TÜV Rheinland tests inflatable swim articles throughout Europe: Every second product not permitted for sale in the EU
30.08.2010
Eighty-eight air mattresses and inflatable water toys purchased on the beach and then tested / 43 products not permitted for sale / high level of toxic substances / detachable small parts / dangerous infant swim seats / effective controls needed.
Poor quality, toxic substances, detached small parts and infant swim seats that offer no safety, and even pose a drowning risk: the experts from global testing service TÜV Rheinland purchased inflatable water toys and air mattresses directly on the beaches of popular European holiday destinations and tested them in their own labs. The results are shocking. Forty-three of the 88 tested products may not be sold within the European Union because they do not fulfil basic safety and labelling requirements. The biggest problems are the toxic plasticisers which exceed the limits for water toys in 29 of the products.
"Those who buy air mattresses, inflatable swim rings or swim toys on the beach are often getting poor quality, but what's far worse are the health risks they incur at the same time – especially for kids", says Friedrich Hecker, CEO of TÜV Rheinland.
All swim toys were purchased directly on the beach for EUR 0.69 to EUR 19.99 in May 2010 in France, Italy and the Netherlands – where many tourists and families with children buy swim toys or air mattresses. The inspections were then performed at the testing labs of TÜV Rheinland Quality in Eindhoven, the Netherlands and of TÜV Rheinland LGA Products in Nuremberg, Germany.
Twenty-nine products loaded with plasticisers.
Eighty-two of the tested products were classified as toys and tested accordingly. This means they had to comply with the EU directive for toys. The testers from TÜV Rheinland determined that 29 of the products inspected had high concentrations of phthalate plasticisers which were beyond the limit for concentrations specified for toys. Phthalates are suspected of being carcinogenic and having hormonal effects. From a technical standpoint, these plasticisers can be avoided. The most unfortunate record was made by a dolphin purchased in Italy: its inflation valve contained 36 percent DEHP (di(2)-ethylhexyl phthalate) – the limit is 0.1 percent.
In addition to the chemical analyses of the plastics at TÜV Rheinland Quality in Eindhoven, the testers of TÜV Rheinland LGA Products in Nuremberg also conducted mechanical tests. Specifically, they examined the risk that plastic valves or other parts could be torn off by children and swallowed. To determine the risk, very specific torsion and tensile strength tests are conducted. Three products also failed these tests. This means they pose a direct suffocation risk to children.
Only buy approved swimming aids.
A further problem is represented by the design of swim seats for babies and small children which are not approved within the EU and pose a danger in some cases. The experts were able to purchase six of these infant swim seats although they are banned in Europe. "This type of product is dangerous because it gives parents a false sense of security", explains Hecker. In some cases, there is the risk that the children will immediately capsize in the water, as the seat is too high and the child sits too far above the water. This is naturally not something parents would expect.
Baby swim seats must meet the requirements for swim aids; they are not toys, but protective equipment. According to the applicable European standard EN 13138-3, such swim seats must ensure, among other things, that the children cannot capsize. Indications regarding the age group and body weight of the children must also be provided. A toy-like design is not permitted to be sold in the EU, so that a clear differentiation to a normal water toy can be made. Therefore, the experts at TÜV Rheinland recommend that people not buy swim aids for babies or small children during the holiday, but should purchase these items before travelling and after obtaining complete information.
Testing fundamentals at a glance.
The 88 articles were tested in June 2010. The sole basis for the inspection were the minimum requirements of European safety standards that every product of this kind must meet to be sold in the European Union. This includes in particular the EU guidelines for toys (88/378/EC and EN 71, mechanical requirements), the chemical REACH ordinance 1907/2006 EC (Annex XVII; Prohibition of certain phthalates) as well as safety-related requirements and testing procedures for swim seats worn on the body (EN 13138-3). No national regulations that deviated from the standard, or that were stricter than the standard, were accounted for in the tests.
Results similarly poor in all countries.
Regardless of the place of purchase, the results are similar in all countries. In France, the TÜV Rheinland experts purchased 27 products, of which 16 were not permitted for sale. In Italy, 13 of the 28 products failed. And in the Netherlands, 14 of 33 tested products were not permitted.
This test confirms TÜV Rheinland's results of last year. Back in 2009, the specialists purchased 25 inflatable swim and leisure articles for between 5 and 10 euros, directly on beaches in Greece, Italy, Croatia, Spain and Turkey. The same criteria were applied to testing then as now. Seventeen of the 25 products tested last year did not meet the safety requirements within the European Union, which were also applied to products purchased in Turkey. The defects found were also similar to those of this year.
CEO Friedrich Hecker says: "The inadequate safety of cheap products and toys is a European problem, not a national one. We have clear standards with applicable European regulations. However, there are no effective controls and thus insufficient reliability for consumers. For us as consumers, this means that we must obtain advice and make purchases from well-known retailers or specialty shops and pay attention to additional testing seals. Politicians must ask themselves if assigning sole responsibility to companies and markets in this segment of cheap products is really enough, given that clear rules are being violated."
