Kid to Kid Cares about Product Safety

CPSC Approves New Federal Safety Standard for Play Yards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new federal mandatory safety standard to improve the safety of play yards and to prevent injuries and deaths to children. The vote was 4 to 0.

The new federal standard incorporates provisions in the voluntary standard ASTM F 406-12a. 

Mandatory requirements for play yards include:

• A stability test to prevent the play yard from tipping over.
• Latch and lock mechanisms to keep the play yard from folding on a child when it is being used.
• Entrapment tests for attachments so a child's head does not get trapped while a bassinet or other accessory is attached.
• Floor strength tests to ensure structural integrity and to prevent children from getting trapped by the play yard floor.
• Minimum side height requirements to prevent children from getting out of the play yard on their own.
• A test to prevent play yards whose top rails fold downward from using a hinge that creates a V- or diamond shape when folded to prevent head or neck entrapments.

There were more than 2,100 incidents with play yards reported to CPSC, including 60 fatalities and 170 injuries, between November 2007 and December 2011.

The effective date for the mandatory play yard standard is six months after the final rule is published in the Federal Register.

Section 104 (shown below) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 requires CPSC to issue safety standards for durable infant or toddler products, including play yards. In addition to play yards, CPSC has issued mandatory safety standards for cribs, children's bed rails, baby bath seats, baby walkers and toddler beds.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

Section 104 of the Act requires the Commission to study and develop safety standards for infant and toddler products. Congress stated that the products the Commission must study include: full-size cribs and non full-size cribs; toddler beds; high chairs, booster chairs, hook on chairs; bath seats; gates and other enclosure for confining a child; play yards; stationary activity centers; infant carriers; strollers; walkers; swings; and bassinets and cradles. The Commission must either make the existing voluntary safety standards for these products mandatory or provide for a stricter safety standard. The Commission can prioritize its work on these products but must begin two rulemakings by August 14, 2009 and promulgate two more rules every six months until all products have a mandatory safety standard. Once the Commission has issued these safety standards, it will be illegal to manufacture, sell or import a product that violates the new safety standard which could result in either civil or criminal penalties.