New Canadian Regulations Establish Rigid Restrictions on Lead for Consumer Produ

The Canadian government has announced changes to the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) limiting lead in certain consumer products. Consumer product containing lead are authorized if each accessible part of the product does not contain more than 90 mg/kg of lead.

“accessible part” means any part of a consumer product containing lead that may be touched, licked, mouthed or swallowed in the course of the reasonably foreseeable use of the product.

“consumer product containing lead” means any of the following products containing lead:
(1) products, other than kitchen utensils, that are brought into contact with the user’s mouth in the course of normal use, such as: baby bottle nipples, soothers, baby bibs; beverage straws, drinking spouts and other drinking aids; mouth pieces of musical instruments and sports equipments.
(2) products intended for use in play or learning by children under three years of age, such as: children’s crayons, children’s paints and toys for children under three years.

It does not include any of the following:
(1) jewellery referred to in item 42 of Part I of Schedule I to the Hazardous Products Act;
(2) products subject to the application of the Glazed Ceramics and Glassware Regulations.

Exception ( An accessible part may contain more than 90 mg/kg of lead) if:
(1) lead is necessary to produce an essential characteristic of the part;
(2) no alternative part containing less lead is available; and
(3) the part does not release more than 90 mg/kg of lead when tested in accordance with standard EN 71-3:1994/ A1:2000/AC:2002 of the European Committee for Standardization entitled Safety of toys – Part 3: Migration of certain elements.

Regulations apply to all existing inventories and came into force from 25th Nov 2010.