Due to the dangers of luminous toys on children’s eyesight, the agency recommends updating the European standard which “is not sufficiently protective”.
- According to ANSES, the part updated in 2020 of the European standard on eye safety of toys “does not guarantee compliance with the limit values ensuring the protection of children’s eyes.”
- Indeed, out of 19 toys containing LEDs, 8 could not have been placed on the market with the 2005 version of the standard, compared to only one with the 2020 version.
- Given the health issues associated with exposing children to excessively high levels of blue light, the health authority recommends reviewing and modifying the revised protocol.
Tablet, computer, phone… Screens are not the only ones to emit blue light. In fact, certain toys, such as stuffed animals, spinning tops or even trucks, which contain LEDs, emit them. Thus, children using these objects are exposed to blue light, which is not without health risks. Indeed, in reports published in 2010 and 2019, the National Health Security Agency (ANSES) reported that repeated exposure could cause damage to the retina. In addition, if used in the evening and at night, it can disrupt the biological rhythms, including sleep, of toddlers. “whose eyes do not completely filter blue light”.
Luminous toys for children: errors that could lead to “exceeding exposure limit values”
As a reminder, the safety of electric toys is currently verified using a European standard which was updated in 2020. This protocol has been examined in depth by ANSES, at the request of the ministries responsible for health. and economics and finance. In an opinionpublished on October 1, the health authority reveals that this updated section contains several errors relating to the relevance of exposure scenarios, the calculation of luminance and the conversion of energy flows into intensity. “These can cause toys declared compliant to exceed the exposure limit values, defined to prevent the risks associated with blue light.”
Eye safety: the version of the 2005 standard is more protective than that of 2020
As part of a more in-depth analysis, ANSES carried out tests on a sample of 19 LEDs contained in toys available on the market. According to the results, eight of the toys examined could not have been placed on the market with the 2005 version of the standard, due to exceeding safety requirements, compared to only one with the 2020 version. Conclusion: “compliance with the new version of the standard therefore does not guarantee eye safety requirements to prevent any risk to children’s eyes.” Faced with the worrying results of the expertise, the agency recommends suspending the application of the updated protocol of the standard relating to eye safety, temporarily returning to the 2005 version and quickly initiating its revision.