In-house quality assurance and external testing procedures
All HABA products comply, in materials and workmanship, with all European and national regulations for toy safety and also meet the US standards, specifically the ASTM Standard Consumer Safety Specification on Toy Safety (F 963).
They comply with the European Toy Directive (2009/48/EC) and meet the requirements of the EU General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) and the EU standard for toy safety (EN 71). Another important standard in the production of baby and toddler products is the pacifier holder standard EN 12586. For example, every HABA pacifier chain is externally tested by TÜV Rheinland.
Testing of wooden toys
HABA wooden toys undergo both our in-house quality assurance and external testing procedures. Mechanical safety tests are particularly important. These include:
Small parts tests:
Both HABA designers and in-house quality assurance staff carry out small parts tests. They thereby ensure that a product's components are large enough that they cannot be placed in the mouths of children under three years old and thus potentially swallowed. In addition, the testers also ensure that the length of cords or chains is chosen so that there is no risk of strangulation.
Soak test and pull test:
Before any other tests are carried out, the wooden toys first get to splash for safety! In the so-called soak test, the toys are fully immersed in water 4 times for 4 minutes each. Between immersions there is a 10-minute pause. Once this test is complete, the mechanical safety tests begin, e.g. the pull test. Each graspable part is pulled with a tool exerting 10 kg for 10 seconds. "The standard actually only requires 9 kg for infant toys and pacifier chains. For us, however, it is an additional safety aspect to add another kilo. After all the tests, no small parts that could be swallowed may become detached," explains Matthias Löhnert, who is responsible for quality assurance of HABA toys.
Impact and drop tests:
In everyday life, toys are sometimes flung out of the stroller by their little owners, sometimes thrown onto the floor, or knocked against other toys … In short: toys go through a lot. And that they can withstand all that and much more is checked very early on, long before the products reach the little customers' homes. As part of the strict quality tests, in the so-called impact test a weight of 1 kg is dropped once onto the toy from a height of 10 cm. When pacifier chains are tested, the same weight is dropped from the same height a total of 5 times. In the drop test, toys are generally dropped a total of 5 times from a height of 137 cm. In doing so, HABA exceeds the requirement of the European standard, which only prescribes a drop height of 85 cm, and follows the stricter US requirements. Since both the impact and drop tests are always carried out at HABA, the products have to withstand quite a lot.
Testing for saliva and sweat resistance:
Children under three discover their environment with all their senses and naturally also explore toys extensively with their hands and mouths. For this reason, all of HABA’s grasping toys, building blocks and pacifier chains are routinely tested by TÜV Rheinland LGA Nürnberg for saliva and sweat resistance in accordance with DIN 53160. “Internally, we monitor compliance by soaking a cloth with a saliva‑ and sweat‑simulant and rubbing it several times, under pressure, over the polished wooden parts,” explains Matthias Löhnert.
Testing of toys made of fabric, plastic, cardboard and other materials
Test, test and test again … this also applies to products made of any other materials. Toys made of fabric, for example, are tested for harmful substances by TÜV Rheinland: among other things, they are tested according to the Directive on azo dyes (synthetic dyes) 2002/61/EC. When plastics are used, the REACH Regulation 1907/2006 must be complied with. HABA's tests go far beyond the legal requirements. Products that contain parts made of cardboard and other materials are of course also tested in accordance with all applicable regulations.
