Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2012/11/07/2012-27027/safety-standard-for-infant-swings
Timestamp: 2016-10-01 12:11:37
Document Index: 750475939

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1505', '§\u20091223', '§\u20091223', '§\u20091223', '§\u20091223', '§\u20091223', '§\u20091223', '§\u20091223', 'art 1223', 'ART 1223', '§\u20091223', '§\u20091223']

:: Safety Standard for Infant Swings
A Rule by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on 11/07/2012
CPSC Docket No. CPSC-2012-0011
3041-AC90
4. National Injury Estimates 1
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2012-27027
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) is the major U.S. trade association that represents juvenile product manufacturers and importers. The JPMA provides a certification program that allows manufacturers and importers to use the JPMA seal if they voluntarily submit their products for testing to an independent laboratory to determine if their products meet the most current ASTM voluntary standard. Currently, there are five manufacturers that sell JPMA-certified infant swings. C. Incident Data
There were an estimated total of 1,900 injuries (sample size = 73, coefficient of variation = 0.18) related to infant swings that were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during 2011. Although this reflects a decrease from the 2010 estimate of 2,200 injuries, the change was not statistically significant. Comparing with national injury estimates from the prior years, no statistically significant trend was observed over the 2002-2011 period.
Below, we describe and respond to the comments on the proposed rule. A summary of each of the commenter's topics is presented, and each topic is followed by our response. Each “Comment” is numbered to help distinguish between different topics. The number assigned to each comment is for organizational purposes only, and it does not signify the comment's value, or importance, or the order in which it was received. We received 24 comments. All of the comments can be viewed on www.regulations.gov, by searching under the docket number of the rulemaking, CPSC-2012-0011. 1. Slump-Over Warning Label
(Response 2) The proposed revisions to the slump-over warning statement already improve the relevant warning statement in ASTM F2088-12a, by describing the hazard more explicitly, the consequences of exposure to the hazard, and the infants who are most at risk. The language, “Keep swing seat fully reclined until child is at least 4 months old AND can hold up head without help” (emphasis added) is the part of the revised slump-over warning intended to communicate the appropriate hazard-avoidance behavior. Several comments recommend that the highlighted portion of this statement be replaced with one that instructs consumers to use only cradle swings.[2] The effectiveness of this change, therefore, depends upon whether the use of a cradle swing with these children would address more incidents than fully reclining the seat back on non-cradle swings.
(Response 15) While the NPR proposed that swings operating from an a/c power source be required to conform to 16 CFR 1505, ASTM reworded the provision in ASTM F2088-12a to address the issue of assuring that AC adapters meet all national safety standards. We agree with the new language contained in ASTM F2088-12a, which is being incorporated into the final rule. Therefore, it is unnecessary to include any reference to part 1505 in the final rule.
Stability test—intended to prevent tip over. Swing models that rotate about the horizontal axis are positioned on an inclined surface with the swing facing forward and then facing backward. Swings that do not rotate about the horizontal axis are tested in the position most likely to fail. This was modified in ASTM F2088-12 to clarify the test procedure, as proposed by the Commission in the NPR.
Test to prevent unintentional folding—intended to ensure that any locking/latching mechanisms remain functional after testing.
Requirements for electrically powered swings—intended to prevent leakage and otherwise protect consumers. These requirements originally applied only to battery-operated swings but were expanded in ASTM F2088-12 to encompass all electrically powered swings, as proposed by the Commission in the NPR. ASTM F2088-12a extends the compliance requirements of all AC adaptors and includes a list of accepted national safety standards. There are also some editorial differences between the NPR and ASTM F2088-12a.
Requirement for toy mobiles—intended to ensure that toys within a child's reach do not detach when pulled. This requirement was new to the 2011a standard and was modified for the 2012 standard to prevent detachment when pulled horizontally as well (as proposed in the February 2012 NPR).
Shoulder strap requirement—In the NPR, we proposed that shoulder straps be required for swing seats with angles greater than 50 degrees. The seat back angle measurement procedure has been updated since the NPR. Now it addresses the issues that the CPSC proposed to address with the seat deflection test included in the NPR. Now it now addresses seats that fold up or tilt, by limiting the severity of angles created by the seat and seat back, or by requiring shoulder straps as part of the restraint system.
Dynamic and static load requirements—intended to ensure that the infant swing can support these loads without breaking. The dynamic load test procedure was modified in F2088-12 to mirror proposed changes in the February 2012 NPR, including increasing the number of times the weight is dropped.
The voluntary standard also includes: (1) Torque and tension tests to ensure that components cannot be removed; (2) requirements for several infant swing features to prevent entrapment and cuts (minimum and maximum opening size, small parts, exposed coil springs, protective components, hazardous sharp edges or points, and edges that can scissor, shear, or pinch); (3) requirements for the permanency and adhesion of labels; (4) a leg opening test to ensure that occupants cannot slide out; (5) requirements for instructional literature; and (6) restraint system requirements. Additionally, all testing must be performed without adjusting or repositioning the swing, and swings with multiple seat configurations must be placed in the most disadvantageous position for testing. The following is a discussion of how the new standard addresses the issues raised in the NPR.
In the NPR, § 1223.2(b) proposed to add two new requirements to ASTM F2088-11b to make the standard more stringent than the current voluntary standard and to reduce the risk of injury associated with infant swings: (1) A performance requirement and test method to address electrical overload in infant swing motors and batteries, as well as an accessible component temperature requirement and a requirement to ensure that swings that run on a/c power are safe; and (2) a performance requirement and test method to address seat deflection. We also proposed two major modifications to ASTM F2088-11b that would make the standard more stringent than the voluntary standard at that time and would reduce the risk of injury associated with infant swings: (1) An increase in the number of test cycles used in the dynamic load test, from 50 cycles to 500 cycles, and (2) a modification to the mobile test to account for mobiles that can be pulled in downward directions other than straight down vertically. Finally, in proposed § 1223.2(b) of the NPR, we proposed to clarify the test methods for the dynamic load test, the stability test, the unintentional folding test, and the seat back angle measurement method.
As discussed in the previous section of this preamble, the additional requirements in proposed § 1223.2(b) either have been incorporated into ASTM F2088-12a, or we are satisfied with ASTM's changes from the proposal or explanations regarding why some proposals were not necessary. Therefore, the language in proposed § 1223.2(b) of the NPR is no longer necessary.
Therefore, in place of the language proposed in § 1223.2(b) of the NPR, § 1223(b)(1) of the final rule requires that infant swings must comply with the ASTM F2088-12a standard with two exceptions. In the case of the first exception to the ASTM standard, instead of complying with section 8.3.1 of ASTM F 2088-12a, infants swings are required to have warning statements for products that have an adjustable seat recline with a maximum seat back angle greater than 50 degrees from horizontal, measured in accordance with 7.13 of ASTM F 2088-12a, that address the following:
A second exception to the requirements in ASTM F2088-12a specifies the test method for testing toy mobiles that are attached to the swing. The final rule provides new language for the test method described in section 7.12.2 of ASTM F2088-12a. We are adding this language in response to information from ASTM that ASTM had inadvertently omitted updating the test method described in section 7.12.2 of ASTM F2088-12a to reflect the latest revision that ASTM had made to the test fixture used in section 7.12.2. We have added ASTM's revised version of the test method language in the final rule text in § 1223(b)(2). This is the language that ASTM is balloting to revise section 7.12.2 in its standard.
Although the direct impact of the final rule should not be significant for most small manufacturers, there are indirect impacts as well. These impacts are considered indirect because they do not arise directly as a consequence of the requirements of the final rule. Nonetheless, these indirect costs could be significant. Once the final rule becomes effective, and the notice of requirements is in effect, all manufacturers will be subject to the additional costs associated with the third party testing and certification requirements. This will include the physical and mechanical test requirements specified in the final rule; lead and phthalates testing is already required, and hence, it is not included here.[3] Based on information provided by manufacturers, additional industry input, and information obtained when staff was developing the third party testing rule, third party testing costs for ASTM F2088-12a (including toy testing, which is part of the infant swings voluntary standard) are estimated to be around $900 per model sample. Testing overseas potentially could reduce third party testing costs, but that may not always be practical.
Therefore, the Commission amends Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations by adding part 1223 to Chapter II to read as follows: PART 1223—SAFETY STANDARD FOR INFANT SWINGS
Requirements for Infant Swings.
§ 1223.1 Scope.
§ 1223.2 Requirements for infant swings.
(i) 8.3.1 The warning statements shall address the following at a minimum:
(ii) 8.3.1.1 Products having an adjustable seat recline with a maximum seatback angle greater than 50 degrees from horizontal measured in accordance with 7.13 shall address the following:
(iii) 8.3.1.2 To prevent serious injury or death from infants falling or being strangled in straps:
(i) 7.12.2 Place the back of the swing in the most upright position. Remove positioning accessories, including pillows. Position the segments of the restraint system to limit interaction with the Hinged Weight Gage—Infant (see Fig. 10) when placed in the seat. Place the Hinged Weight Gage—Infant with the hinge located at the junction of the swing back and seat bottom (see Fig. 8). Determine if the lowest point of the toy positioned over the occupant is within 25.25 in. (641.5 mm) of the top surface of the Lower Plate (see Fig. 10)—throughout the swing seat's range of motion. Proceed to 7.12.3 if the distance is 25.25 in. (641.5 mm) or less. The toy is considered out of reach and not tested to 7.12.3 if the distance is greater than 25.25 in. (641.5 mm).
The source of the injury estimates is the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a statistically valid injury surveillance system. NEISS injury data is gathered from emergency departments of hospitals that are selected as a probability sample of all the U.S. hospitals with emergency departments. The surveillance data gathered from the sample hospitals enable CPSC staff to make timely national estimates of the number of injuries associated with specific consumer products.
Section 3.1.2 of ASTM F2088-12a defines a “cradle swing” as “an infant swing which is intended for use by a child lying flat.”
Infant swing suppliers already must third party test their products to the lead and phthalate requirements. Therefore, these costs already exist and will not be affected by the final infant swings standard.