Safety: The number one priority for HABA
In-house quality assurance and external test procedures
In material and workmanship, all HABA products comply with all European and national regulations for toy safety and also meet the US standards, more precisely the ASTM Standard Consumer Safety Specification on Toy Safety (F 963).
They comply with the European Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC), the requirements of the EU Directive on General Product Safety (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. Every HABA pacifier chain, for example, is externally tested by TÜV Rheinland.
Testing of wooden toys
HABA wooden toys undergo both our in-house quality assurance process and external test procedures. Mechanical safety tests are very important here. These include:
Template tests: Both the HABA designers and the staff of the in-house Quality Assurance Department conduct template tests. In these they determine that the elements of a product are so large that children under three cannot put them into their mouths and swallow them. In addition, the inspectors naturally also ensure that the length of strings or chains is selected so there is no risk of strangulation.
Soaking test and tensile test: Before all other tests are carried out, wooden toys first have to “splash for safety”! In the so-called soaking test, the toys are fully immersed in water 4 times for 4 minutes. There is a 10-minute break in between. Once this test has been completed, the mechanical safety tests, e.g. the tensile test, begin. Every graspable part is pulled for 10 seconds with a 10 kg tool. “The standard actually only requires 9 kg for toddlers’ toys and pacifier chains. But for us, adding an extra kilo means extra safety. After all the tests, no small parts that can be swallowed may be released,” explains Matthias Löhnert, who is responsible for the quality assurance of HABA toys.
Impact and drop tests: In everyday life, little toy owners throw them out of the pram, drop them onto the floor, or knock them against other toys ... in short: toys have to put up with a lot. We check at an early stage, long before the products are delivered to the little customers, that they can withstand all this and much more. As part of the strict quality tests, in the so-called impact test a weight of 1 kg is dropped onto the toy once 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 in general are dropped a total of 5 times from a height of 137 cm. This means that HABA goes beyond the requirements of the European standard, which only stipulates a drop height of 85 cm, and complies with the stricter US requirements. Since both impact and drop tests are always carried out by HABA, the products have to withstand a lot.
Testing of saliva and perspiration fastness: Children under the age of three discover their environment with all their senses and they explore toys extensively with their hands and mouth. This is why, essentially, all clutching toys, building blocks, and pacifier chains from HABA are tested by TÜV Rheinland LGA Nuremberg for saliva and perspiration fastness according to DIN 53160. “Internally, we monitor the requirements by soaking a cloth in saliva and sweat simulant and rubbing this several times with pressure over the polished wooden parts,” explains Matthias Löhnert.