Standardization News

16 CFR 1222 Ruling Becomes Effective July 15

Beginning July 15, 2014, bedside sleepers must comply with ASTM F2906, Consumer Safety Specification for Bedside Sleepers, in response to its recent incorporation in 16 CFR 1222, Safety Standard for Bedside Sleepers. This rule, approved for publication in the January Federal Register by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, was issued in response to the direction under Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which requires the CPSC to promulgate mandatory consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products.

F2906 addresses incidents reported by CPSC relating to these products. In the standard, "bedside sleeper" is defined as "a rigid frame assembly that may be combined with a fabric or mesh assembly, or both, used to function as sides, ends, or floor, or a combination thereof, and that is intended to provide a sleeping environment for infants and is secured to an adult bed." F2906 covers products intended to provide sleeping space for an infant up to approximately five months of age, or when the child begins to push up on hands and knees.

The purpose of F2906 is to minimize hazards associated with bedside sleepers from:

F2906 is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F15.18 on Cribs, Toddler Beds, Play Yards, Bassinets, Cradles and Changing Tables, which is part of ASTM International Committee F15 on Consumer Products. F2906 was first published as a new standard in December 2011 and was revised in 2012 and 2013. The latest revisions included changes to sections on fabric-sided openings and entrapment hazards as well as the addition of a misassembly requirement.