london edition aUTUmn 2016 MARKET STALL GuIdANCE pLay saFe witH toys Make sure you stick to the rules this Christmas If you cannot prove who your supplier is, you many be held responsible for a safety problem that arises with at toy that is not properly labelled If you are planning to run a market stall selling toys this Christmas, you need to make sure your products meet the relevant legal standards. All toys must comply with the toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 and have a CE mark on them or their packaging. This mark is a declaration that the item complies with the regulations. It also means the manufacturer is stating that the product is a toy and can be played with by a child of 14 years or under. toys must be labelled in the following way: l Name and address details (of the manufacturer or their authorised representative if they are in the Eu, or of the first uK importer or manufacturers authorised representative if the maker is outside the Eu) l A batch number do not sell toys without these details. If toys are not safe for very young children to play with because they have small detachable parts, they must be individually and suitably labelled even if they are sold loose from a display box. They must carry a written warning, for example: Not suitable for children under three years of age due to small parts which may cause a choking hazard. You might also see a 0-3 logo on a toys packaging; this is a safety warning indicating that it is not suitable for children under three years of age. This must be accompanied by the reason for the age restriction for example: CHoKING HAZARd, small parts. Soft toys with simple features intended for holding and cuddling are considered suitable for children under 36 months, and must not have either small detachable parts or an age restriction applied to them. other things to check: l does the toy have small parts that come off when pulled? These may be a choking hazard l does the toy have obvious sharp points or edges? l Is the toy packaged in a large plastic bag? If so, the bag must have air holes and not pose a suffocation hazard If you cannot prove who your supplier is, you may be held responsible for a safety problem that arises with a toy that is not properly labelled, so always obtain an itemised receipt containing a contactable name and address. Credit: Murray dewar Images: Bontanadines / schatzie / Shutterstock Further guidance on selling toys can be found on the Business Companion website. TaKIng acTIon oVEr UnSaFE ProdUcTS Unsafe products can still find their wayonto the market, no matter how responsible sellers of manufactured or imported goods try to be. if this happens, your business could be in the position of having to take some form of corrective action. thiscould include one or more of the following: l Withdrawing products from the distribution chain l Sending information and warnings about correct use of consumer products l Modifying or repairing products at the consumers premises or elsewhere l Recalling products for repair, replacement or refund this is not a situation you would want to find your business in. However, if you plan ahead you will be in a much better position to take action should the need arise. Your plan should include: l A policy and procedure for taking corrective action l Discussing your policy with trading partners l Setting up a corrective action team l Monitoring information about the safety of yourproducts l Keeping good sales and distribution records to helptrace products, and identify consumers and end users l Compiling documents about your products design and safety l Keeping contact information for key people and organisations up to date in the most serious circumstances, you may have no choice but to recall a product. to improve the effectiveness of this you should: l Determine how to trace the products and theirowners l Set up a communication programme l Draft your recall message clearly and simply l Decide how to communicate the message l Deal with your consumers l Communicate with others who need to know l Recall the products concerned l Deal with products that have been returned l Monitor the response to the recall and decide if further action is needed Comprehensive guidance on carrying out corrective actions, including recalls, can be found in the PROSAFepublication Consumer Product Safety in Europe Corrective Action Guide. this can be downloaded from here. For further information please contact your local Trading Standards Service