U.S. – CPSC Proposes 16 CFR 1232 Safety Standard for Children’s Folding Chairs and Stools

Vol. 867 | 29 Oct 2015

As part of the rulemaking process required by Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is proposing a new federal regulation: 16 CFR 1232 Safety Standard for Children’s Folding Chairs and Stools. The rule proposes to adopt the existing ASTM standard F2613 – 14 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Children’s Chairs and Stools, with some changes.

The ASTM standard defines a “children’s chair” as “seating furniture with a rigid frame that is intended to be used as a support for the body, limbs, or feet of a child when sitting or resting in an upright or reclining position.” “Children’s stools” are considered a subset of chairs, “children’s chair without back or armrests.” Further, the standard defines “folding chairs” and “folding stools” as “children’s chair or stool which can be folded for transport or storage.”

The proposed 16 CFR 1232 modifies certain key requirements of the ASTM standard as follows:

• The ASTM F2613-14 standard covers all children’s chairs and stools intended for use by a single child who can get in and get out of the product unassisted and with a seat height of 15 inches or less, with or without a rocking base. The CPSC’s proposal however, limits the scope to just those children’s chairs and stools that are capable of being folded.
• The CPSC also propose adding a sideways stability test in addition to the backwards stability test to ensure there are no tip-overs in the sideways or rearwards directions.
• The marking and labeling section of the ASTM standard to provide more prominent placement of the hazard information in an effort to enhance the effectiveness of the warnings.

Some significant features addressed by the ASTM F2613-14 standard include:

• Scissoring, shearing and pinching hazards
• Latching and locking devices
• Folding mechanisms

The CPSC has proposed that the rule become effective 6 months after the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register. Comments on the proposed rule can be submitted until January 4, 2016.

The Final Rule can be viewed at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-10-19/pdf/2015-26385.pdf

 

For questions, please contact Laxmi Ravikumar (laxmi.ravikumar@intertek.com, +1-630-209-9265).