Safety policies

Usborne books are made to be enjoyed, shared, loved and played with - often with great passion and vigour! Our products conform to British and European toy safety legislation and where relevant, products carry safety warnings to guide consumers choosing books and toys for small children.

Safety first

Relevant products are put through many rigorous safety testing procedures, including tests for toxicity, choking hazards and general safety. They carry a CE marking, showing that these products meet the requirements of European Commission legislation. For more information about CE marking, visit the British Standards Institution website.

Product warnings

To help consumer choose products safely, the following two warnings from Annex V of the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC are displayed on the Usborne website:

Toys not intended for use by children under 36 months
WARNING! Not suitable for children under 36 months because of small parts. Choking Hazard.

Toys intended to be strung across a cradle, cot or perambulator by means of strings, cords, elastics or straps
WARNING! To prevent possible entanglement, remove this toy when the child begins to push up on hands and knees.

This information is supplied under the description of the product as seen below:

Some Usborne products, such as bath and cloth books, are supplied in plastic packaging. This packaging has the following warning printed on it advising parents to dispose of the bag to avoid suffocation.

WARNING! This packaging is not a toy. To avoid suffocation and danger to babies and children, dispose of this bag immediately!

Product recall - Baby's first book (boys' edition)

June 2010: Regretfully, it has come to our attention that Baby's first book (boys' edition) has failed to reach our stringent safety standards, despite rigorous testing. For more information, and what to do if you have a copy of this book, please see our Product recall page.

Illustrations from Usborne Parents' Guides: Help your child to read and write