January 2026: New Standards Advance Safety for Household, Child Care, and Temperature Controls

Ensuring safety, performance, and reliability of household and commercial equipment is essential in today’s dynamic market. The start of 2026 brings three new international standards for domestic and commercial equipment, entertainment, and sporting applications, published in January. This update, Part 2 of 2, features important developments for manufacturers, suppliers, compliance professionals, and quality managers working to protect end-users and guarantee legal conformance. From safeguarding child care products against thermal hazards, to specifying stricter requirements for food waste disposers, and defining robust guidelines for temperature-sensing controls, these standards reflect the latest science and regulatory expectations.

Overview

The domestic and commercial equipment sector is diverse, encompassing everything from child care articles and home appliances to entertainment systems and sports equipment. As user safety, product reliability, and environmental concerns grow, international standards play a critical role in aligning practices, supporting innovation, and providing benchmarks for compliance and market access.

This article examines:

• Why new standards matter for safety and performance
• Detailed contents and applicability of January 2026’s latest publications
• Compliance considerations and sector best practices

Professionals will find insights on current requirements, practical implementation, and strategic benefits for adopting these international standards.

Detailed Standards Coverage

ISO/TS 24929-4:2026 – General Safety for Child Care Articles: Thermal Hazards

Child care articles — General safety — Part 4: Thermal hazards

The ISO/TS 24929-4:2026 specification delivers essential guidance and requirements for addressing thermal hazards in child care articles, ensuring that products exposed to potential heat sources protect vulnerable users—infants and young children—from burns, scalds, or temperature-related injury.

This part of the ISO 24929 series should be applied in conjunction with other general safety requirements and is vital for product designers, manufacturers, and compliance officers focused on the juvenile products market. The document covers:

• The safety philosophy to guide hazard assessment
• Flammability and burning risks
• Hazards from both hot and cold surfaces
• Dangers associated with hot and cold liquids and food
• Direct flame contact risks
• Risks of hyperthermia and hypothermia

Key requirements specify how to assess, test, and reduce thermal hazards in design and production, ensuring that hazards are systematically addressed and mitigated across all scenarios of intended use. Implementation extends from child seats and high chairs to feeding products, strollers, and sleeping environments.

Target organizations include child care product manufacturers, testing laboratories, regulatory authorities, and suppliers managing compliance documentation.

Key highlights:

• Clear test methods for hot, cold, and flammable risks
• Focus on both product design and materials selection
• Rationale and risk assessment framework provided for all hazard types

Access the full standard:View ISO/TS 24929-4:2026 on iTeh Standards

FprEN IEC 60335-2-16:2025 – Safety of Food Waste Disposers

Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-16: Particular requirements for food waste disposers

FprEN IEC 60335-2-16:2025 provides comprehensive, updated safety requirements for electric food waste disposers used in homes, shops, farms, and light industry. Covering devices rated at up to 250V (AC/DC, including battery operation), this standard focuses on eliminating risks associated with electrical operation, mechanical safety, and surface temperatures.

This sixth edition aligns the standard with the most recent IEC 60335-1:2020 general requirements, enhancing harmonization and clarity for manufacturers globally. It introduces notable advancements:

• Conversion of previously advisory notes into enforceable normative requirements
• Detailed temperature rise limits for surfaces accessible to users
• Updated provisions for marking, instructions, and component safety

Commercial and residential manufacturers, installation professionals, safety assessors, and those specifying waste disposal solutions must comply. Regulatory authorities overseeing product installation and operation, especially in different jurisdictions, should also note national or local additional requirements, including possible installation restrictions due to public health or water regulations.

Significant changes from prior editions center around harmonization, enforceable safety criteria, and test methods for both routine and abnormal device operation. The document is essential for anyone aiming to improve or certify the safety of food waste disposers for new builds, renovations, or replacement products.

Key highlights:

• Alignment with latest general appliance safety standards (IEC 60335-1:2020)
• Explicit new normative rules on user-accessible temperature limits
• Enhanced requirements for marking, installation, and national deviations

Access the full standard:View FprEN IEC 60335-2-16:2025 on iTeh Standards

prEN IEC 60730-2-9:2024 – Temperature Sensing Electrical Controls

Automatic electrical controls – Part 2-9: Particular requirements for temperature sensing controls

prEN IEC 60730-2-9:2024 sets out stringent requirements for temperature sensing controls deployed in, on, or associated with household, commercial, and light industrial equipment. These vital control devices enable safe operation of home appliances (eg, ovens, heaters, refrigeration), HVAC systems, building automation, and smart home products.

The standard applies to controls powered by AC or DC up to 690 V AC or 600 V DC, including both traditional and smart-enabled systems. It addresses controls integral to or used alongside a wide array of products, regardless of the underlying energy source—be it electricity, gas, oil, or renewables.

This fifth edition synchronizes the requirements with IEC 60730-1, introduces stricter test protocols, and enhances focus on functional safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and operational reliability. It further provides:

• Guidance for controls used in connected environments (eg, smart grids, building automation)
• Requirements for both inherent and functional safety of temperature-controlled systems
• Provisions for controls using advanced sensing technologies, including thermistors

Temperature control manufacturers, appliance producers, building systems integrators, and commercial equipment providers must ensure compliance. This also impacts procurement, testing laboratories, and certification agencies across energy, facilities, and consumer product sectors.

Noteworthy changes include better risk management for complex electronics, new EMC testing, and expanded annexes addressing functional deviations, endurance, and classification of control types.

Key highlights:

• Expanded scope for smart and network-enabled controls
• Updated endurance and EMC requirements
• Explicit focus on functional safety and international harmonization

Access the full standard:View prEN IEC 60730-2-9:2024 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

Adoption of these new standards in the domestic and commercial equipment sector has far-reaching benefits. For manufacturers, they present validated frameworks for designing, testing, and delivering safer, more reliable products that meet both legal and consumer expectations. Key impacts include:

• Market Access: International compliance ensures products can be traded and sold globally
• Risk Mitigation: Conformance to standards reduces liability, recalls, and reputational damage from product failures or safety incidents
• Consumer Trust: Clear safety guarantees build brand strength and end-user confidence
• Competitive Advantage: Early compliance can differentiate products in competitive, safety-conscious markets

Compliance timelines and recommendations:

1. Begin gap assessments against new requirements immediately
2. Update documentation, test results, and declarations for affected product lines
3. Engage accredited testing laboratories and certification bodies familiar with the latest standard revisions
4. Plan for changes in marking, labeling, and end-user instructions as specified in the relevant standard

Failure to implement these standards can result in market withdrawal, fines, and reputational harm—particularly where national or regional regulations reference these international norms.

Technical Insights

Across these standards, several technical themes emerge:

• Comprehensive Risk Analysis: Use of formal risk assessment to identify and mitigate hazards
• Focus on End-Use Scenarios: Safety requirements account for both intended and foreseeable misuse
• Elevated Testing and Documentation: Manufacturers must conduct rigorous, reproducible tests and maintain records
• EMC and Functional Safety: For electronic controls, new requirements address not only hardware failures but also interference and cyber risks
• User Information & Marking: Explicit instructions, warning labels, and compliance marks are mandatory in all three standards

Best practices for implementation:

• Integrate standards review in early phases of product design
• Liaise with testing labs and legal advisors during pre-market development
• Update supplier and component qualification processes to include new requirements
• Institute robust change management for all safety-critical documents and updates

Testing and certification tips:

• Engage with accredited bodies early to understand logistical and cost implications
• Consider voluntary certification schemes for greater market acceptance
• Leverage digital platforms to manage compliance records and track updates to referenced standards

Conclusion & Next Steps

The January 2026 standards batch for domestic and commercial equipment, entertainment, and sports marks a significant step forward in product safety, performance, and compliance rigor. For industry professionals—engineers, compliance managers, procurement specialists, and product designers—the changes summarized here are both an opportunity and a mandate to align practices with the latest global benchmarks.

Key takeaways:

• New and revised standards now apply to child care thermal safety, food waste disposers, and temperature-sensing controls
• Global harmonization simplifies market entry and drives safer innovations
• Early adoption supports risk management, customer trust, and sustainable business growth

Professionals should:

• Conduct gap analyses for affected product lines
• Update technical documentation and risk assessments
• Communicate changes to supply chain and end-users
• Monitor ongoing updates through authoritative platforms

Explore these standards in full, sign up for updates, or request expert support at iTeh Standards to stay compliant and competitive in a rapidly changing market.