CPSC Handbook

for Resale Stores and 

Product Resellers

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Saving Lives and Keeping Families Safe
Introduction

On August 14, 2008, the President signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 

(CPSIA) into law. This Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers was created by the U.S. Consumer 

Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to help sellers of used products understand the new law and existing 

regulations. 

The implementation of the CPSIA will have dramatic changes for the marketplace. Selling recalled 

products is now unlawful. The law sets strict limits for lead in paint and for lead content. Additionally, 

three types of phthalates are permanently prohibited in certain toys and child care articles and three 

other phthalates are prohibited on an interim basis in certain child care articles and children’s products 

that can be placed in a child’s mouth. 

The purpose of this Handbook is to help you to identify the types of products that are affected and to 

understand how to comply with the law, so you can keep unsafe products out of the hands of consumers. 

Consumers who regularly buy used products may also find this information helpful in avoiding products 

that could harm them or their family. 

New requirements on importers and manufacturers of products should lead to safer products in the 

resale market in the future, but right now, resellers need to be able to determine what was manufactured 

in the past that may no longer be compliant. This Handbook will help you make sound business decisions 

to protect yourself and your customers. Make sure you visit our Web site - www.cpsc.gov - frequently 

for updated information. 
www.cpsc.gov 1

Table of Contents

The Basics ........................................................................................................2

What is a Consumer Product?........................................................................2

What You Cannot Sell .....................................................................................2

General Advice to Resellers............................................................................3

Recalled Products............................................................................................4

Lead in Children’s Products ............................................................................5

Phthalates in Toys and Child Care Articles ...................................................7

Small Parts.......................................................................................................8

Clothing............................................................................................................9

Cribs................................................................................................................10

Mesh-Sided Play Yards and Cribs, 

Portable Wooden Cribs, Wooden Playpens ................................................11

Magnetic Toys................................................................................................12

Combination Infant Car Seats/Carriers.......................................................13

Baby Walkers .................................................................................................14

Toy Chests......................................................................................................15

Bath Seats......................................................................................................16

Hair Dryers .....................................................................................................17

Bunk Beds for Children .................................................................................18

Bean Bag Chairs.............................................................................................19

Mattresses......................................................................................................19

Halogen Floor Lamps ....................................................................................20

Additional Resources .......................................................... inside back cover
2 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

The Basics

This handbook will help sellers of used products 

identify types of potentially hazardous products 

that could harm children or others. CPSC’s 

laws and regulations apply to anyone who sells 

or distributes consumer products. This includes 

thrift stores, consignment stores, charities, and 

individuals holding yard sales and flea markets. 

You are not required to test your products 

for safety. However, resellers (including those 

who sell on auction Web sites) cannot knowingly 

sell products that do not meet the requirements 

of the law. You can protect yourself by screening 

for violative products. Ignorance of the law is not 

an excuse. But more importantly, as a business 

person, you do not want to sell products that have 

the potential to cause harm to anyone, especially a child. 

What you cannot sell or offer for sale:

› Products that have been recalled by CPSC. (see page 4)

› Toys and other articles intended for use by children, and any furniture, with paint or other surface 

coatings containing lead over specified amounts. (see pages 5-6)

› Products primarily intended for children age 12 or younger with lead content over a specific amount. 

(see pages 5-6)

› Certain toys or child care articles that contain any one of six prohibited chemicals known as 

phthalates, which are primarily used as plasticizers. (see page 7)

› Other products that violate CPSC’s safety standards, bans, rules or regulations or otherwise present a 

substantial product hazard. (see pages 8-20)

What is a Consumer Product?

A consumer product, for the purposes of 

this Handbook, is any product that is found 

in or around the home, a school, or in a 

recreational setting, including furniture, 

appliances, rugs, curtains, bed linens, 

wearing apparel, jewelry, toys, sports 

equipment and electronics. 

Exceptions include tobacco products, motor 

vehicles and motor vehicle equipment, 

pesticides, firearms and ammunition, 

aircraft and aircraft equipment, boats, 

drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and food 

— these products are regulated by other 

federal agencies.
www.cpsc.gov 3

General Advice to Resellers

Familiarize yourself with the types of products and categories of hazards that have been subject to 

recalls and may be in your store. As you read the descriptions of the hazards in the recall notices, you will 

get a better idea of what problems to look for in various products and what to accept/decline through 

purchase or donation. 

There will be more product specific information later in this 

booklet to target some of the more dangerous products that 

our investigators have found in resale stores.

If you should happen to sell or offer for sale a product in 

violation of the CPSIA or other law, CPSC’s response will vary 

depending upon the circumstances, including the nature of the 

product defect, the number of products, the severity of the risk 

of injury associated with the product and the type of violation. 

The Commission’s response would also take into account the 

fact that you may be a small business.

CPSC’s goal is to help you to avoid future violations 

and protect your customers, not to put you out 

of business. If you learn that one of the products 

you sell violates the law or presents a hazard, 

immediately inform the Commission. You can report a 

potentially defective or hazardous product on CPSC’s 

Web site (www.cpsc.gov) or by phone at (800) 638-2772.

› Get CPSC’s recall notices and other 

safety information at www.cpsc.gov. 

You can also receive information automatically via e-mail by subscribing on 

our Web site.

›If you do not have access to e-mail, a 

partial listing of recent recalls is available in THE SAFETY NEWS, a quarterly 

publication. To subscribe, write to: 

CPSC

4330 East West Highway 

Bethesda, MD 20814

› Call CPSC’s toll-free hotline at (800) 

638-2772 for information on product 

recalls in English and Spanish.
4 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

Recalled Products

Each year, CPSC recalls several hundred types of consumer products. These include toys, nursery 

furniture, home appliances, clothing, power tools, sports equipment and many other products that people 

use in and around their homes and recreational settings. These recalled products pose a wide variety 

of hazards to children and adults. For a number of years, the CPSC has been encouraging resale stores 

not to accept, buy, or sell recalled products. CPSC studied resale and thrift stores nationwide in 1999 

and found that 69 percent were selling products that had been recalled, banned, or did not meet current 

safety standards. 

Under the new law, it is now illegal to sell ANY recalled product (for adults 

as well as children). If you are in the business of reselling products, you are 

expected to know the laws, rules and regulations that apply to your business, 

including whether or not a product you are selling has been recalled for a 

safety issue. Before taking a product into inventory or selling it, check the 

CPSC Web site for dangerous recalled products, including cribs, play yards, 

strollers, high chairs, toys with magnets, toys that are choking hazards, and 

other products. You can search by product type, company name, product description, hazard, country of 

manufacture and by the month and year in which the recall took place. 

A special note on nursery 

furniture and other infant 

items: Products used in the 

nursery, especially cribs and 

bassinets, have caused deaths 

and have been the subject of 

numerous recalls of millions 

of units. For this reason you 

should check our Web site 

recall list, and read the section 

later in this booklet for more 

specific things to look for 

on cribs, play pens and play 

yards. Do not sell any broken 

or rickety nursery furniture 

even if it has not been 

recalled. A baby’s life could depend upon it.

It is against the law to sell 

a recalled product; check 

the CPSC Web site or 

www.recalls.gov before 

selling.
www.cpsc.gov 5

Lead in Children’s Products 

Children’s products (ones designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger) cannot 

be sold if they have more than the allowable limit of lead content. Toys, clothes, furniture, books, jewelry, 

blankets, games, CDs/DVDs, strollers, and footwear may all be considered children’s products. As far as 

determining what is a children’s product, you can evaluate items based on two factors:

› Is the product commonly recognized by consumers as being intended for use by a child 12 

years of age or younger?

› Is there any packaging, labeling, advertising or other material that might indicate the 

manufacturer’s intention as to the appropriate age grading of the product? 

Products designed or intended primarily for older children or adults are not subject to the lead limits. 

There is a separate lower limit on the amount of lead that can be in the paint or surface coatings of toys, 

other articles intended for use by children for any age and on any furniture. A ban on excessive lead in 

paint and surface coatings has been in effect for over 30 years. The CPSIA lowers the amount of lead 

that is permitted.

How can I determine if something has lead? 

Resellers, in particular, need to make sound business decisions about the products they sell. As a practical 

matter, you can: 

› Test the product (though not required); 

› Not accept the product;

› Use your best judgment based on your knowledge of the product; or,

› Contact the manufacturer about questionable products.

It would make sense to test, rather than discard, any suspect children’s products that have a high resale 

value. You may want to hire a qualified, trained person in your area who can quickly screen all of your 

suspect products with a handheld device called an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) machine. You should not 

rely on commercially sold lead testing kits that are unreliable and can give both “false positive” or “false 

negative” results. 

Exclusions to the Lead Limits

CPSC is currently working to determine exclusions to the lead content limits. Until the Commission 

issues final rules in these areas, certain products and materials (see table on the following page) can be 

sold as children’s products without risk of penalties by the Commission provided the seller does not have 

actual knowledge that the products have more than the acceptable lead limit. Sellers will not be immune 

from prosecution if CPSC’s Office of Compliance finds that someone had actual knowledge that one 

of these children’s products contained lead or continued to distribute or sell such a product after being 

put on notice by CPSC. Agency staff will seek recalls of violative children’s products or other corrective 

actions, where appropriate. 
6 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

Commonly Resold Children’s Products 

Bicycles and other related products (such as 

trailer bicycles and jogger strollers)

OK to sell; a two-year Stay of Enforcement 

allows resellers to put new and old bikes and 

parts out for sale. 

Items made entirely of wood (without paint, 

surface coatings or hardware)

OK to sell

Clothes, Blankets and other items made 

entirely of 

› Dyed or undyed textiles (cotton, wool, 

 hemp, nylon, etc.)

› Dyed or undyed yarn

› Non-metallic thread, trim, 

 hook-and-loop (Velcro) and elastic

OK to sell

Clothes with rhinestones, metal or vinyl/

plastic snaps, zippers, grommets, closures or 

appliqués. 

Best to test, contact the manufacturer, 

or not sell

Inexpensive children’s metal jewelry Best to test, contact the manufacturer, 

or not sell

Jewelry and other items made entirely of: 

› Surgical steel, 

› Precious metals such as gold (at least 

 10 karat), sterling silver (at least 

 925/1000),

› Precious and semiprecious gemstones 

 (excluding a list of stones that are 

 associated in nature with lead), or 

› Natural or cultured pearls

OK to sell

Children’s books printed after 1985 that are 

conventionally printed and intended to be 

read (as opposed to used for play)

OK to sell; however, books with metal spiral 

bindings have been recalled for lead paint.

Vintage children’s books and other collectibles 

not considered primarily intended for children

OK to sell

Certain educational materials, such as 

chemistry sets

OK to sell
www.cpsc.gov 7

Phthalates in Toys and Child Care Articles

What are phthalates?

Phthalates are a group of chemicals that are used, among other things, to make vinyl and other plastics 

soft and flexible. Many types of phthalates are in use today. As of February 10, 2009, three have been 

permanently prohibited in the United States for use in certain products and three more are prohibited 

pending further action by CPSC. 

What products are covered by the prohibition on the use of phthalates?

The scope of the phthalates restrictions is narrower than the lead standard, which covers all children’s 

products. Three phthalates, DEHP, DBP, and BBP, have been permanently banned in concentrations of 

more than 0.1% in “children’s toys” or “child care articles.” 

› A “children’s toy” is a product intended for a child 12 years of age or younger for use when 

playing. General use balls, bath toys/bath books, dolls and inflatable pool toys are examples of 

toys that are covered by the law and might contain phthalates. Bikes, musical instruments, and 

sporting goods (except for their toy counterparts) are not considered toys and are therefore not 

affected by the ban. 

› A “child care article” is a product that a child 3 and younger would use for sleeping, feeding, 

sucking or teething. Bibs, child placemats, cribs, booster seats, pacifiers and teethers are child 

care articles that are covered by the law and might contain phthalates.

Three additional phthalates, DINP, DIDP, and DnOP, have been prohibited in concentrations of more 

than 0.1% pending further study and review by the Commission and a group of outside experts. This 

interim prohibition applies to: (a) child care articles, and (b) toys that can be placed in a child’s mouth or 

brought to the mouth and kept in the mouth so that they can be sucked or chewed (for example: squeeze 

toys, teethers, bathtub toys and uninflated pool toys).

How can I tell if a product contains a prohibited phthalate? 

As with lead, you are not required to test your products for phthalates or to certify that they do not 

contain prohibited phthalates. There is, however, no easy way to tell whether a product contains a 

phthalate or what kind of phthalate it contains. Unlike 

lead, where there is a reliable screening tool (the X-ray 

Fluorescence machine), there is not a screening device to 

detect the presence of phthalates. 

With phthalates, your safest course 

is not to sell or accept certain 

products (unless you know they 

don’t contain phthalates).

CPSC will focus its enforcement 

efforts on:

› Bath toys, “play” books and other plastic 

toys (especially those made of polyvinyl 

chloride) that are intended for young children and can be put in the mouth.

› Soft plastic infant and baby products that 

can be easily grasped.
8 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

Small Parts 

Children under 3 can choke on, inhale, or swallow small objects they may 

“mouth.” Toys and other articles that are intended for use by children under 3 

and that are or have small parts, or that produce small parts when broken, are 

banned and should not be sold.

Resellers should screen products for children under 3 that could present a choking 

hazard. Toys, books or games that would appeal to a younger child and have 

small parts or are easily breakable into small parts should not be sold. This would 

include dolls and stuffed toys that have eyes, noses or other small parts that are 

not fastened securely, puzzles, nursery equipment, infant furniture and equipment 

such as playpens, strollers, and baby bouncers and exercisers.

A small part can be any object (whole or piece of a toy or article) that fits 

completely into a specially designed test cylinder 2.25 inches long by 1.25 inches 

wide that approximates the size of the fully expanded throat of a child under 3 

years old (see figure). 

Small Parts Cylinder 
www.cpsc.gov 9

Clothing

All clothing is subject to the general wearing apparel 

standard, which sets a flammability standard for 

clothing textiles. Most commercially-made clothing in 

your possession likely meets the general flammability 

standard. Children’s clothing is more complicated. 

There are generally four areas to scrutinize:

1) Flammability: While children’s daywear must 

meet the clothing textile standard, children’s 

sleepwear (sized above 9 months through size 14) is 

subject to more stringent flammability requirements. 

Sleepwear garments must be made from flame 

resistant fabrics or be snug- fitting and bear a label 

stating “Wear Snug-Fitting, Not Flame Resistant.” 

Tight-fitting garments will look small to you 

because they are meant to fit closely to the child’s 

body. Polyester or nylon fabrics will often (but not 

always) meet the flame resistant requirements for 

sleepwear. Most cotton and cotton blend fabrics will need to be treated with a flame retardant to meet 

the requirements of the sleepwear standards. Children’s robes and loungewear must also meet the 

sleepwear flammability standards. If you have any children’s robes, loose fitting pajamas, 

nightgowns or loungewear made from cotton or a cotton blend fabric, they may not 

meet the flammability standard.

2) Lead: Untreated natural fibers (like cotton and wool) and non-metallic fasteners and trim such as 

Velcro, elastic, etc. do not contain lead. Lead can be present in zippers, snaps and any other 

metal and plastic adornments on a child’s clothing. 

3) Small Parts: There have been numerous recalls of clothing intended for children under the age of 3. 

If any snaps, pom-poms, zipper pulls or buttons can be pulled off of a small child’s garment, it should 

not be sold. So give a strong tug to these pieces before you sell them. If something comes off that 

could choke a child under the age of 3, do not sell the garment. 

4) Drawstrings: CPSC has recalled numerous children’s garments that have long drawstrings at 

the neck or waist. Children have strangled to death when drawstrings were caught on playground 

equipment or a crib. They have also caught bus doors and caused children to be dragged and killed or 

seriously injured. From 1985 through July 2008, there were at least 27 reported deaths and 70 nonfatal incidents to children aged 15 years and younger related to drawstrings. 

Before selling children’s (age 15 years and younger) garments, check for hood/neck 

drawstrings, remove drawstrings from the hood and neck of jackets and sweatshirts; for 

waist/bottom drawstrings, trim drawstrings so that no more than to 3 inches extends 

from the garment on either side.
10 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

Cribs

THE PRODUCT: Cribs that don’t meet current safety standards.

THE HAZARDS: Suffocation, strangulation. More infants die each year in incidents involving cribs 

than from any other nursery product.

Previously used cribs can host a variety of hidden hazards that most consumers may not detect. Thus, 

unless the crib can be fully assembled and operates correctly, contains all the original hardware and 

the instructions are included, the crib should not be sold. If you choose to sell a used crib, follow the 

checklist below. 

What to Do:

› Inspect each crib to be sure it has the following safety features:

•	 make sure your product is not the subject of a recall;

•	 slats spaced no more than 2 3/8 inches apart;

•	 no missing or loose slats;

•	 no recalled crib with drop side (millions of cribs with drop sides have been recalled)

•	 a properly-sized mattress. The mattress is too small if you can fit more than two fingers 

between the edge of the mattress and the side of the crib. An infant can get his head or 

body wedged in the extra space and suffocate.

•	 corner posts are no more than 1/16 inch high. They can be catch points for objects or 

clothing worn by a child and cause strangulation.

•	 no missing, broken or loose hardware;

•	 no decorative cutouts in the headboard or footboard. Cutouts can entrap a child’s head; and

•	 no unsecured mattress support hangers that can be easily dislodged. Children can be 

entrapped and suffocate.

› CPSC has conducted 

numerous recalls of 

cribs over the past 15 

years, which can be 

found at 

www.cpsc.gov.

› Don’t sell cribs that 

have any of the hazards 

described in the list 

above. Destroy them.

No decorative cut-outs 

on the headboard No corner post extensions

Smooth 

corners

Slat space 2 3/8 inches

Snug mattress fit

Mattress support 

hangers are secure
www.cpsc.gov 11

Mesh-Sided Play Yards and Cribs, 

Portable Wooden Cribs, Wooden Playpens

THE PRODUCTS: Mesh-sided play yards (playpens) and cribs, wooden play yards, and portable 

wooden cribs that don’t meet current safety standards.

THE HAZARDS: Suffocation, strangulation, choking.

The side of a mesh play yard or portable crib left in the down position 

forms a pocket that an infant can roll into and become trapped, causing 

suffocation. The top rails of a play yard or portable crib with a rotating 

center hinge may collapse and form an acute V-shape that can entrap a 

child’s neck and cause the child to strangle.

A toddler can strangle in a play yard or portable crib with protruding rivets if a pacifier 

string or loose (or loosely woven) clothing catches on one. An infant or toddler can also 

strangle if his head gets caught in tears in the mesh. A teething infant can chew off pieces 

of the vinyl covering of a play yard’s railing and choke.

A baby’s body, except for the head, can pass entirely between the slats of a wooden play yard 

or portable wooden crib if the slats are more than 2 3/8 inches apart, and the baby may strangle.

What to Do:

› Inspect all mesh-sided play yards and portable cribs, and play yards with wooden side slats and 

portable wooden cribs for the following safety features:

•	 mesh-sided play yards and portable cribs with drop sides have warning labels that say the 

sides should never be left in the down position;

•	 top rails of mesh-sided play yards and cribs with a hinge in the center automatically lock 

when the rails are lifted into the normal use position;

•	 mesh-sided play yards or portable cribs have no rivets protruding 1/16 inch or more on the 

outside of the top rails;

•	 the mesh has a small weave (the openings are less than 1/4 inch);

•	 the mesh has no tears or loose threads;

•	 the mesh is securely attached to the top rail and floor plate;

•	 the covering of the top rails has no tears or holes; 

•	 any staples, rivets, or screws used in construction are not loose or missing; and 

•	 wooden play yards and portable wooden cribs have slats that are no more than 2 3/8 inches 

apart and no broken or missing parts.

› Don’t add mattresses or pads that are not recommended by the manufacturer.

› CPSC has conducted numerous recalls of play yards over the past 15 years, which can be found at 

www.cpsc.gov.

› Don’t sell play yards and portable cribs that fail to meet the safety criteria above. Destroy them.

Warning labels

Areas of possible 

child entrapment
12 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

Magnetic Toys

THE PRODUCT: Toys containing magnets or magnetic components, such as construction sets, action 

figures, dolls, and puzzles. 

THE HAZARDS: Small powerful magnets, like those found in magnetic building sets and other toys, 

can kill children if ingested/swallowed. 

If two or more magnets or magnetic components 

or a magnet and another metal object (such as a 

small metal ball) are swallowed separately, they 

can attract to one another through intestinal 

walls. This traps the magnets in place and 

can cause holes (perforations), twisting and/

or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood 

poisoning (sepsis), and death. When multiple 

magnets are ingested, surgery is required to 

remove the magnets and sometimes sections 

of the intestines need to be removed. Small 

powerful magnets found in other non-toy 

products, such as jewelry and novelty stones, may 

present the same hazard. 

CPSC is aware of dozens of cases of children being injured from ingesting magnets. A 20 month-old 

child died and many more children from 10 months to 11 years old required surgery to remove ingested 

magnets. In many cases, magnets fell out of larger components of toys. Some children swallowed intact 

toy components containing magnets.

What to Do:

› Don’t sell magnetic toys that have been recalled.

› Don’t sell any toy that has loose or missing magnetic components.

› Hobby, craft and science kits intended for children over 8 years old may have small magnets, and can 

be sold provided they are labeled with a warning about the hazard.
www.cpsc.gov 13

Combination Infant Car Seats/Carriers

THE PRODUCT: Certain models of combination 

infant car seats/carriers that also can be used as infant 

carriers outside a vehicle that don’t meet current safety 

standards.

THE HAZARDS: Skull fracture, concussion, cuts, 

scrapes, bruises.

When used as an infant carrier, the handles or locks can 

break, release and/or rotate unexpectedly allowing an 

infant to fall to the ground or be ejected. 

What to Do:

› CPSC has conducted numerous recalls of infant car 

seats/carriers, which can be found at www.cpsc.

gov. Other car seats and automobile booster seats fall 

under jurisdiction of the National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA). For additional 

information and for a list of these product that have 

been recalled, visit www.nhtsa.gov.

› Contact the manufacturer if you have a recalled 

infant car seat/carrier. It may be able to be repaired to 

make it safe. 

› Don’t sell a recalled infant car seat/carrier. If you 

find out the carrier has been recalled and you cannot 

fix it, destroy it.
14 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

Baby Walkers 

THE PRODUCT: Baby walkers that don’t meet current safety standards and fit through standard 

doorways and don’t stop at the top of stairs. (See illustration below.)

The safer style of baby walkers meets a new safety standard and is designed to help prevent injuries and 

deaths from falls down stairs. (See illustration below.) Rubber-like strips underneath or around the base 

grip the floor and stop the walker at the edge of a step.

THE HAZARDS: Death, skull fracture, concussion, internal injuries, broken 

bones, cuts, bruises.

In the past, more children were injured with baby walkers than with any other 

nursery product. Since 1973, walkers have been involved in at least 39 deaths. In 

2006, an estimated 3,200 walker-related injuries among children under 15 months 

old were treated in hospital emergency rooms. Most of these injuries resulted from 

falls down stairs.

What to Do:

› Inspect each walker. Each should either be at least 36 inches wide at the base or 

have gripping strips to help stop it at the edge of a step;

› Don’t sell baby walkers unless they are one of the safer models, destroy them.

Out-of-date 

baby walker

Newer style has a gripping mechanism under 

the edge to stop the 

walker at the edge of 

a step
www.cpsc.gov 15

Toy Chests 

THE PRODUCT: Chests and boxes with hinged lids made or used to store toys. This includes those 

specifically manufactured for toy storage, as well as trunks, cedar chests, wicker chests, footlockers, 

decorator cubes, wooden storage chests, and other similar items.

THE HAZARDS: Strangulation, suffocation, brain damage, crushed and pinched fingers. 

Lids can fall on children’s heads or necks, causing brain damage or death. Children who climb inside 

hinged chests or boxes to hide or sleep can suffocate due to lack of air. There have been numerous 

reports of deaths of children trapped inside chests.

What to Do:

› Inspect every toy chest and other toy storage unit with a hinged lid to be sure it meets all of the 

following safety criteria:

•	 It has a spring-loaded lid support that will keep the lid open in any position without 

adjustment (see illustration below);

•	 it has no latch or lock that could trap a child inside the chest; and

•	 it has two or more ventilation holes or openings near the top of the front or sides.

› Don’t sell toy chests or other large hinged boxes or chests that could be used for toy storage if they 

fail to meet the safety criteria above. Destroy them.

SAFE: Spring-loaded 

NOT SAFE: Adjustablefriction lid support

TOY CHEST

(meets the standard)
16 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

Bath Seats

THE PRODUCT: Infant Bath Seats or Bath Rings that don’t meet current safety standards.

These bathing products are designed as an aid to help caregivers bathe an infant. They are intended for 

infants who can sit upright, unassisted, not for children who are walking or who can pull themselves up to 

a standing position.

THE HAZARDS: Drowning.

What to Do:

Don’t sell bath seats that:

› attach to the tub floor with suction cups

› were made before 2007 (see date code stamp on the bottom of the product)

› are broken or damaged

› do not have warnings visible on the product

Destroy them.

BATH SEAT

(meets the standard)
www.cpsc.gov 17

Hair Dryers

THE PRODUCT: Hair dryers that don’t have immersion protection devices (see illustration below).

THE HAZARD: Electrocution.

Electric voltage is still present when 

the dryer is plugged in, even if the 

switch is in the “off ” position. A hair 

dryer without an immersion protection 

device that is accidentally dropped into 

water (such as in a sink or bathtub) can 

electrocute anyone in or touching the 

water. 

Most new hand-held hair dryers have 

immersion protective devices. Many 

used ones do not.

There was an average of 16 

electrocutions a year involving handheld hair dryers in the early 1980s, 

before immersion protection devices were included in their design. Since 2000, three deaths associated 

with hair dryers have been reported.

What to Do:

› Inspect all hand-held hair dryers. Look for the following on each:

•	 an immersion protection device, which is a large, rectangular-shaped plug at the end of the 

cord (see the illustration); and

•	 the certification mark of a recognized testing laboratory on the hair dryer itself.

› Don’t sell any hand-held hair dryer that doesn’t have an immersion protection device and 

certification mark from a recognized testing laboratory. Destroy it.

Immersion 

Protection Device

HAND-HELD HAIR DRYER

(meets the standard)
18 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

Bunk Beds for Children

THE PRODUCT: Bunk beds with mattress foundations 30 inches or more above the floor that don’t 

meet current safety standards.

THE HAZARDS: Strangulation, suffocation, hanging.

Since 1990, over 70 young children have been reported to have died by strangulation or suffocation from 

entrapment in bunk beds. Most were 3 years old or younger. Some children strangled when their bodies, 

but not their heads, slid between a side guardrail and the side bed frame of the upper bunk, leaving their 

bodies hanging. Some children suffocated when they became trapped in openings within the footboard or 

headboard, or between the bed and the wall. A few children died when the bed collapsed on top of them.

In addition, from January 1990 through August 2007, CPSC staff is aware of 67 incidents of hanging 

fatalities involving bunk beds and another product. Some children were hanged upon descent from a top 

bunk when an article they were wearing became entangled on a vertical protrusion.

What to Do:

› Inspect each bunk bed and look for the following safety features:

Top Bunk

› a continuous guardrail from end to end on the wall side of the top bunk 

› a guardrail no more than 15 inches from either the footboard or headboard on the side away from 

the wall

› guardrail openings should be less than 31⁄2 inches between the guardrail sections and the bed frame

› openings or slats in the headboard and footboard should be less than 31⁄2 inches

› the top of the mattress (if there is one) is at least 5 inches below the upper edge of the guardrails

› vertical protrusions along the top surface of the upper bunk are restricted to 3/16 inches or less. This 

includes ladder stiles, corner posts, and guard rails.

Lower Bunk

› either less than 31⁄2 inches or more than 9 inches between openings and slats in the headboard and 

footboard

Upper and Lower Bunks

› the mattress (if there is one) is the size specified in the warning 

label on the bed and/or the mattress fits the frame snugly

› mattress supports are securely fastened to the bed by screws or 

bolts

› tubular metal bunk beds: no breaks or cracks in the paint or 

metal around the welds that hold the side rail to the bed frame 

at all four corners of the upper and lower bunks.

Look for labels on new bunk beds indicating that they meet 

federal safety standards. Don’t sell any bunk beds that do not 

have these labels or meet these safety features. Destroy them.

BUNK BED

(meets the standard)

Guardrails

31⁄2 inches or less

Bed Frame
www.cpsc.gov 19

Bean Bag Chairs 

THE PRODUCT: Zippered bean bag chairs stuffed with small foam pellets that 

don’t meet current safety standards.

THE HAZARD: Suffocation, choking.

Children have unzipped bean bag chairs, crawled inside, inhaled or ingested the foam 

pellets, and they suffocated. Some have unzipped the chairs, then pulled out the foam 

pellets and played with them. The pellets clogged their mouths and noses, and they 

suffocated. Other children choked on the pellets but survived. 

CPSC is aware of five reported deaths and at least 27 non-fatal incidents associated 

with bean bag chairs. Since 1996, bean bag chairs have been manufactured with 

zippers that young children can’t open.

What to Do:

› Inspect each zippered bean bag chair for the following:

•	 the zipper is not visible and can’t be opened by young children

•	 no stuffing is coming out

› Pull at the chair’s seams. They shouldn’t come apart. If they do, the foam pellets could escape, posing 

a hazard to children.

› Don’t sell any zippered bean bag chair that doesn’t meet these safety criteria. Destroy it.

Mattresses

THE PRODUCT: Older mattresses that don’t meet CPSC’s 

open flame standard (16 CFR Part 1633)

THE HAZARD: Fire.

Mattresses manufactured on or after July 1, 2007 must meet 

the CPSC flammability standard. The mandatory standard 

is designed to reduce the severity of mattress fires ignited by 

open flame sources such as candles, matches and lighters.

CPSC estimates that, once fully effective, the new federal 

flammability standard will prevent as many as 270 deaths and 

1,330 injuries every year.

ZIPPERED BEAN 

BAG CHAIR

(recalled product)
20 CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers

What to Do:

› Inspect each mattress (and accompanying box spring) for a “Part 1633” compliance label. Further, 

thrift stores that "renovate" mattresses must do so such that the renovated mattress meets the standard.

› Selling a used mattress is illegal in some jurisdictions. Check your local regulations before selling. 

› Don’t sell older mattresses that don’t meet the new standard. Destroy them.

Halogen Floor Lamps 

THE PRODUCT: Freestanding floor lamps about six feet tall that use

tubular halogen light bulbs (see illustration below).

THE HAZARD: Fire.

A halogen light bulb can heat up to nearly 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Flammable material that contacts 

the bulb may catch fire. 

From 1992–1999, CPSC received reports of at least 270 fires and 18 fire-related deaths involving halogen 

torchiere floor lamps. Halogen torchiere floor lamps manufactured after February 5, 1997, that meet 

voluntary safety requirements, are made with a wire or glass guard. The guard fits over the glass bulb 

shield that covers the light bulb and reduces the potential fire hazard. The guard makes it harder for 

flammable materials to come in contact with the light bulb and catch fire.

What to Do:

Inspect each halogen torchiere floor lamp. Look for the following:

› a wire or glass guard over the glass bulb shield in the bowl at the top of the lamp. The top of the guard 

should be three inches from the glass bulb shield. 

› bulb wattage. The tubular halogen light bulb should not 

be over 300 watts, even if the original label on the lamp 

says that a 500-watt bulb can be used.

› the plug. It should be polarized (one blade wider than 

the other).

› the cord. Inspect the cord for mechanical damage.

› signs of corrosion, bent or loose parts. Any of these may 

indicate a malfunctioning or potentially hazardous lamp.

Don’t sell any halogen torchiere floor lamp that doesn’t 

have a wire or glass guard over the glass bulb shield or that 

has any of the other hazards above. Destroy it.

Wire guard

Glass bulb 

shield
Additional Resources

CPSC’s Home Page www.cpsc.gov

Recalls

(all agencies) www.recalls.gov

Recalls

(CPSC only) www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html

Small Business 

Information www.cpsc.gov/businfo/smbus.html

Guidance on the CPSIA 

for Small Business www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/smbus/cpsiasbguide.html

Regulations, Laws and 

Information by Product www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsbyproduct.html

Report an Unsafe 

Product www.cpsc.gov/talk.html
August 2009

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

4330 East West Highway

Bethesda, MD 20814

Pub 254