Toy Safety Standard (ST Standard)
- Toy Safety Standard (ST Standard) is a voluntary standard of Japan Toy Association. Toys that pass ST standard can show ST mark.
ST Part I: Mechanical and Physical Properties
- Toys are tested based on the standard to see whether there are physical hazards such as accidental swallowing, suffocation, stabbing, incision, falling, confinement etc.
- A wide variety of testing items is stipulated in ST Part 1: Mechanical and Physical Properties. It is determined based of material and shape of toy, conceivable potential hazard. Below are the overview of different testing items.
Accidental Swallowing (Examination of small parts that can be accidentally swallowed by children or stuffed in throat)
- Check if the small part can be contained in the small part cylinder (Accidental drinking tester)
- Check if the small part can pass through the test gauge for small balls, circle and ellipse passing gauge
Suffocation
- String: Examination of thickness and length
- Bags on head: Specification of size and thinness or inspection of air holes
- Toys that cover mouth and face (cup, mask etc), toys that children can go inside: Inspection of ventilation
Stabbing
- Every sharp point on toy: stabbing test using sharp point tester
- Checking of existence of parts that have potential hazard of stabbing when children fall down (e.g. hard stick pointing upwards)
Incision, stuffing, pinching
- Every edge on top: Determination of sharp edge using sharp edge testing
- Gap between moving part and string (Risk of being stuffed or caught with fingers)” check if the size of gap or dimension of hole conform to the standard.
Sound, heat, battery, magnet
- Tests are conducted to check whether the testing items conforms to the following regulations
- Toys that produce sound: Sound level measured by prescribed method are within the regulated level
- Toys that generate heat: Increase of temperature is within standard
- Toys using battery and magnet (high risk of accidental swallowing): age grade limitation and warning, regulation of magnet strength
Mechanical strength
- Every toy will conduct examination of mechanical strength (tension, twist, bend, weight, drop etc.) to check whether if there are any generation of small parts, sharp points, sharp edges as stated above after the strength test.
Examination of specified types of toy
- Kite: Examination of electrical resistance of string (risk of electric shock)
- Shooting object: Kinetic energy of fired bullets and arrows, inspection of tip material and cross section area
