Some toys are designed to emit sound, for example percussion toys, cap-firing toys, rattles and toys that play music or sound. In order to protect children from the risk of impaired hearing, maximum values should be set for both impulse noise and continuous noise emitted by toys which are designed to emit a sound. However, toys that are not clearly designed to emit sound, but do emit a reproducible sound when a child activates a mechanism such as a trigger on a toy gun, should also be designed so as to protect children from the risk of impaired hearing. Current scientific knowledge is not sufficiently precise on the effects on health and safety of children of sound emitted from toys, but research within the World Health Organization has demonstrated the general vulnerability of children to noise-induced hearing loss and the harmful effects for the development of children when developing hearing loss. While noise limits applicable in an occupational context address a different exposure to noise than sound emitted by toys, it should nonetheless be ensured that toys do not lead to the exposure of children to levels of sound higher than those which require employers to take measures for workers in accordance with Directive 2003/10/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. The maximum values for continuous noise and impulse noise in toys should take into account the type of toy and sound produced by the toy, in view of the intended and reasonably foreseeable use.
Text as published in the Official Journal, reproduced verbatim (including any typographical quirks of the source). For the authentic version, see EUR-Lex.
