Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) Call for Evidence on Toy Safety Regulations

Summary

Which? welcomes this opportunity to respond to the Call for Evidence on the future of UK toy safety regulation. It is important that the government’s response to this Call prioritises how the UK regulatory framework can be strengthened to improve child safety. 

The recent updating of the EU’s toy safety regulation (2025/2509/EU) means that the UK now lags behind in several key areas of child safety. It is important that the UK also strengthens its regulations in line with the EU’s approach including: 

• Enhancing chemical safety
• Requiring safety assessments to include a broader range of hazards and potential harms including mental health, psychological safety and cyber risks
• Bringing in stricter noise limits and 
• Enhancing traceability and verification through the development of, and requirement for, digital product passports. 

This is also an example of a product category that has become readily available on online marketplaces and where the on-going failure to introduce a duty on online marketplaces to ensure the safety of products listed by sellers on their platforms leaves consumers poorly protected and places children at major risk. 

Our investigations have repeatedly highlighted that unless this duty is introduced, supported by stronger enforcement and fining powers, online marketplaces will never make safety a priority over profit.