CPSC Amends Safety Standards for Automatic Residential Garage Door Operators to Address Entrapment Hazards
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a final rule that amends 16 CFR Part 1211, Safety Standards for Automatic Residential Garage Door Operators, to reflect the revised garage door entrapment provisions of Underwriter Laboratories, Inc. (UL) standard UL 325.
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The final rule is effective February 21, 2008, however its provision requiring new information to be included in the User Instructions (16 CFR 1211.14(b)(2)) is effective September 27, 2007.
CPSC states that as it received no comments on its January 2007 proposed rule, it is adopting its provisions as final.
(CPSC previously stated that UL revised UL 325 in response to a request from CPSC staff who identified several incidents in which children became entrapped beneath a garage door that had been left partially open. In most of these incidents, a child tried to crawl under the partially open door and became stuck under the door. A bystander pressed the wall control button thinking the door would go up and release the child. Instead, the garage door moved down compressing and further entrapping the child.)
New Requirements for Automatic Residential Garage Door Openers
CPSC has issued the following new requirements for automatic residential garage door openers (partial list):
Door can not be moved downward until operator reverses door.Among other things, the final rule amends various subparts of 16 CFR Part 1211 to provide that the door operator is not required to return the door to, and stop the door at, the full upmost position when a control is actuated to stop the door during upward travel, but the door can not be moved downward until the operator reverses the door a minimum of 2 inches (50.8 mm).
The final rule's requirements apply to (1) operators of downward moving residential garage doors, (2) operators using an inherent entrapment protection system that monitors the actual position of the door, (3) operators using an inherent entrapment protection system that does not monitor the actual position of the door, and (4) operators using an external entrapment protection device. The final rule also applies to inherent force activated secondary door sensors.
Testing requirements. The final rule amends 16 CFR 1211.7(b)(3) to state that in order to test operators for compliance, a solid rectangular object measuring 4 inches (102 mm) high by 6 inches (152 mm) wide by a minimum of 6 inches (152 mm) long is to be placed on the floor of the test installation to provide a 4-inch (102 mm) high obstruction when operated from a partially open position.
Addition to the instruction manual. The final rule amends 16 CFR 1211.14(b)(2) by inserting a new instruction 4, which states "NEVER GO UNDER A STOPPED PARTIALLY OPEN DOOR" to required instruction manuals. This amendment is effective September 27, 2007.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 01/25/07 news, 07012535, for BP summary of CPSC's proposed rule.)
CPSC Contact - Renae Rauchschwalbe (301) 504-7664
CPSC final rule (FR Pub 09/27/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-18846.pdf