Children's toys produced in Tomsk will become safer starting from August 1.
In 2025, a new federal standard for children's toys, known as the GOST standard, will come into effect on August 1st. This standard aims to ensure the safety of young children by enforcing strict rules on manufacturers and sellers of children's toys.
The updated GOST standard introduces a comprehensive classification system for children's toys, categorising them based on several criteria such as purpose, material, age group suitability, function or play style, and cultural or regional characteristics. This refined classification helps target safety and compliance measures more precisely according to toy type and usage.
The updated standards reinforce stringent mechanical and physical safety checks, ensuring toys have no sharp edges or hazardous small parts that could pose choking risks, especially for children under 36 months. Chemical safety measures specify limits on hazardous substances such as heavy metals and toxic chemicals, following stringent thresholds to reduce poisoning or contamination risks.
Flammability testing is mandatory to prevent fire hazards from toys. For electrically operated toys, electrical safety testing verifies compliance with criteria that prevent electric shock or malfunction. The updated framework also integrates rigorous requirements for labeling and technical documentation, which must comply with federal rules and be provided in Russian, facilitating enforcement and conformity assessments.
The Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology (Rosstandart) oversees these regulations and enforcement. Toys must undergo testing at accredited laboratories within Russia or the Eurasian Economic Union to obtain EAC certification, ensuring conformity with the updated safety standards. Products found non-compliant can be excluded from market access based on these regulations.
In addition, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 2025 has issued warnings related to toys with ingestion hazards (small parts or button batteries) and products causing suffocation risks, emphasising a federal focus on preventing serious injuries or deaths associated with such toys. Manufacturers and importers are expected to comply with not only mechanical and chemical safety requirements but also updated federal restrictions that reduce long-term health risks to children.
In summary, the 2025 federal standard enhances the GOST classification by refining toy categories and updates safety requirements to mitigate mechanical, chemical, electrical, and flammability hazards. These changes strengthen consumer safety through comprehensive testing, documentation, and certification processes under federal oversight. The new GOST standard is designed to provide a safer environment for children, ensuring their toys meet the highest safety standards.
[1] Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology (Rosstandart). (2025). GOST R 52259.1-2025. Retrieved from https://www.rosstandart.ru/ [2] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2025). Press Release: CPSC Warns Consumers About Toy Hazards. Retrieved from https://www.cpsc.gov/ [3] Federal Register. (2025). Final Rule: Lead Content and Phthalates in Children's Toys and Child Care Articles. Retrieved from https://www.federalregister.gov/ [4] European Commission. (2025). Harmonised Standards for the Safety of Toys. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards_en
- Recognizing the importance of health-and-wellness in children's development, the updated GOST standard for children's toys emphasizes limiting long-term health risks by enforcing restrictions on manufacturers and sellers.
- Equipped with a refined classification system, the new GOST standard also includes science-driven measures to ensure the safety of children's toys, such as stringent mechanical, chemical, electrical, and flammability testing, as well as comprehensive labeling and documentation requirements.
