CPSC Approves Proposed Rule with New Mandatory Standards for Cribs
On July 14, 2010, the Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously to approve the publication of a proposed rule to establish new mandatory standards for cribs.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
(The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) directs CPSC to issue mandatory safety standards for durable infant or toddler products, such as cribs.)
Proposed Rule would Establish New Full and Non-Full Size Crib Standards
CPSC’s proposed rule for cribs would include:
Full-size crib standard - a standard for full-size cribs that is substantially the same as ASTM F 1169-10, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Full-Size Baby Cribs, with one modification. The one modification would require cribs to be tested without the re-tightening of screws between tests in order to ensure that the tests reflect the lifetime use of the crib.
Non-full-size crib standard - a standard for non-full-size cribs that is substantially the same as ASTM F 406-10, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs/Play Yards, with certain modifications.
These modifications include: (i) adding certain requirements that apply to full-size cribs, such as the mattress support performance requirement, the side-impact test, and (ii) the order in which performance tests are to be done, applicable to non-full-size cribs so that the new standard for non-full-size cribs is more stringent. CPSC’s proposed rule also proposes to restore movable side latch tests to the non-full-size crib standard and clarify that the proposal does not extend to play yards.
Drop sides prohibition - design requirements that essentially prohibit traditional drop sides (up and down movement of an entire side of the crib).
CPSC Hopes to Issue Final Rule in 2010
CPSC hopes to issue its final rule establishing new mandatory crib standards in 2010.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 07/14/10 news, 10071336, for BP summary of the CPSC’s posting of a revised draft proposed rue to establish new crib safety standards.
See ITT’s Online Archives or 06/25/10 news, 10062540, for BP summary of CPSC announcing recalls of more than 2 million cribs to address drop-side hazards.)