Conformity with the requirements of the "small parts cylinder" test, prevents deaths and injuries to children under three from choking on, inhaling, or swallowing small objects they may “mouth”. It bans toys that are intended for use by children under three and that are or have small parts, or that produce small parts when broken.
"Small parts" include toys, their removable parts, or parts that can be broken into small pieces.
EN 71-1: Mechanical and physical properties, a mandatory safety standard harmonized under the Toy Safety Directive defines those small parts as
Objects that fit into a cylinder with dimensions simulating the with of a child's throat without compressing the parts and in any orientation.
A small part can be:
- A whole toy
- A separate part of a toy
- A piece of a toy that breaks off during testing that simulates the use or abuse by children
If a toy or small part fits completely into the cylinder, and the toy from which it came is intended for use by children under three, it has failed the test because the small part presents a choking hazard.
This test should also be performed if any parts have come loose during the following tests:
Send your samples to
Centexbel physical lab
Technologiepark 70
9052 Zwijnaarde