Children's Folding Chairs and Stools Subject to New US CPSC Standards

The proposed rule establishes more stringent requirements for children’s folding chairs and stools to further reduce the risk of injury associated with these products.

Children’s Articles to be Made Safer

On 19 October, 2015 the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) proposed a safety standard rule [1] for children’s folding chairs and stools in response to the direction under Section 104(b) of the CPSIA. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) proposes to amend 16 CFR Part 1112 to add 16 CFR Part 1232 once it becomes a Final Rule (FR). The proposed rule is based on the current voluntary ASTM F2613-14, Standard for Children’s Chairs and Stools with several modifications.

The Commission has invited comments from the public and stakeholders that can be submitted until 4 January, 2016.

Folding Children’s Chairs and Stools Defined

ASTM F2613-14 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.” A “children’s stool” is defined as a “children’s chair without back, or armrest.” ASTM further defines “folding chair” and “folding stool” as “a children’s chair or stool which can be folded for transport or storage.” The Commission proposes to limit the scope of the mandatory standard to folding chairs and folding stools because the hazards presented by folding chairs and folding stools are different from non-folding chairs and stools.

Hazard Patterns Identified Among Reported Incidents

During the period of January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2014, the CPSC received 98 injuries reports, 45 non-injury incidents, and another 39 complaints associated with children’s folding chairs or stools. Only one of the reported incidents involved a folding stool, while the remainder involved folding chairs. There were no fatalities reported in the data. The hazard pattern is identified as follows:

Hazard Pattern: Incident Reported:
Pinch/Shear Hazards: Ninety (90)
Hazard Finger Injuries: Fourteen (14)
Stability/Tip-over: Twenty-two (22)
Miscellaneous: Seventeen (17)

Changes Recommended to Reduce Risk

Although the CPSC believes that ASTM F2613-14 adequately addresses many of the general hazards associated with durable nursery products including the majority of the above-reported incidents associated with folding chairs and folding stools, the Commission is proposing the following:

- Change the warning and labeling requirements to further reduce the risk of injury associated with folding chairs and stools.
- Change the stability test method in ASTM F2613-14 to include a sideways stability test method, in addition to rearward stability testing, to reduce the number of tip-over-related incidents for folding chairs and folding stools
- Strengthen the warning and labeling requirements for finger amputation hazards
- Improve the existing warning labels in the 2014 version of the ASTM F2613 standard in terms of content and format:

+Conspicuousness of the label
+Communicating the safety message more clearly
+Motivating behavior changes

Reference:

[1] United States Consumer Product Safety Commission – Proposed Rule: Safety Standard for Children’s Folding Chairs and Stools – 30 September 2015 (http://www.cpsc.gov/Global/Newsroom/FOIA/CommissionBriefingPackages/2015/ProposedRuleSafetyStandardforChildrensFoldingChairsandStool.pdf)

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Contact details:

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SGS North America
Technical Director – Hardgoods
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USA

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