What is the TIA Toy Safety Certification Program (TSCP)?
TSCP is being developed by TIA and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) with advisory input from Bureau Veritas. Its purpose is to enhance public confidence and support initiatives to sell safer toys in the U.S. market. The program’s primary aim is to assist manufacturers, retailers, and importers in addressing product safety and compliance issues with secondary benefits of reducing product liability and public recalls.
What are the key benefits?
• Identify potential hazards earlier in the process, thus allowing changes during the product concept stage, resulting in time and cost savings.
• Provide a Product Hazard Analysis/Assessment - a flexible approach scalable to large or small businesses that does not restrict design innovation or new ideas. It can address a range of products from simple to complex.
• Improve the ability to help maintain product quality through a Factory Process Control Audit.
• Take stronger action to protect your customers from potential harm and reduce the chances of negative media attention.
• Bring products to market with greater confidence, knowing you are providing safer goods to consumers.
• Verify compliance of your products with toy regulations and industry standards.
• Minimize costly recalls, returns and complaints, resulting in margin increase.
• Effectively manage your reputation, brand equity and risk within your supply chain.
OUR APPROACH
Bureau Veritas can assist in evaluating your performance in the four key areas under TSCP:
• Product Hazard Analysis/Assessment
• Factory Process Control Auditing
• Production Sample Laboratory Testing
• Certification
Product Hazard Analysis/Assessment
Product Hazard Assessment is an evaluation of the product during the concept stage, to review potentially hazardous or dangerous design features that could lead to injury.
Bureau Veritas offers hazard analysis/assessments to companies, including private labelers and manufacturers, to reduce the risks to consumers. Upon request as an additional service, we can also provide advice on regulatory and
industry standards that may apply.
Factory Process Control Auditing
During a Factory Process Control Audit, the systems and procedures used during the manufacturing process are assessed for product safety risks. Factory audits evaluate how well a factory’s internal systems are implemented with the goal of reducing the likelihood of hazards.
Bureau Veritas has designed the Factory Process Control for Toys to meet the highest industry quality standards. The standards are developed based on the existing quality compliance programs used by global brand retailers in the
toy industry. Question Risk Weightings (QRW) are developed, which apply to each question weighted as Critical, Major or Minor. Each section of the audit is also weighted as to its importance/effect on the total process.
The audit standard consists of six sections:
• Quality Management System
• Incoming Material Control
• Factory Facilities (i.e. Good Manufacturing Practices)
• Process and Product Control
• Resource Management
• Final Product Control and Traceability
Production Sample Laboratory Testing
Bureau Veritas provides accredited, comprehensive testing services to help assess if a children’s product meets all of the required international governmental regulations and industry standards. Our test laboratory staff are experienced in the application of global regulations, safety and technical standards, and can suggest applicable standards for the analysis of your product.
Certification
Upon successful completion of applicable requirements, Bureau Veritas can certify your toys, allowing you to display the TIA certification mark on the product or packaging.
For more information on the TIA's Toy Safety Certification Program visit http://toycertification.org/.
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