CPSC Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking within Federal Register for Safety Standard for Crib Bumpers/Liners

On April 3, 2020, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff published within the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemakings for Crib Bumpers/Liners (16 CFR 1240). 

Section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), requires the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. These standards are to be ‘‘substantially the same as’’ applicable voluntary standards or more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission concludes that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. The Commission is proposing a safety standard for Crib Bumpers/Liners in response to the direction under Section 104(b) of the CPSIA.

According to the NPR, the definition for a crib bumper/liner is any product intended to be placed against any portion of the interior perimeter of a crib, and that reduces or eliminates an infant’s access to the crib sides, slats, spindles, or the spaces between these components. Such products are commonly referred to as crib bumpers, crib liners, mesh liners, bumper pads, bumper guards, and headboard panels, but do not include products intended to cover only the top horizontal rail of a crib.

The NPR recommends adopting ASTM F1917-12, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Infant Bedding and Related Accessories as mandatory with modifications.  The modifications include minor editorial changes from the ASTM standard, definitions for conspicuous and crib/bumper liner, test method clarifications, the addition of a warning label permanency test, the addition of a tension test for seams and decorative components, a crib bumper firmness test (with reference to AS/NZS 8811.1), an evaluation for openings between the bumper and the crib perimeter, a crib bumper airflow test (with reference to BS 4578:1970), revisions to warnings on the product/package and revisions to instructional literature.

Once a Final Rule is approved and published in the Federal Register, the tentative effective date will be six months from the date of publication within the Federal Register.  

Public comments on the Crib Bumper/Liner NPR may be submitted up to June 17, 2020.

Additional Information
To view the NPR for Crib Bumper/Liner: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-04-03/pdf/2020-06142.pdf
To post comments:  https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=CPSC_FRDOC_0001-1065

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