CPSC Sets Children's Product Safety Standard for Infant Sleep Products
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a final rule setting new mandatory children’s product safety standards for infant sleep products. Meant as a catch-all for infant sleep products not covered by other CPSC children’s product safety standards, the standard also bans infant sleep products inclined at more than 10 degrees. Compliance with the final rule, including testing and certification requirements, is required by June 23, 2022.
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The final rule defines an infant sleep product as “a product marketed or intended to provide a sleeping accommodation for an infant up to 5 months of age,” and that is not already subject to one of CPSC’s mandatory standards for infant sleep, including standards for bassinets and cradles, full-size baby cribs, non-full-size baby cribs, play yards and bedside sleepers. It incorporates the voluntary industry standard ASTM F3118-17a, with some modifications.
“The final rule requires that ‘infant sleep products,’ defined as products marketed or intended to provide a sleeping accommodation for an infant up to 5 months of age, and that are not covered by a CPSC sleep standard, be tested to confirm the seat back/sleep surface angle is 10 degrees or less from horizontal, and meet the requirements of 16 CFR part 1218, Safety Standard for Bassinets and Cradles, including conforming to the definition of a ‘bassinet/cradle,’” CPSC said.
The scope of the final rule is “purposely broader than the scope of the bassinet and cradle standard” so as to capture “all products marketed for infant sleep for infants up to 5 months old that are not covered by a CPSC sleep standard; those that are currently on the market, and any future products developed for this age group,” CPSC said. “CPSC’s intent is to set a baseline of safety for infant sleep products so that all of these products must, at a minimum, meet the performance and labeling requirements in 16 CFR part 1218, including conforming to the definition of a ‘bassinet/cradle,’ and being tested and certified as meeting these requirements.”
The safety standard was first proposed in 2017 to cover inclined infant sleep products, including those inclined at 10 to 30 degrees (see 1704060023). Reports of deaths associated with infant inclined sleep products prompted CPSC to modify its proposal in 2019 to limit the incline allowed for infant sleep products to 10 degrees (see 1911080040).