Toy Industry Association (TIA) Statement on Toy Safety Best Practices

Toy Safety Certification Program Redefined in Recognition of Current Regulatory Requirements;
Best Practices Made Freely Available to all Toy Industry Stakeholders

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is making the foundational aspects of its Toy Safety Certification Program® (TSCP®) freely available as online resources to help all toy companies, importers and testing laboratories facilitate compliance with the federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).  The formal certification component of the TSCP is being placed on hold pending further U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) clarification of the law.  If conditions change, we will look at how the TSCP program might also need to change to continue to promote enhanced toy safety. 

The fundamental requirements of the formal TSCP certification program are consistent with current guidance from the CPSC encouraging toy companies to establish and implement ‘Reasonable Testing Programs’ that address testing, quality control and design issues.  After careful analysis, TIA has determined that it can best assist the toy industry by redefining the TSCP’s design and manufacturing requirements as industry best practices that can be freely adopted by toy companies and importers as they await further clarification from the Commission on CPSIA enforcement criteria and policies. The guidance will also be useful for laboratories duly qualified to perform testing as required under CPSC requirements and regulations or as part of a company’s quality assurance process.  Adoption of the Toy Safety Compliance Practices will further enhance the safety of toys sold in the United States.

TIA and its members remain fully committed to a broad range of initiatives that will continually enhance toy safety. As such, the Association will continue to work with regulators, toy companies, retailers, consumer groups, labs and conformity assessment experts to help toy companies and laboratories assure compliance with the CPSIA and other toy safety standards.