Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/08/19/2013-19964/safety-standard-for-play-yards
Timestamp: 2018-02-23 05:07:29
Document Index: 400342548

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1112', 'art 1221', 'art 1221', 'art 1221', 'art 1221', '§\u20091221', '§\u20091221', 'art 51']

Federal Register :: Safety Standard for Play Yards
A Rule by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on 08/19/2013
78 FR 50328
50328-50335 (8 pages)
3041-AC92
2013-19964
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-19964 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-19964
A “bassinet/cradle accessory” is defined in ASTM F406-13 as “an elevated sleep surface that attaches to a play yard designed to convert the product into a bassinet/cradle intended to have a horizontal sleep surface while in a rest (non-rocking) position.” Play yard bassinet accessories commonly consist of a textile shell that provides an elevated sleep surface within the play yard. The floor of the bassinet accessory is typically the same dimensions as the play yard floor. Usually, the segmented mattress pad that is used on the floor of Start Printed Page 50329the play yard is inserted into the bassinet shell. The floor of the bassinet accessory is typically reinforced with mattress support rods to ensure a flat, stable sleep surface. The top edges of the sides of the bassinet accessory can be secured to the play yard top rails with any number of devices, but most often is done through plastic clips sewn onto the sides of the shell. Metal rods may also be used to secure the bassinet to the play yard. These metal rods are usually inserted into a sleeve on the top edge of the shell's side wall and clipped into a play yard's corner brackets.
The proposed requirement was meant to ensure that the omission of a key structural element would be so visually obvious that the consumer would not use the product and place the child in danger inadvertently. To pass this test, the item must fail catastrophically when each key structural element is omitted.Start Printed Page 50330
(Response 1) —The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) requires that we promulgate mandatory regulations for durable infant and toddler products, including play yards, that are substantially the same as an existing voluntary standard, or more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission determines that more stringent standards would reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. In this case, we believe that the proposed final rule incorporating by reference ASTM F406-13 is appropriate to reduce the risk of injury associated with play yards. Therefore, the issuance of this final rule fulfills a statutory mandate given to the CPSC by Congress.
To provide manufacturers with options, and to avoid creating a design restrictive standard, two methods of compliance were provided. A manufacturer can permanently attach all Start Printed Page 50331accessory attachment components or design a product that passes the catastrophic failure test. Finally, if the standard is found to be too severe and is failing safe products, it can be updated as more data is received by the CPSC.
Additionally, the catastrophic failure test is an alternative to the permanent affixture test. Although the CPSC does not feel that the permanent affixture test is design restrictive, providing as many alternatives for compliance as possible is important, so that products with drastically different designs are able to meet the requirement.Start Printed Page 50332
(Response 13)—Although the CPSC's primary concern is that play yards and bassinet accessories are safe, the CPSC does consider practical issues, such as the ability to launder, in connection with new standards and requirements. The commenter's specific concern Start Printed Page 50333regarding the ability to launder a bassinet accessory shell that is supported by metal support rods is no longer an issue addressable by the play yard bassinet accessory misassembly requirement because ASTM F406 no longer applies to mattress support rods. Instead, ASTM F406-13 focuses only on accessory attachment components that attach the bassinet accessory to the play yard.
Section 26(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), 15 U.S.C. 2075(a), provides that where a consumer product safety standard is in effect and Start Printed Page 50334applies to a product, no state or political subdivision of a state may establish or continue in effect a requirement dealing with the same risk of injury, unless the state's requirement is identical to the federal standard. Section 26(c) of the CPSA also provides that states or political subdivisions of states may apply to the Commission for an exemption from this preemption under certain circumstances. Section 104(b) of the CPSIA refers to the rules to be issued under that section as “consumer product safety rules,” thus implying that the preemptive effect of section 26(a) of the CPSA would apply. Therefore, a rule issued under section 104 of the CPSIA will invoke the preemptive effect of section 26(a) of the CPSA when the rule becomes effective.
Testing laboratories applying to be a CPSC-accepted third party conformity assessment body to test to the standard for play yards are required to meet the accreditation requirements in part 1112. When a laboratory meets the requirements as a CPSC-accepted third party conformity assessment body, the laboratory can apply to the CPSC to have 16 CFR Part 1221, “Safety Standard for Play Yards,” included in the laboratory's scope of accreditation. All of the CPSC safety rules included in a laboratory's scope of accreditation are listed on the CPSC Web site at: www.cpsc.gov/​labsearch.
At the time of testing, the product was tested by a laboratory that was ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E) accredited by an ILAC-MRA member at the time of the test. At the time of testing, the scope of the third party conformity body accreditation, as reported by the accreditation body, must include testing in accordance with ASTM F406-13 or 16 CFR Part 1221 (incorporating by Start Printed Page 50335reference ASTM F406-13). In addition, for firewalled third party conformity assessment bodies, the firewalled third party conformity assessment body must be one that the Commission, by order, has accredited on or before the time that the children's product was tested, even if the order did not include ASTM F406-13 or 16 CFR Part 1221 (incorporating by reference ASTM F406-13) at the time of initial Commission acceptance. For governmental third party conformity assessment bodies, accreditation of the body must be accepted by the Commission on or before the time that the children's product was tested, even if the scope of accreditation did not include ASTM F406-13 or 16 CFR Part 1221 (incorporating by reference ASTM F406-13) at the time of initial CPSC acceptance.
2. Revise § 1221.1 to read as follows:
3. Revise § 1221.2 to read as follows:
Requirements for play yards.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each play yard must comply with all applicable provisions of ASTM F406-13, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs/Play Yards, approved on May 1, 2013. The Director of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR Part 51. You may obtain a copy from ASTM International, 100 Bar Harbor Drive, P.O. Box 0700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428; http://www.astm.org. You may inspect a copy at the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Room 820, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, telephone 301-504-7923, or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/​federal_​register/​code_​of_​federal regulations/ibr_locations.html.