The crumpled paper shall occupy not more than 25
			 percent of the accessible volume. The performance of the toy shall be
			 considered unacceptable if flaming occurs within a 60 minute period following
			 the attainment of normal operating temperatures. If a light bulb is used for
			 heating purposes, the test shall be conducted using the largest wattage bulb
			 that can be easily inserted into the socket;
(v) Maximum acceptable surface temperatures.
			 The maximum acceptable surface temperatures for electrically operated toys is
			 set out in
Table 1
;
(vi) Maximum acceptable material
			 temperatures. The maximum acceptable material temperatures for electrically
			 operated toys is set out in
Table 2
. (Classes 105, 130, A and B
			 are from
"Motors and Generators"
, Standard MG-1-1967 published by
			 the National Electrical Manufacturer's
			 Association.)