Safety Standard for Bassinets and Cradles: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 22303-22317 [2010-7667]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 28, 2010 / Proposed Rules
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Submit electronic comments in the
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[FR Doc. 2010–6947 Filed 4–27–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355–01–P
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 1218
[CPSC Docket No. CPSC–2010–0028]
Safety Standard for Bassinets and
Cradles: Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking
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AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
SUMMARY: Section 104(b) of the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement
Act of 2008 (‘‘CPSIA’’) requires the
United States Consumer Product Safety
Commission (‘‘CPSC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’)
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 more stringent safety
standard for bassinets and cradles that
will further reduce the risk of injury
associated with these products.
DATES: Written comments must be
received by July 12, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Comments relating to the
instructional literature and marking
required by the proposed rule relating to
the Paperwork Reduction Act should be
directed to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attn: CPSC
Desk Officer, FAX: 202–395–6974, or
e-mailed to
oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.
Other comments, identified by Docket
No. CPSC–2010–llll, may be
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Written Submissions
Submit written submissions in the
following way:
Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for
paper, disk, or CD–ROM submissions),
preferably in five copies, to: Office of
the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety
Commission, Room 502, 4330 East-West
Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814;
telephone (301) 504–7923.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name and
docket number for this rulemaking. All
comments received may be posted
without change, including any personal
identifiers, contact information, or other
personal information provided, to
https://www.regulations.gov. Do not
submit confidential business
information, trade secret information, or
other sensitive or protected information
electronically. Such information should
be submitted in writing.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Han
Lim, Project Manager, Directorate for
Engineering Sciences, Consumer
Product Safety Commission, 4330 EastWest Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814;
telephone (301) 504–7538;
hlim@cpsc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background and Statutory Authority
The Consumer Product Safety
Improvement Act of 2008, Public Law
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110–314 (‘‘CPSIA’’) was enacted on
August 14, 2008. Section 104(b) of the
CPSIA requires the Commission 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. In this document the
Commission proposes a safety standard
for bassinets and cradles. The proposed
standard is more stringent in some
respects than the voluntary standard
developed by ASTM International
(formerly the American Society for
Testing and Materials), ASTM F 2194–
07a ε1, ‘‘Standard Consumer Safety
Specification for Bassinets and Cradles.’’
The proposed modifications, if
finalized, will further reduce the risk of
injury associated with bassinets and
cradles.
B. The Product
A bassinet or cradle is a small bed for
infants supported by free-standing legs,
a wheeled base, a rocking base, or that
can swing relative to a stationary base.
A bassinet or cradle is not intended to
be used with children who are beyond
the age of approximately 5 months.
Bassinet and cradle attachments for
non-full-size cribs or play yards are
considered a part of this product
category, as are bedside sleeper
bassinets that can be converted to a
four-sided bassinet not attached to a
bed.
Full-size cribs and infant swings are
not included under the definition of
bassinet or cradle. Products used in
conjunction with infant swings or
strollers or Moses baskets (handcarrying baskets) are not included under
the definition of bassinet or cradle.
However, a Moses basket or a similar
product used with infant swings or
strollers that can attach to a separate
base which can convert it to a bassinet
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EP28AP10.006
Dated: March 24, 2010
Todd Stevenson,
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
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or cradle is considered a bassinet or
cradle.
While the current ASTM F 2194–
07a ε1 standard does not explicitly state
that infant hammocks are within the
scope of the standard, the Juvenile
Products Manufacturers Association,
(JPMA), historically has certified infant
hammocks under the bassinet/cradle
standard. Two firms have hammocks
certified by JPMA to the ASTM F
2194—07a ε1 standard.
By nature of their design, most
hammocks do not have a rigid sleep
surface. The Commission believes that
many of the current designs it has been
studying result in uneven suspension of
the product, which can cause the
hammock to tip to one side, trapping the
baby in a face down position and
increasing the risk of positional
asphyxia or suffocation. Because of this
hazard pattern, CPSC recently recalled
an infant hammock. Since the sleeping
environment of most hammocks differs
from that of bassinets and cradles, the
Commission believes a separate
standard for hammocks may be
necessary. Most hammocks have
mattresses that are flexible and conform
to the body contours of the infant,
whereas bassinets and cradles have flat
mattresses with solid or fabric sides. In
a November 17, 2009 CPSC/ASTM
teleconference, ASTM agreed to form a
subcommittee to develop requirements
for a new hammock standard. Until a
separate standard for hammocks is
developed, the Commission believes it
is prudent to include hammocks under
the proposed rule for bassinets and
cradles as an interim measure because
the proposed rule addresses the hazard
pattern which causes the infant to roll/
press up against the side or corner of the
product, posing a risk of positional
asphyxia or suffocation. The
Commission is aware that, by their
nature, most infant hammocks will
likely be unable to meet the proposed
performance criteria of a 5° rest angle,
5° flatness angle, and a 20° maximum
rock/swing angle in this proposed
standard, and will thus be effectively
banned. The Commission seeks
comment on whether such action is
necessary given the risk of positional
asphyxia the rule attempts to address.
The Commission may remove
hammocks from the scope of a
bassinets/cradles standard in the future,
should ASTM develop an effective
voluntary standard for hammocks. The
Commission seeks information
regarding proposals for an infant
hammock standard.
Applying American Baby Group
survey data from 2005 to the most
recent U.S. birth data from the Centers
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for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) yields annual estimates of about
1.4 million bassinets, 333,000 cradles,
596,000 portable play yards with
bassinet attachments, and 749,000 fullsize play yards with bassinet
attachments. (The data collected for the
Baby Products Tracking Study does not
represent an unbiased statistical
sample.) This yields a total of
approximately 3.1 million units sold per
year.
C. ASTM Voluntary Standard
ASTM first approved and published
the voluntary standard for bassinets and
cradles in 2002 as ASTM F 2194,
Standard Consumer Safety
Specification for Bassinets and Cradles.
ASTM has revised the standard a
number of times since 2002, with the
current version, ASTM F 2194–07a ε1,
published in November 2007. ASTM F
2194–07 ε1 contains requirements to
address the following:
• Lead in paint;
• Hazardous sharp edges or points;
• Small parts;
• Wood parts;
• Scissoring, shearing, pinching;
• Unintentional folding;
• Openings;
• Labeling;
• Fasteners;
• Corner posts;
• Toy accessories;
• Bassinet/cradle attachments to play
yards/non-full sized cribs;
• Spacing of rigid sided bassinet/
cradle components;
• Openings for mesh/fabric-sided
bassinet/cradle;
• Static load;
• Stability;
• Sleeping pad properties; and
• Protective components.
JPMA operates a certification program
to certify bassinets and cradles to the
voluntary standard. To obtain JPMA
certification, manufacturers submit their
products to an independent test
laboratory for conformance testing to the
most current voluntary standard.
Currently, bassinets or cradles supplied
by eight small manufacturers and four
small importers are JPMA certified to
ASTM F 2194–07a ε1.
D. Incident Data
1. Categories of Incidents
The CPSC Directorate for
Epidemiology reports that there have
been 209 incidents related to bassinets
and cradles since 2006, of which there
were 61 fatalities, 38 non-fatal injuries,
and 110 non-injury incidents. The
incidents were grouped into five
categories: (a) Product-related issues, in
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which sufficient information was
available to describe the product failure
modes or defects; (b) non-productrelated issues; (c) unknown issues
(incidents that lacked specificity), (d)
recalled product-related issues; and (e)
miscellaneous other issues.
a. Product-Related Issues. Eightyseven of the 209 incidents, or
approximately 42%, involved hardware
failures or design issues related to the
product. The reported problems are
listed below, beginning with the most
frequently reported problems:
• Inadequate structural integrity,
which included unstable bassinets or
cradles, loose hardware, collapse of the
product, loose wheels, etc.;
• Locking or tilting issues with the
bassinets or cradles, which cause the
infant to roll or press up against the side
or corner of the product, posing a
suffocation hazard;
• Problems with mattress flatness,
such as mattresses that would not
remain horizontal because of metal rods
or other structures designed to be
positioned underneath the mattress,
lack of rigid mattress support, and
failure of straps or hooks designed to
hold bassinets inside play yards. One
death was associated with a mattress
flatness issue; and
• Problems with battery-powered
bassinet mobiles which had components
that overheated, smoked, or sparked.
b. Non-Product-Related Issues. Sixty
of the 209 incident reports, or 29%,
were of deaths or injuries that could not
be attributed to a product defect or
failure. Fifty-seven of the 60 incidents
were deaths where a determination of
causation or association was
complicated by the inappropriate use of
pillows, blankets, or mattresses.
c. Unknown Issues. Twenty-six of the
incidents, or 12%, had little or no
information. Twenty-five of these
reported a fall of the infant out of the
bassinet or cradle.
d. Recalled Product-Related Issues.
There were 19 reports (9%) that
involved recalled products. Among
them were seven entrapments (three
deaths, two non-fatal injuries, and two
non-injury incidents) between the metal
rods of the bassinet. The remaining 12
reports were complaints or inquiries
from consumers regarding a recalled
product.
e. Miscellaneous Other Issues. The
remaining 17 incident reports involved
a host of miscellaneous problems,
including a tear in the bassinet fabric,
odors, and product assembly or quality
issues.
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2. Deaths and Injuries
All 61 fatalities reported to CPSC staff
were asphyxiation deaths. The majority
of deaths (57 out of 61) were
asphyxiations where the incident report
noted the presence of soft or extra
bedding in the bassinet, prone
placement of the infant, or the infant
getting wedged between the side of the
bassinet and mattress or bedding. Soft or
extra bedding and the prone placement
of an infant are associated with infant
mortality from asphyxiation,
independent of any design hazard. A
few were reported as asphyxiation
deaths, with no further information
available. Only four of these deaths
were determined to have resulted from
design flaws of the product. Three of the
four deaths were due to entrapment of
the infant between the metal bars of a
particular brand of bassinet. Of those
three deaths, two of the three infants
were six months old and should not
have been using the bassinet or cradle
because by definition they are only for
use up to five months. The fourth death
resulted from an infant suffocating in
the corner of the bassinet when he
rolled into that position due to the
unlevel mattress pad.
Thirty-eight incidents reported an
injury to an infant. Twenty-three out of
the 38 incidents, or 61%, were
identified as falls out of the bassinets.
Serious injuries included a skull
fracture resulting from an infant falling
out of the bassinet due to non-level
mattress issues, an arm fracture
resulting from a fall due to problems
with a bassinet’s rocking feature, and a
second-degree burn resulting from the
bassinet’s overheated mobile. The
remaining injuries were mostly limited
to contusions and abrasions.
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3. Hammock Incidents
The Commission is aware of three
fatalities, six non-fatal injuries, and five
non-injury incidents related to infant
hammocks that were reported to have
occurred since 2006. All three fatalities
reported to CPSC were asphyxiation
deaths. One five-month old infant was
found rolled into a corner in a prone
position with the bed in an inclined
position. A four-month old infant was
found with her face flat against the foam
mattress. In the third case, the medical
examiner reporting the fatality
expressed concern about the safety of
the hammock as a sleeping
environment. However, the death of the
six-month old infant, who was found in
a prone position, was officially ruled to
be asphyxiation due to respiratory
infection.
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All six non-fatal injuries were
reported through the National Electronic
Injury Surveillance System (‘‘NEISS’’).
Five of the injuries were reported to
have been falls out of hammocks, while
the sixth injury was sustained when a
broken component of the hammock
struck the infant. Little or no
circumstantial information is available
on how the falls occurred, except that
three of the six infants were eight
months or older.
Two of the five non-injury reports
involved infants (a seven-month old and
a 12-month old) in near-strangulation
incidents where the hammock flipped
over with the infants dangling from
restraints. The remaining three reports
involved near-suffocation incidents
where the infant rolled into a position
from which it was unable to move or
free itself. All three infants were under
five months of age.
E. Assessment of Voluntary Standard
ASTM F 2194–07a ε1 and Description of
Proposed Changes and the Proposed
Rule
1. Assessment of Voluntary Standard
ASTM F 2194–07a ε1
Section 104(b) of the CPSIA requires
the Commission to assess the
effectiveness of the voluntary standard
in consultation with representatives of
consumer groups, juvenile product
manufacturers, and other experts. This
consultation process began in October
2009 during the ASTM International
subcommittee meeting regarding the
ASTM bassinet and cradle voluntary
standard. Consultations with members
of this subcommittee are still ongoing.
ASTM F 2194–07a ε1 contains several
labeling and performance criteria. The
standard addresses many of the same
hazards associated with other durable
nursery products and includes
requirements for tip stability,
unintentional folding of the product,
lead in paints, sharp edges/sharp points,
small parts, wood part splinters,
scissoring/shearing/pinching, openings/
entrapments, warning labels, and toys
(which includes battery-powered
mobiles). The Commission believes that
updates and modifications in certain
areas also may address the hazards
described in the incident data, such as
suffocation due to mattress tilting,
placing of inappropriate bedding
materials (e.g., pillows, additional
blankets, etc.), and entrapment in the
frame structure. While overheating of
battery-powered mobiles was identified
in the incidents, those incidents were
isolated to one company.
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2. Proposed Changes to the ASTM
Standard’s Requirements
Consistent with section 104(b) of the
CPSIA, the Commission, through this
proposed rule, would establish a new 16
CFR part 1218, ‘‘Safety Standard for
Bassinets and Cradles.’’ The new part
would incorporate by reference the
requirements for bassinets and cradles
in ASTM F 2194–07a ε1 with certain
changes to specific provisions and
additions to the standard, as discussed
below. The proposed modifications and
additions to the standard will further
reduce the risk of injury associated with
bassinets and cradles. Therefore, the
proposed rule would adopt ASTM F
2194–07a ε1 as the mandatory safety
standard for bassinets and cradles with
the following additions and
modifications:
• Specify in the scope that the
standard is a performance specification
for bassinets and cradles and that the
intended use is for infants who are not
able to push up on their hands and
knees;
• Add terminology that defines what
constitutes a bassinet or cradle;
• Add a performance requirement
and test procedure for maximum
allowable rocking angle, maximum
allowable rest angle of the sleep surface,
and maximum allowable flatness angle;
• Add a performance requirement
and test procedure for fabric-sided
bassinets and cradles;
• Add a performance requirement
and test procedure for locking
mechanisms intended to prevent
rocking or swinging cradles from
rocking or swinging the mattress bed;
• Add updated warnings to address
proper use of bedding materials by
providing more emphasis and
prominence to the warnings; and
• Exclude strap restraints in bassinets
and cradles.
Following is a more detailed
discussion of these additions and
modifications. To best understand the
proposed standard, it is helpful to view
the current ASTM F 2194–07a ε1
standard for bassinets and cradles and
the Commission’s proposed
modifications along with the
explanations provided in section E.2 of
the preamble. The ASTM standard is
available for viewing for this purpose
during the comment period through this
link: https://www.astm.org/cpsc.htm.
a. Scope (Proposed § 1218.2(b)(1)(i))
Bassinets and cradles should only be
used in the early stages of an infant’s
development. Once an infant can push
up by him/herself, a number of hazards
are created, most notably falling
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hazards. Thus, the proposed rule would
add objective criteria of an infant
capable of pushing up on hands and
knees to the scope of the standard to
clarify which products would be
considered bassinets or cradles. The
proposed rule also would clarify that
the bassinet or cradle should be used
only for infants up to approximately five
months of age.
b. Newborn Infant CAMI Dummy
(Proposed § 1218.2(b)(2)(i))
Because the proposed standard would
require testing with a 7 pound Newborn
CAMI Dummy in the Rock/Swing Angle
test and the Bassinet/Cradle Flatness
Angle test, proposed § 1218.2(b)(2)
would provide this reference and a
photograph.
c. Definition of Bassinet/Cradle
(Proposed § 1218.2(b)(3)(i))
Proposed § 1218.2(b)(3)(i) would
improve the definition of bassinet/
cradle by identifying the products that
are excluded from the standard. The
updated definition would clarify that
full-size and non-full size cribs are not
covered. Also, because a bassinet or
cradle is defined as a product that must
be supported by a base, hand-carrying
baskets would not be covered.
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d. Bassinet/Cradle Accessory (Proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(4)(i))
The proposal would update the
definition of a bassinet/cradle accessory
to avoid confusion with accessories that
can attach to products that are not
intended exclusively for sleep, such as
strollers.
e. Double Action Release Mechanism
(Proposed § 1218.2(b)(5)(i))
Section 5.6.3 of ASTM F 2194–07a–ε1
requires that products with a ‘‘double
action release mechanism’’ latching or
locking device require two distinct and
separate actions for release of the
mechanism. The voluntary standard
does not define ‘‘double action release
mechanism.’’ The Commission has
observed various multi-use products
that can convert from a rocking bassinet
to a stationary one. During this
conversion, there are dual-action
locking mechanisms that require
rotating pop-out casters and then
engaging a ‘‘tab’’-lock to prevent the
casters from rolling. Despite
appearances, such dual-action locking
mechanisms are not double action
release mechanisms. To avoid confusion
in what constitutes a double action
release mechanism and to ensure that
the locking mechanism works as
intended in resisting collapse and/or
movement, the Commission is
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proposing to adopt the same definition
as used in the voluntary ASTM high
chair standard F 404–08. Specifically,
the proposed rule would define a
double action release mechanism as a
‘‘mechanism requiring either two
consecutive actions, the first of which
must be maintained while the second is
carried out or two separate and
independent single action locking
mechanisms that must be activated
simultaneously to fully release.’’
f. Removable Cover (Proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(5)(ii))
Because the term removable cover is
referenced in the test procedure for
evaluating possible scenarios of
entrapment hazards from bounded areas
of fabric and rigid sides of a bassinet or
cradle in proposed § 1218.2(b)(11)(iii),
the proposed rule would add a
definition of ‘‘removable cover’’ to the
standard.
g. Maximum Deflection Angle and Rest
Angle (Proposed § 1218.2(b)(5)(iii),
1218.2(b)(5)(iv), 1218.2(b)(10), and
1218.2(b)(11))
When a bassinet or cradle is not in a
swinging or rocking mode, it needs to be
level to facilitate a safe sleeping
environment for infants. There was one
death and several close calls associated
with non-level bassinets/cradles.
According to an in-depth investigation
(IDI) report, a two month old male died
in a bassinet portion of a play yard. The
infant rolled, causing his face to be
placed in the corner of the bassinet. One
side was approximately five inches
higher than the other. The metal poles
upon which the bassinet was seated
were too short to keep the sleep surface
level. In one non-fatal incident, a
mother found her two-week old male
infant with his face against the mattress,
covering his nose and mouth after he
had slid down the side of the mattress.
The product involved was a play yardswinging bassinet combination. The IDI
report states that the locking mechanism
to prevent the swinging motion
disengaged when the mother placed her
son in the product. The infant was not
injured, and the mother returned the
product to the store. In another non-fatal
incident, a mother found her fivemonth-old daughter in a bassinet-play
yard combination asleep up against the
back side of the bassinet portion. The
infant was not injured when the strap
holding the bassinet insert to the side of
her play yard ripped, causing the
bassinet to tip sideways. The
photographs from the IDI report showed
the bassinet sleep surface at a
substantial angle when the strap failure
occurred. The infant could have been
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trapped between the bassinet and side
of the play yard.
To ensure a level sleeping
environment for infants, the proposal
would establish a performance
requirement and test method for the
maximum allowable rock/swing angle
and maximum allowable rest angle of
the bassinet/cradle. CPSC staff worked
with ASTM to develop these
performance requirements and test
procedures to reduce potential
suffocations and entrapments. The 20ß
maximum rock/swing angle
recommendation is based on the
Canadian regulation for cribs and
cradles (SOR 86–962, available in its
entirety at https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/
laws/regu/sor-86-962/latest/sor-86962.html), as well as on observations
and measurements made by the
Commission on recent model bassinets
and cradles. The Canadian crib and
cradle regulation is a widely accepted
standard. The Commission believes the
20° limit included in the Canadian
regulation allows sufficient rocking/
swinging motion while maintaining
safety. The 5° recommendation for the
mattress rest angle is based on
conclusions from the Australian study,
‘‘The Danger of Freely Rocking Cradles,’’
by S.M. Beal et al., Journal of Pediatric
Child Health (1995) and the
performance requirements from AS/NZS
4385:1996 the Australian/New Zealand
standard for infant’s rocking cradles.
The conclusions from the Australian
study suggest that a maximum 5° rest
angle from rocking cradles could
minimize the risk of an infant rolling
and getting trapped in a corner or other
entrapment/asphyxiation scenario. The
Commission seeks comment on the
Australian study and any other
literature that may be relevant to the
recommendation on the mattress rest
angle.
The test method for the maximum
allowable rock/swing angle and rest
angle performance requirements, the
‘‘Rock/Swing Angle test,’’ is found in
proposed § 1218.2(b)(11)(i). The test
method is based on the procedure
developed by the Task Group of the
ASTM subcommittee for bassinets and
cradles, with specific changes proposed
by the Commission. CPSC test data have
shown that some products have better
angle measurement results (i.e., a less
steep angle) with the Newborn CAMI
Dummy, and others get better results
with the CAMI Dummy, Mark II. Thus,
the proposal would require that the
testing be done with the Newborn Infant
CAMI Dummy, in addition to the CAMI
Dummy, Mark II. Test data also showed
that the placement of the dummy in the
sleep surface can affect the results. For
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example, placing the dummy next to the
wall in a rocking cradle may produce an
angle that is more severe compared to
placing the dummy in the center.
Therefore, the proposed procedures
would describe how the dummy should
be placed in the sleep surface. The
proposed rule would also provide
specific angle measurement procedures.
Finally, because some products can
swing along the head-to-toe axis, the
proposed rule would require such
products to be tested in that direction as
well.
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h. Flatness Angle (Proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(5)(v), 1218.2(b)(10)(ii), and
1218.2(b)(11)(ii)
Incidents involving bassinet/play yard
combinations suggest that a sloped
surface or a mattress with multiple
seams (mattresses that double as a play
yard cover) may have the potential for
an asphyxia suffocation hazard, as an
infant’s head may become entrapped
between the sloped mattress and
bassinet wall surface. Proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(10)(ii) would require that the
angle of the bassinet or cradle sleeping
support surface not be greater than 5°
when tested in accordance with the test
procedures in proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(11)(ii). This is to ensure that
the mattress does not deform and create
a depression, sloped surface, or an
appreciable gap between a bassinet wall
surface and the mattress.
Proposed § 1218.2(b)(11)(ii) includes
testing with the CAMI Infant Dummy,
Mark II and the Newborn CAMI
Dummy. The test is intended to ensure
that the sleep surface of the bassinet or
cradle is flat and will not tilt when
either CAMI dummy is placed in a
corner or edge of the sleeping surface.
A dynamic test, which is a force applied
over a relatively short period of time, is
needed because it will simulate children
turning themselves over in the mattress
bed area, particularly in a bassinet/play
yard combination product with multiple
segmented seams.
i. Testing equipment (Proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(6))
In the standardization and calibration
section, proposed § 1218.2(b)(6) would
specify the type of angle instrument and
its measurement resolution to minimize
angle measurement variability. Also,
proposed § 1218.2(b)(6) would specify
the tolerance and calibration interval for
the force gauge required on several
performance tests to minimize force
measurement variability.
j. Restraints (Proposed § 1218.2(b)(7)(i))
Infants lying on a flat surface do not
need restraints and the use of restraints
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could contribute to a possible
strangulation hazard. Therefore,
proposed § 1218.2(b)(7)(i) would add
language to the standard to clarify that
bassinets should not include any
restraint system that requires action on
the part of the caregiver to secure the
restraint.
k. Spacing of Rigid and Fabric-Sided
Bassinet/Cradle Components (Proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(8), 1218.2(b)(10)(iii) and
1218.2(b)(11)(iii))
Seven incidents (among them three
deaths) involved recalled products
where infants were trapped between
structural members of the bassinet.
Bassinets and cradles with fabric sides
can present similar entrapment hazards
from bounded areas of fabric and rigid
sides of a bassinet or cradle. ASTM F
2194—07a ε1 contains performance
requirements and test methods for the
spacing of rigid sided bassinet and
cradle components, intended to
minimize torso and/or head
entrapments. Because similar hazards
are presented by fabric-sided bassinets
and cradles, the proposed rule would
include performance requirements and
test methods for fabric-sided bassinets
and cradles as well. For some types of
bassinets or cradles with fabric
removable covers, it is foreseeable that
a parent or caregiver will place fabric
back loosely onto a bassinet or cradle
after washing and forget to fasten the
snaps, zippers, or other fasteners. If the
fabric should slip and separate from the
structural members of the bassinet/
cradle wall, an infant’s torso may
become entrapped between two
structural members of a bassinet/cradle.
Also, it is possible that an infant can
suffocate if he or she is trapped in a
bounded area between structural
members and fabric. Thus, the proposed
rule would require testing in this
configuration, i.e., where the fabric
cover is placed loosely on the bassinet
or cradle but is unfastened, as well.
The test method for this performance
requirement is found in proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(11)(iii). Proposed
§ 1218.2(b)(11)(iii) would require that
fabric-sided bassinets or cradles comply
with the crib spacing requirements in 16
CFR Part 1509.4 when subjected to the
20 pound (lb) probe test. The fabric
must not fully release and form a
completely bounded opening which
would allow complete passage of the
torso test probe. The bassinets and
cradles must comply both when the
fabric cover is fastened and when it is
unfastened. The Commission believes it
is reasonable to use the crib spacing
requirements in 16 CFR Part 1509.4,
given that infants of similar ages are
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utilizing bassinets or cradles and cribs.
While the ASTM committee initially
proposed a 35 lb force for the probe test,
the Commission believes that 20 lbs
appears to be consistent with the crib
standard (16 CFR Part 1509.6) and is
more realistic for infants in the age
range of less than five months. ASTM
subcommittee for bassinets and cradles,
with CPSC staff’s input, developed the
proposed test procedures.
k. Stability (Proposed § 1218.2(b)(9)(i))
Because at least three of the 87
product-related incidents involved a
locking mechanism failure or
malfunction, proposed rule
§ 1218.2(b)(9)(i) would include test
scenarios where the bassinet or cradle is
tested with the locking mechanism(s)
engaged if it is equipped with a locking
mechanism to prevent swinging or
rocking. This requirement would ensure
the stability of the product in modes
where the locks are engaged to prevent
swinging or rocking.
l. Marking and Labeling Section
(Proposed §§ 1218.2(b)(12) Through
(b)(14))
Because many deaths and non-fatal
incidents involve suffocation due to
caregivers and parents using bedding
materials (such as pillows and blankets)
that are not specified by the
manufacturer, and because these
incidents cannot be addressed by the
design of the bassinet or cradle, it is
imperative to improve the warning
labels regarding padding and soft
bedding in the standard. Consequently,
proposed §§ 1218.2(b)(12) through (14)
would require certain warning
statements or labeling information
regarding a suffocation hazard.
F. Request for Comments
This proposed rule begins a
rulemaking proceeding under section
104(b) of the CPSIA to issue a consumer
product safety standard for bassinets
and cradles. We invite all interested
persons to submit comments on any
aspect of the proposed rule. Comments
should be submitted in accordance with
the instructions in the ADDRESSES
section at the beginning of this notice.
G. Effective Date
The Administrative Procedure Act
(‘‘APA’’) generally requires that the
effective date of a rule be at least 30
days after publication of the final rule.
5 U.S.C. 553(d). To allow time for
bassinets and cradles to come into
compliance, the Commission intends
that the standard would become
effective six months after publication of
a final rule. The Commission seeks
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comment on how long it would take
manufacturers of bassinets and cradles
to come into compliance with the rule.
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H. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act
(‘‘RFA’’) generally requires that agencies
review proposed rules for their potential
economic impact on small entities,
including small businesses. 5 U.S.C.
603.
1. The Market
Bassinets and cradles are typically
produced and/or marketed by juvenile
product manufacturers and distributors.
There are currently at least 48 known
manufacturers or importers supplying
bassinets and/or cradles to the United
States market. (These counts also
include firms solely producing
hammocks for infants as well. However,
under the standard proposed by the
Commission, most hammock products
will no longer be able to conform.
ASTM has started working on a new
standard to cover these products.) Nine
firms (19 percent) are domestic
importers, 28 firms (58 percent) are
domestic manufacturers, and 10 firms
(21 percent) are foreign manufacturers.
There is an additional domestic firm
whose status as a manufacturer or
importer could not be determined.
Thirteen firms, including the firm
whose means of supply could not be
determined, supply infant hammocks to
the United States market. (There is an
additional hammock on the United
States market whose supplier could not
be determined, as well as a small cottage
industry in knitted and crocheted infant
hammocks.) The product lines for seven
of these firms rely primarily or entirely
on infant hammocks and related
merchandise. (These determinations
were made using information from Dun
& Bradstreet and ReferenceUSAGov, as
well as firm Web sites. Manufacturers
include traditional manufacturers, as
well as firms that send out their designs
to be manufactured, and firms that
import as well but are primarily
manufacturers.)
Under Small Business Administration
(SBA) guidelines, a manufacturer of
bassinets or cradles is small if it has 500
or fewer employees, and an importer is
considered small if it has 100 or fewer
employees. Based on these guidelines,
22 of the domestic manufacturers and
five of the domestic importers known to
be supplying the United States market
are small. The sizes of the four
remaining domestic importers and two
additional domestic manufacturers are
unknown, but they are likely to be small
as well, as is the firm whose supply
source could not be determined. All of
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the firms supplying infant hammocks to
the United States market are believed to
be small. Two of these small firms are
domestic manufacturers, four are
domestic importers, six are foreign
firms, and one is an unknown domestic
firm. There are probably additional
unknown small manufacturers and
importers operating in the United States
market.
JPMA, the major United States trade
association that represents juvenile
product manufacturers and importers,
operates a voluntary certification
program for several juvenile products.
Products voluntarily submitted by
manufacturers are tested against the
appropriate ASTM standard and only
passing products are allowed to display
JPMA’s Certification Seal. (See https://
www.jpma.org/pdfs/certfacts08.pdf for
more information.) Approximately 33
percent of firms supply bassinets/
cradles to the United States market that
have been JPMA certified as compliant
with the current ASTM voluntary
standard (16 firms). Two of these firms
supply more than one relevant product
category, where one category of
products is JPMA certified and another
is not. (For example, one firm has JPMA
certified bassinets, but its play yards are
not JPMA certified.) Additionally, one
firm claims compliance although its
products have not been certified by
JPMA, and one firm has recently had its
product removed from JPMA’s list of
certified products. Of the small
domestic businesses (this includes firms
suspected of being small as well those
known to be small), 38 percent of
manufacturers (nine of 24 firms) and 44
percent of importers (four of nine firms)
have products that are ASTM
compliant. This includes the small
manufacturer that claims compliance
with the ASTM standard, but is not part
of the JPMA Certification Program, as
well as the firms with only some
product categories JPMA certified. (It
should be noted that non-JPMA certified
products will not necessarily fail to
comply with the ASTM standard.
Although there is currently no testing to
support such an assumption for
bassinets and cradles, testing of other
products has revealed a pattern of noncorrelation.)
2. Compliance Requirements of the
Proposed Rule
Several of the recommended
modifications and new requirements to
the standard would be little to no
burden on manufacturers or importers.
The developmental limit modification
(limiting the product use to when a
child is able to push up on hands or
knees), as well as the changes to
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suffocation warnings, would only
require changes to instructional
literature and packaging. The
clarifications to what is included and
excluded from the definition of the
product would effectively eliminate
some products from the scope of the
proposed standard. This would exclude
some firms from compliance
requirements entirely, while reducing
the number of products for others. As
discussed herein, however, the
inclusion of infant hammocks will have
a substantial effect on many of these
suppliers. The possible need to
eliminate product restraints would only
affect a few firms and the impact would
be minimal. (It is possible that the lack
of restraints could reduce product
desirability from the consumer’s
perspective. However, this effect would
be felt equally across all firms and is not
expected to cause a significant
reduction in demand for these products
as a whole. The Commission believes
that restraints are unnecessary for
infants who are lying on a flat surface
and could pose a strangulation hazard.)
Double action release mechanisms are
typically used with multi-use products
to convert a rocking bassinet to a
stationary one. The expansion of locking
and latching mechanism tests to cover
double action release mechanisms, as
well as the addition of stability testing
with these locks engaged, are intended
to resist collapsing or movement. There
have been several cases where locking
mechanisms have failed which caused
the infant to roll and press up against
the side or corner of the product, posing
a suffocation hazard. (See Memorandum
from Risana Chowdhury, EPI,
Directorate for Epidemiology, dated
February 3, 2010, Subject: Bassinets,
Cradles, and Infant Hammocks-Related
Deaths, Injuries and Potential Injuries;
2006–Present. It should be noted that it
is unclear how many of these lock
failures were double action release
mechanisms.) This modification is not
expected to pose a substantial burden
on firms. However, it is possible that a
few firms might have to make product
modifications to comply. This would
most likely take the form of improved
locking/latching mechanisms.
Expanding spacing requirements to
openings in soft-sided products could
have a substantial effect on a small
number of firms. Where products cannot
pass the new requirements, substantial
modifications and product
redevelopment are likely. However, the
Commission believes that the severity of
the incidents involving these types of
products and the recalls that resulted
strongly support adding this
requirement to the proposed standard.
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There are currently no maximum
requirements for rocking or rest angles
on products intended to rock or swing.
Tilting issues have resulted in
suffocation hazards similar to those of
locking mechanism failures. It is
believed that adding maximum angle
requirements to the proposed standard
could reduce future incidents, while
affecting only a small number of firms.
The fact that these requirements are
already a part of non-United States
safety standards indicates that
compliance has not proven difficult.
However, it is possible that a few firms
might require product modifications to
achieve compliance with these new
requirements.
The maximum sleep surface angle
requirement and test is primarily aimed
at incidents involving bassinet/play
yard combination products. These
incidents suggest that products with
sloped surfaces or mattresses with
multiple seams could pose a suffocation
hazard. (See Memorandum from Han
Lim, ESME, Directorate for Engineering
Sciences, dated February 16, 2010,
Subject: Engineering Assessment of
ASTM F 2194–07 a ε1, Standard
Consumer Safety Specification for
Bassinets and Cradles; see also
Memorandum from Risana Chowdhury,
EPI, Directorate for Epidemiology, dated
February 3, 2010, Subject: Bassinets,
Cradles and Infant Hammocks-Related
Deaths, Injuries and Potential Injuries;
2006–Present.) There are numerous
such combination products on the
market, but only a few known suppliers;
therefore, this requirement could
require product modifications (and
possibly product redesign) by a few
firms.
The rock/rest angles and sleep surface
angles are likely to disproportionately
affect most of the thirteen infant
hammock suppliers. Infant hammocks
typically hang from a standing base and
rock naturally. Most have sleep surfaces
that curve, molding to an infant’s body.
However, two infant hammock
suppliers have flat sleep surfaces. These
two firms are not expected to require
further modifications to comply with
the recommended sleep surface angle
requirement, and it is likely that they
will be able to meet the rock/rest angle
requirements inexpensively, with
known fixes running no more than $5
per unit. For example, they could add
a clipping mechanism that has been
recently developed to limit the swing
angle for hammocks involved in product
recalls. Alternatively, they may be able
to change the number and placement of
the ties from which the hammock hangs.
For the remaining eleven firms
supplying infant hammocks, even
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though it would be possible to
inexpensively modify their products to
meet both the rock/rest angle and sleep
surface angle requirements, such
modifications would change their
products too extensively to remain in
the market. A niche market exists
among parents with colicky babies for
hammocks that curve around babies’
bodies and rock naturally. The
suppliers, both manufacturers and
importers, are unlikely to make even
inexpensive modifications to meet the
requirements as proposed. Any known
fix would eliminate their niche market,
thereby eliminating demand for their
products, and may drive them out of
business.
3. Impact of the Proposal on Small
Business
There are approximately 48 firms
currently known to be marketing
bassinets, cradles, and/or infant
hammocks in the United States. Four
are large domestic manufacturers and
ten are foreign manufacturers or
importers. The impact on the remaining
34 small firms—24 small domestic
manufacturers and 9 small domestic
importers (one of these firms produces
only hammocks, while another
produces both hammocks and
bassinets)—is the focus of the remainder
of this analysis. Of these small firms,
two domestic manufacturers and four
domestic importers (as well as the
unknown domestic firm) supply infant
hammocks.
Small Manufacturers (Other than
Infant Hammock Manufacturers). The
impact of the proposed standard (if
finalized) on small manufacturers will
differ based on whether they are
currently compliant with the voluntary
ASTM standard. For the 15 firms that
are not complaint with the current
voluntary standard, the proposed
standard could have substantial impact
because their products would most
likely have to be redesigned. Product
development costs include product
design, development and marketing staff
time, product testing, and focus group
expenses. These costs can be high, but
they can be treated as new product
expenses and amortized over time, as
can other one-time costs such as the
retooling of manufacturing equipment.
There also may be increased costs of
production, particularly if modifications
to structural integrity are required,
which could include additional raw
materials. This could potentially
increase shipping costs as well. The
actual cost of such an effort is unknown,
but could be substantial for some firms,
particularly those that rely primarily or
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entirely on bassinets/cradles and related
products, such as bedding.
The impact on most of the nine firms
that comply with the current voluntary
standard is expected to be less
substantial. The majority of
modifications recommended by the
Commission are expected to have only
minor effects on small manufacturers.
There are, however, three recommended
changes (rocking/rest angles, sleep
surface angle, and spacing requirements
for soft-sided products) that could
require product modifications. While
these requirements may affect only a
few firms, they may require product
redevelopment, which has the potential
to impose unknown but substantial,
costs. The Commission seeks comment
on the cost associated with these
product modifications.
Even though the proposed standard
could potentially affect a few small
firms significantly, the costs associated
with compliance could be gradually
recouped over the sales of numerous
units. Bassinets and cradles are unique
products designed to provide a sleeping
environment for very young children
that is smaller and more like the womb.
Therefore, other sleeping products are
unlikely to be suitable substitutes for
these products, allowing firms to pass at
least some costs on to consumers and to
still compete effectively. (There is also
the possibility, however, that some
consumers may instead use unsuitable
sleeping environments, such as
bouncers, as substitutes.)
The scenario just described assumes
that only those firms that are JPMAcertified or claim ASTM compliance
will meet the voluntary standard’s
requirements. This is not necessarily the
case. CPSC has identified many cases
where products not certified by JPMA
do comply with the relevant ASTM
standard; however, there is insufficient
evidence of this for bassinets/cradles to
quantify this impact. Additionally, the
effect of the new and modified
requirements may be less substantial
than just outlined to the extent that
some products may already comply
with non-United States standards with
some more rigorous requirements. For
example, a product that complies with
the Australian standard would pass the
proposed rock angle requirement.
However, there is insufficient
information to quantify this effect.
Small Importers (Other than Infant
Hammock Importers). Four of the nine
small importers are compliant with the
current voluntary standard. Two of
these compliant importers supply infant
hammocks exclusively. Of the
remaining five non-compliant
importers, two supply infant hammocks
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exclusively. Therefore, if their existing
supplier does not come into compliance
with the proposed standard, these firms
will need to find an alternate source of
bassinets and cradles. Manufacturers are
likely to pass at least some costs onto
importers, making the bassinets/cradles
more expensive. (These products would
also be expected to be higher quality
given the additional safety
requirements.) However, importers can
follow suit, passing some costs on to
consumers. Even if importers responded
to the rule by discontinuing the import
of their non-complying bassinets and
cradles, either replacing them with a
complying product or another juvenile
product, deciding to import an
alternative product would be a
reasonable and realistic way to offset
any lost revenue given that most import
a variety of products. To the extent that
some firms may comply with the
current voluntary standard or one or
more of the new/modified requirements
in the proposed standard, the impact of
the proposed rule would be lower.
Small Hammock Manufacturers and
Importers. The impact of the proposed
standard on small hammock
manufacturers and importers depends
primarily on two factors: (1) Whether
their hammocks have a flat sleep
surface; and (2) whether their product
line consists (primarily or entirely) of
infant hammocks and related products.
If a supplier’s hammocks already have
a flat sleep surface (as is the case with
one known small domestic
manufacturer), it is likely that it will
modify its existing infant hammocks.
This modification can be made
inexpensively based upon a recent
product recall fix that minimized the
rock/rest angle of these types of
products. (The known fixes are unlikely
to cost more than $5 per unit.) However,
the remaining small infant hammock
suppliers, both manufacturers and
importers, are unlikely to make even
inexpensive modifications to meet the
proposed requirements. Doing so would
eliminate their niche market for
naturally-rocking, flexible-sleep-surface
products intended to calm colicky
babies. Among the six small domestic
firms supplying this niche market, four
small importers and one unknown firm
rely entirely (or almost entirely) upon
infant hammocks and related products.
Therefore, the proposed rule, if
finalized, may be likely to put these
firms out of business. The remaining
small domestic manufacturer, however,
does supply other products, and the
likely elimination of infant hammocks
from its product line is not expected to
drive it out of business, although it is
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likely to have a substantial effect on its
sales revenue. The Commission seeks
comment on the effect of the proposed
modifications to the standard on small
hammock manufacturers and importers.
3. Alternatives. Under section 104 of
the CPSIA, the primary alternative that
would reduce the impact on small
entities is to make the voluntary
standard mandatory with no additions
or modifications. Adopting the current
voluntary standard without any changes
could potentially reduce the costs for
nine of the 24 small manufacturers and
four of the nine small importers who
already comply with the voluntary
standard. However, the actual reduction
in impact for these firms is likely to be
smaller, since many would likely not
require substantial changes even under
the proposed standard. For the six small
domestic firms supplying infant
hammocks to the United States market,
making the current voluntary standard
mandatory with no modifications would
substantially reduce the impact. It
would be likely to prevent five firms
from going out of business, while the
sixth might be spared a substantial
decrease in sales revenue. It also should
be noted that eliminating the market for
potentially hazardous infant hammocks
intended to lull colicky babies may have
the unintended consequence of leading
caregivers to use similar products
intended for older children instead,
thereby creating a potentially new
hazard.
4. Conclusion of Initial Regulatory
Flexibility Analysis
It is possible that the proposed
standard, if finalized, could have a
significant impact on a few small firms.
Most firms supplying bassinets and/or
cradles to the United States market are
not JPMA-certified as compliant with
ASTM’s voluntary standard and may
therefore require at least some product
modifications to achieve compliance.
(To the extent that some of the products
not certified by JPMA may still comply,
the impact will be reduced.) For these
firms, as well as a few of those who are
JPMA-certified, additional changes to
meet the more significant recommended
requirements of the proposed standard
may be required as well. The extent of
these costs is unknown, but since
product redevelopment would likely be
necessary, it is possible that the costs
could be large for some of the firms.
However, at least some of these costs are
expected to be passed on to consumers
without a reduction in the firms’ ability
to compete due to the unique features
associated with these products. The
Commission seeks comment on what
these costs may be, whether they may be
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passed on to the consumer, and how
these costs will impact small
businesses.
The small firms likely to be most
significantly impacted by the staffrecommended rule, however, are those
supplying infant hammocks intended
for colicky babies. The majority of these
firms have focused their entire product
line on these goods and the required
modifications would eliminate demand
for their products, and may drive them
out of business.
I. Environmental Considerations
The Commission’s regulations
provide a categorical exemption for the
Commission’s rules from any
requirement to prepare an
environmental assessment or an
environmental impact statement as they
‘‘have little or no potential for affecting
the human environment.’’ 16 CFR
1021.5(c)(2). This proposed rule falls
within the categorical exemption.
J. Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule contains
information collection requirements that
are subject to public comment and
review by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–
3520). We describe the provisions in
this section of the document with an
estimate of the annual reporting burden.
Our estimate includes the time for
reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing each
collection of information.
We particularly invite comments on:
(1) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the CPSC’s functions,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of
the CPSC’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (4) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques,
when appropriate, and other forms of
information technology.
Title: Safety Standard for Bassinets
and Cradles.
Description: The proposed rule would
require each bassinet and cradle to
comply with ASTM F 2194–07a ε1,
‘‘Standard Consumer Safety
Specification for Bassinets and Cradles.’’
Sections 8 and 9 of ASTM F 2194–07aε1
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contain requirements for marking and
instructional literature.
Description of Respondents: Persons
who manufacture bassinets and cradles.
22311
We estimate the burden of this
collection of information as follows:
TABLE 1—ESTIMATED ANNUAL REPORTING BURDEN
Number of
respondents
Frequency of
responses
Total annual
responses
Hours per
response
Total burden
hours
1218.2(a) ..............................................................................
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16 CFR section
30
7
30
0.5
105
There are no capital costs or operating
and maintenance costs associated with
this collection of information.
Our estimates are based on the
following:
Proposed § 1218.2(a) would require
each bassinet and cradle to comply with
ASTM F 2194–07a ε1. Sections 8 and 9
of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1 contain
requirements for marking and
instructional literature that are
disclosure requirements, thus falling
within the definition of ‘‘collections of
information’’ at 5 CFR 1320.3(c).
Section 8.1.1 of ASTM F 2194–07aε1
requires that the name and either the
place of business (city, State, and
mailing address, including zip code) or
telephone number, or both of the
manufacturer, distributor, or seller be
clearly and legibly marked on each
product and its retail package. Section
8.1.2 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1 requires
that a code mark or other means that
identifies the date (month and year as a
minimum) of manufacture’’ be clearly
and legibly marked on ‘‘each product
and its retail package. In both cases, the
information must be placed on both the
product and the retail package.
There are 48 known firms supplying
bassinets and/or cradles to the United
States market. Eighteen of the 48 firms
are known to already produce labels
that comply with sections 8.1.1 and
8.1.2 of the standard, so there would be
no additional burden on these firms.
The remaining 30 firms are assumed to
already use labels on both their
products and their packaging, but would
need to make some modifications to
their existing labels. The estimated time
required to make these modification is
about 30 minutes per model. Each of
these firms supplies an average of 7
different models of bassinets/cradles,
therefore, the estimated burden hours
associated with labels is 30 minutes ×
30 firms × 7 models per firm = 6,300
minutes or 105 annual hours.
The Commission estimates that
hourly compensation for the time
required to create and update labels is
$27.78 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
September 2009, all workers, goodsproducing industries, Sales and office,
Table 9). Therefore, the estimated
annual cost associated with the
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Commission recommended labeling
requirements is approximately $2,917
($27.78 per hour × 105 hours =
$2,916.90, which we have rounded up
to $2,917).
Section 9.1 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1
requires instructions to be supplied
with the product. Bassinets and cradles
are products that generally require some
installation and maintenance, and
products sold without such information
would not be able to successfully
compete with products supplying this
information. Under OMB’s regulations
(5 CFR 1320.3(b)(2)), the time, effort,
and financial resources necessary to
comply with a collection of information
that would be incurred by persons in
the ‘‘normal course of their activities’’
are excluded from a burden estimate
where an agency demonstrates that the
disclosure activities needed to comply
are ‘‘usual and customary.’’ Therefore,
because the CPSC is unaware of
bassinets and cradles that: (a) Generally
require some installation, but (b) lack
any instructions to the user about such
installation, we tentatively estimate that
there are no burden hours associated
with the instruction requirement in
section 9.1 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1
because any burden associated with
supplying instructions with a bassinet
or cradle would be ‘‘usual and
customary’’ and not within the
definition of ‘‘burden’’ under OMB’s
regulations.
Based on this analysis, the
requirements of the Commissionrecommended bassinet and cradle rule
would impose a burden to industry of
105 hours at a cost of $2,917 annually.
In compliance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3507(d)), we have submitted the
information collection requirements of
this rule to OMB for review. Interested
persons are requested to fax comments
regarding information collection by May
28, 2010, to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, OMB (see
ADDRESSES).
K. Preemption
Section 26(a) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2075(a), provides that where a
‘‘consumer product safety standard
under [the CPSA]’’ is in effect and
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applies to a product, no State or
political subdivision of a State may
either establish or continue in effect a
requirement dealing with the same risk
of injury unless the State requirement is
identical to the Federal standard.
(Section 26(c) of the CPSA also provides
that States or political subdivisions of
States may apply to the Commission for
an exemption from this preemption
under certain circumstances.) Section
104(b) of the CPSIA refers to the rules
to be issued under that section as
‘‘consumer product safety rules,’’ thus
implying that the preemptive effect of
section 26(a) of the CPSA would apply.
Furthermore, in Natural Resources
Defense Council v. CPSC, 597 F. Supp.
2d 370 (S.D. NY 2009), the court held
that ‘‘[d]esignating the phthalate
prohibitions [in section 108 of the
CPSIA] as consumer product safety
standards brings them within a well
established statutory preemption
scheme [of section 26(a) of the CPSA].’’
Therefore, a rule issued under section
104 of the CPSIA will invoke the
preemptive effect of section 26(a) of the
CPSA when it becomes effective.
L. Certification
Section 14(a) of the Consumer
Product Safety Act (‘‘CPSA’’) imposes
the requirement that products subject to
a consumer product safety rule under
the CPSA, or to a similar rule, ban,
standard, or regulation under any other
act enforced by the Commission, be
certified as complying with all
applicable CPSC-enforced requirements.
15 U.S.C. 2063(a). Such certification
must be based on a test of each product
or on a reasonable testing program or,
for children’s products, on tests on a
sufficient number of samples by a thirdparty conformity assessment body
accredited by the Commission to test
according to the applicable
requirements. As discussed in Section
K, section 104(b)(1)(B) of the CPSIA
refers to standards issued under that
section, such as the rule for bassinets
and cradles being proposed in this
notice, as ‘‘consumer product safety
standards.’’ Furthermore, the
designation as consumer product safety
standards subjects such standards to
certain sections of the CPSA, such as
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(ii) [Reserved]
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(a) Except as provided in paragraph
(b) of this section, each bassinet and
cradle must comply with all applicable
provisions of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1,
Standard Consumer Safety Specification
for Bassinets and Cradles, approved
October 1, 2007. The Director of the
Federal Register approves this
incorporation by reference in
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1
CFR part 51. You may obtain a copy
from ASTM International, 100 Bar
Harbor Drive, P.O. Box 0700, West
Conshohocken, PA 19428; https://
www.astm.org. You may inspect a copy
at the Office of the Secretary, U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Room 502, 4330 East West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814, telephone 301–
504–7923, or at the National Archives
and Records Administration (NARA).
For information on the availability of
this material at NARA, call 202–741–
6030, or go to: https://www.archives.gov/
federal_register/
code_of_federal_regulations/
ibr_locations.html.
(b) Comply with the ASTM F 2194–
07aε1 standard with the following
additions or exclusions:
(1) Instead of complying with section
1.3 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1, comply
with the following:
(i) 1.3 This consumer safety
performance specification covers
products intended to provide sleeping
accommodations only for infants up to
approximately 5 months of age or when
the child begins to push up on hands
and knees, whichever comes first.
Products used in conjunction with an
infant swing are not covered by this
specification.
(ii) [Reserved]
(2) Following section 2.3 of ASTM F
2194–07aε1, use the following figure:
(i) 3.1.1 Bassinet/cradle, n—small
bed designed exclusively to provide
sleeping accommodations for infants
PART 1218—SAFETY STANDARD FOR
BASSINETS AND CRADLES
Sec.
1218.1 Scope, application and effective
date.
1218.2 Requirements for bassinets and
cradles.
Authority: The Consumer Product Safety
Improvement Act of 2008, Pub. L. 110–314,
§ 104, 122 Stat. 3016 (August 14, 2008).
§ 1218.1
date.
Scope, application and effective
This part establishes a consumer
product safety standard for bassinets
and cradles manufactured or imported
on or after (insert date 6 months after
date of publication of a final rule in the
Federal Register).
§ 1218.2 Requirements for bassinets and
cradles.
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sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with PROPOSALS
List of Subjects in 16 CFR 1218
Consumer protection, Imports,
Incorporation by reference, Infants and
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Children, Labeling, Law enforcement,
and Toys.
Therefore, the Commission proposes
to amend Title 16 of the Code of Federal
Regulations by adding a new part 1218
to read as follows:
(3) Instead of complying with section
3.1.1 of ASTM F 2194–07aε1, comply
with the following:
section 26(a), regarding preemption. By
the same reasoning, such standards
would also be subject to section 14 of
the CPSA. Therefore, any such standard
would be considered to be a consumer
product safety rule to which products
subject to the rule must be certified.
In addition, the CPSIA is another act
enforced by the Commission, and the
standards issued under section
104(b)(1)(B) of the CPSIA are similar to
consumer product safety rules. For this
reason also, bassinets and cradles will
need to be tested and certified as
complying with the safety standard
when it becomes effective. Because
bassinets and cradles are children’s
products, they must be tested by a thirdparty conformity assessment body
accredited by the Commission. In the
future, the Commission will issue a
notice of requirements to explain how
laboratories can become accredited as a
third-party conformity assessment body
to test to the new safety standard.
(Bassinets and cradles also must comply
with all other applicable CPSC
requirements, such as the lead content
and phthalate content requirements in
sections 101 and 108 of the CPSIA, and
the tracking label requirement in section
14(a)(5) of the CPSA, and the consumer
registration form requirements in
section 104 of the CPSIA.)
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(iv) 3.1.15 Rest angle, n—the
resulting angle measurement of
bassinet/cradle sleeping surface or tilt
angle of the bassinet/cradle bed after the
maximum deflection angle is applied
and released and the product has come
to a complete rest when tested in
accordance with 7.8.
(v) 3.1.16 Flatness angle, n—the
resulting angle measurement of the
sleep support surface or tilt angle of the
bassinet/cradle bed when a compression
force is applied to the chest of the CAMI
dummy in accordance with 7.9.
(6) In addition to section 4.5 of ASTM
F 2194–07a ε1 comply with the
following:
(i) 4.6 Angle measurements shall be
obtained using a digital inclinometer
capable of 0.1° minimum resolution.
(ii) 4.7 Equipment—Force gauge
with a range of 0 to 25 lbf (110N), with
a maximum tolerance of ± 0.25 lbf
(1.11N) or a range of 0 to 50 lbf (222N)
with a maximum tolerance of ± 0.25 lbf
(1.11N). A calibration interval shall be
maintained for the force gauges which
will ensure that the accuracy does not
drift beyond the stated tolerances.
(7) In addition to section 5.12 of
ASTM F 2194–07a ε1 comply with the
following:
(i) 5.13 Restraints— The bassinet
shall not include any restraints system
which requires action on the part of the
caregiver to secure the restraint.
(ii) [Reserved]
(8) Instead of complying with section
6.1 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1, comply
with the following:
(i) 6.1 Spacing of Rigid and FabricSided Bassinet/Cradle Components or
Bassinet/Cradle attachment
Components—Spacing must comply
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with 16 CFR Part 1509 Section 1509.4
when tested according to 7.1 and 7.10.
(ii) [Reserved]
(9) Instead of complying with section
6.4 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1, comply
with the following:
(i) 6.4 Stability—A product in all
manufacturers’ recommended use
positions, including positions where the
locks are engaged for preventing
rocking/swinging motion of the sleeping
surface, shall not tip over and shall
retain the CAMI Infant Dummy, Mark II,
when subjected to the test described in
7.4.
(ii) [Reserved]
(10) In addition to section 6.6 of
ASTM F 2194–07a ε1 comply with the
following:
(i) 6.7 Rock/Swing Angle—Bassinets
or cradles that incorporate a rocking/
swinging feature shall meet the
following:
(A) 6.7.1 Maximum deflection angle
measurement on any reading shall not
exceed 20° when tested in accordance
with 7.8.
(B) 6.7.2 The arithmetic mean of the
rest angle measurements shall not
exceed 5° when tested in accordance
with 7.8.
(ii) 6.8: Bassinet/Cradle Surface—
The angle of the bassinet or cradle
sleeping support surface or the tilt angle
of the bassinet/cradle bed shall not be
greater than 5ß when tested in
accordance with 7.9.
(iii) 6.9 Fabric-Sided Enclosed
Openings—For bassinets or cradles with
fabric sides, the fabric shall not release
and form a completely bounded opening
that allows the complete passage of the
torso probe (Figure 3A) when tested in
accordance with Section 7.10.
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sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with PROPOSALS
supported by free standing legs, a
wheeled base, a rocking base, or which
can swing relative to a stationary base.
Products such as swings, full and nonfull size cribs, hand carrying baskets,
and travel beds are not included, unless
the product is a bassinet/cradle
attachment per the definition in Section
3.1.2.
(ii) [Reserved]
(4) Instead of complying with section
3.1.2 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1, comply
with the following:
(i) 3.1.2 bassinet/cradle accessory,
n—accessory with a rigid frame that
attaches to non-full size crib, play yard,
or other base unit designed to convert
the accessory into a bassinet/cradle.
(ii) [Reserved]
(5) In addition to section 3.1.11 of
ASTM F 2194–07a ε1, comply with the
following:
(i) 3.1.12 Double action release
mechanism, n—mechanism requiring
either two consecutive actions, the first
of which must be maintained while the
second is carried out or two separate
and independent single action locking
mechanisms that must be activated
simultaneously to fully release.
(ii) 3.1.13 removable cover, n—a
fabric cover, containing snaps or other
fasteners such as zippers, Velcro, or
buttons used to attach to a bassinet/
cradle frame that requires consumer
action as a step for removal or
adjustment.
(iii) 3.1.14 Maximum deflection
angle, n—the maximum rock/swing
angle measurement allowed by the
product design in the manufacturer’s
use position in the manner normally
associated with rocking/swinging and
intended by the manufacturer when
tested in accordance with 7.8.
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unit from rocking/swinging, per the
manufacturer’s instructions.
(E) 7.8.1.4 Place the CAMI Infant
Dummy, MARK II belly up, with both
arms contacting the torso, and the right
arm touching the left side wall in the
bassinet cradle. See Figure 4A.
(G) 7.8.1.6 Release the bassinet/
cradle and allow it to come to rest
unassisted.
(H) 7.8.1.7 Place the 6 in. x 6 in.
wood block (ref. Section 7.3.2) less than
1 in. from the dummy, where the
horizontal center of the block is in line
with the centerline of the mattress bed
perpendicular to the head-to-toe axis of
the dummy. See Figure 4A. If a block
cannot be placed in the prescribed
location inside the mattress bed area
due to mattress size constraints, dummy
position, or if the mattress is
substantially curved, then mount a 1 in.
aluminum angle (ref. Section 7.4.2) on
top of the rigid bassinet frame. See
Figure 4B.
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instructions and, if necessary, place the
bassinet/cradle in rocking/swinging
mode.
(C) 7.8.1.2 Place the bassinet/cradle
and the inclinometer on a flat level
horizontal plane (0° ± 0.5°) to establish
a reference plane. Zero the inclinometer.
(D) 7.8.1.3 Disengage any locking
mechanisms designed to prevent the
(F) 7.8.1.5 Manually deflect and
hold the bassinet/cradle to the
maximum side-to-side rock/swing angle
allowed by the product design in the
manufacturer’s use position in the
manner normally associated with
rocking/swinging and intended by the
manufacturer. Record the maximum
deflection angle.
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(11) In addition to section 7.7 of
ASTM F 2194–07aε1 comply with the
following:
(i) 7.8 Rock/Swing Angle Test:
(A) 7.8.1 Side to Side Rock/Swing
Test—for bassinets/cradles that have a
side-to-side rocking/swinging feature.
(B) 7.8.1.1 Assemble bassinet/cradle
in accordance with manufacturer’s
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arm touching the right side wall in the
bassinet/cradle.
(L) 7.8.1.11 Repeat steps 7.8.1.2 to
7.8.1.10 using a CAMI Newborn
Dummy.
(M) 7.8.2 Front-to-Back Rock/Swing
Test—for bassinets/cradles that have a
front-to-back (head-to-toe) rocking/
swinging feature.
(N) 7.8.2.1 Assemble bassinet/cradle
in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions and, if necessary, place the
bassinet/cradle in the front-to-back
rocking/swinging mode.
(O) 7.8.2.2 Place the bassinet/cradle
and the inclinometer on a flat level
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horizontal plane (0° ± 0.5°) to establish
a test plane. Zero the inclinometer.
(P) 7.8.2.3 Disengage any locking
mechanisms designed to prevent the
unit from rocking/swinging, per the
manufacturer’s instructions.
(Q) 7.8.2.4 Place the CAMI Infant
Dummy, Mark II belly up, with both
arms contacting the torso, and the
crown of the dummy’s head touching
the inside wall at one end of the sleep
surface and the dummy’s head-to-toe
centerline is in line with the centerline
perpendicular to the short dimension of
the sleep surface. See Figure 4C.
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(I) 7.8.1.8 Place the inclinometer on
the top center of the 6 in. x 6 in. wood
block or aluminum angle and record the
resulting angle.
(J) 7.8.1.9 Repeat steps 7.8.1.2 to
7.8.1.8 four additional times. Record
each side-to-side maximum deflection
angle and each resulting side-to-side
rest angle measurement. Calculate the
arithmetic mean of the five side-to-side
rest angle measurements.
(K) 7.8.1.10 Repeat steps 7.8.1.2 to
7.8.1.9 except place the CAMI infant
Dummy, Mark II belly up, with both
arms contacting the torso, and the left
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(R) 7.8.2.5 Manually deflect and
hold the bassinet/cradle to the
maximum rock/swing angle in the frontto-back direction allowed by the
product design in the manufacturer’s
use position in the manner normally
associated with rocking and intended by
the manufacturer. Record the maximum
rock/swing angle.
(S) 7.8.2.6 Release the bassinet/
cradle and allow it to come to rest
unassisted.
(T) 7.8.2.7 Place the 6 in. x 6 in.
wood block (ref. Section 7.3.2) where
the horizontal centerline of the wood
block is in line with the horizontal
centerline of the sleep surface. See
Figure 4. If the wood block cannot be
placed in the prescribed location on the
mattress bed area due to mattress size
constraints, dummy position, or if the
mattress is substantially curved, then
mount a 1 in. aluminum angle (ref.
Section 7.4.2) spanning the top of the
rigid bassinet frame in a direction
parallel to the long dimension of the
bassinet.
(U) 7.8.2.8 Place the inclinometer on
the top center of the 6 in. x 6 in. wood
block or aluminum angle. Record the
resulting rest angle.
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(V) 7.8.2.9 Repeat steps 7.8.2.2 to
7.8.2.8 four additional times. Record
each front-to-back maximum deflection
angle and each resulting rest angle
measurement. Calculate the arithmetic
mean of the five rest angle
measurements.
(W) 7.8.2.10 Repeat 7.8.2.2 to 7.8.2.9
with the CAMI Dummy, Mark II feet
touching the inside at one end of the
sleep surface and the dummy’s torso
centerline in line with the centerline
perpendicular to the short dimension of
the sleep surface.
(X) 7.8.2.11 Repeat 7.8.2.2 to
7.8.2.10 with the Newborn CAMI
Dummy.
(ii) 7.9 Bassinet/Cradle Flatness
Angle Test
(A) 7.9.1 Disable the rocking/
swinging feature if the product is
equipped with such a feature. Place the
CAMI Infant Dummy, Mark II belly up,
on the sleep surface in the location most
prone to creating a depression, slope, or
tilt (e.g., near a seam in the mattress, in
a corner, etc.).
(B) 7.9.2 Place the 6 in. x 6 in. wood
block (ref. Section 7.3.2) on the chest of
the dummy and apply a 10.0 ± 0.5 lb
compression force within 2 seconds
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with a force gauge. Discontinue
applying the force.
(C) 7.9.3 Place the 6 in. x 6 in. wood
block (ref. Section 7.3.2) less than 1 in.
from the dummy, where the horizontal
center of the block is in line with the
horizontal centerline of the dummy. If
the wood block cannot be placed inside
the sleep surface of a rocking/swinging
product due to mattress size constraints,
dummy position, or if the mattress is
substantially curved, then mount the
1 in. aluminum angle (ref. Section 7.4.2)
on top of the rigid bassinet frame.
(D) 7.9.4 Record the resulting
flatness angle along the dummy’s headto-toe axis and at 90° from the head-totoe axis.
(E) 7.9.5 Repeat steps 7.9.1 to 7.9.4
four additional times. Record each angle
measurement and calculate the
arithmetic mean of the five angle
measurements in the head-to-toe
direction and 90° from the head-to-toe
axis.
(F) 7.9.6 If the dummy’s height is
equivalent to or less than the width of
the sleep surface then rotate the dummy
90° and repeat steps 7.9.1 to 7.9.5. See
Figure 4D.
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Dated: March 30, 2010.
Alberta Mills,
Acting Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2010–7667 Filed 4–27–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with PROPOSALS
23 CFR Parts 1200 and 1300
and the word WARNING shall precede
the warning statements at each location
where warnings are provided and shall
not be less than 0.2 in. (5 mm) high. The
remainder of the text shall be in letters
not less than 0.1 in. (2.5 mm) high
except as specified in 8.4.2.
(ii) [Reserved]
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16:02 Apr 27, 2010
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[Docket No. NHTSA–2010–0054]
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards; Small Business Impacts of
Motor Vehicle Safety
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
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ACTION: Notice of regulatory review;
Request for comments.
SUMMARY: NHTSA seeks comments on
the economic impact of its regulations
on small entities. As required by section
610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, we
are attempting to identify rules that may
have a significant economic impact on
a substantial number of small entities.
We also request comments on ways to
make these regulations easier to read
and understand. The focus of this notice
is rules that specifically relate to
passenger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers,
incomplete vehicles, motorcycles, and
motor vehicle equipment.
DATES: You should submit comments
early enough to ensure that Docket
Management receives them not later
than June 28, 2010.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
[identified by DOT Docket ID Number
NHTSA–2010–0054] by any of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
• Mail: Docket Management Facility:
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590–0001
• Hand Delivery or Courier: West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Fax: 202–493–2251
Instructions: For detailed instructions
on submitting comments and additional
information see the Comments heading
of the Supplementary Information
section of this document. Note that all
comments received will be posted
without change to https://
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(13) Instead of complying with section
8.4.2.1 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1, comply
with the following:
(i) Infants have suffocated in gaps
between extra padding and side of the
bassinet/cradle and on soft bedding. Use
only the pad provided by manufacturer.
NEVER add a pillow, comforter, or
another mattress for padding.
(ii) [Reserved]
(14) In addition to the changes to
ASTM F 2194–07aε1 in paragraph
(b)(13), comply with the following:
(i) 8.4.2.2 The words ‘‘SUFFOCATION
HAZARD’’ shall be bold face type not
less than 0.2 in.
(5 mm) high. The words ‘‘Infants have
suffocated’’ shall be in characters whose
upper case is not less than 0.16 in.
(4 mm) high. The remainder of the
warning statement shall be standard
type style whose upper case shall be at
least 0.1 in. (2.5 mm) high.
(ii) [Reserved]
EP28AP10.012
(G) 7.9.7 Repeat 7.9.1 to 7.9.6 with
the Newborn CAMI Dummy.
(iii) 7.10 Fabric Release Test
Methods for Enclosed Openings.
(A) 7.10.1 Assemble and place the
bassinet/cradle in the manufacturers use
position.
(B) 7.10.2 With the torso test probe
attached to a force gauge, place the
small end of the probe against the fabric
inside wall of the product and any
structural elements in any locations
deemed most likely to fail.
(C) 7.10.3 Apply a 20 lb force to the
probe over a period of 5 seconds and
hold for an additional 5 seconds.
(D) 7.10.4 Upon completion of
7.10.3, if an opening occurs in a
location, other than the location being
tested, release the probe from the
original test location and repeat 7.10.3
at this additional location without
adjusting the fabric.
(E) 7.10.5 If the product has a
removable cover, unfasten all fasteners
and/or snaps and repeat 7.10.2 to 7.10.4.
(F) 7.10.6 Repeat 7.10.1 to 7.10.5 in
all manufacturers recommended use
positions. For multiple use products,
the test shall be performed in all
possible use modes.
(12) Instead of complying with section
8.3.1 of ASTM F 2194–07a ε1, comply
with the following:
(i) 8.3.1 In the warning statements,
the safety alert symbol
22317
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 28, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 22303-22317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7667]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 1218
[CPSC Docket No. CPSC-2010-0028]
Safety Standard for Bassinets and Cradles: Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
of 2008 (``CPSIA'') requires the United States Consumer Product Safety
Commission (``CPSC'' or ``Commission'') 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 more stringent safety standard for bassinets and cradles
that will further reduce the risk of injury associated with these
products.
DATES: Written comments must be received by July 12, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Comments relating to the instructional literature and
marking required by the proposed rule relating to the Paperwork
Reduction Act should be directed to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attn: CPSC Desk Officer, FAX: 202-395-6974, or
e-mailed to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.
Other comments, identified by Docket No. CPSC-2010---------, may be
submitted by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions
Submit electronic comments in the following way:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments. To ensure timely processing of
comments, the Commission is no longer accepting comments submitted by
electronic mail (e-mail) except through https://www.regulations.gov.
Written Submissions
Submit written submissions in the following way:
Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for paper, disk, or CD-ROM
submissions), preferably in five copies, to: Office of the Secretary,
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Room 502, 4330 East-West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504-7923.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received may be
posted without change, including any personal identifiers, contact
information, or other personal information provided, to https://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit confidential business information,
trade secret information, or other sensitive or protected information
electronically. Such information should be submitted in writing.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Han Lim, Project Manager, Directorate
for Engineering Sciences, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330
East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504-7538;
hlim@cpsc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background and Statutory Authority
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Public Law
110-314 (``CPSIA'') was enacted on August 14, 2008. Section 104(b) of
the CPSIA requires the Commission 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. In this document the Commission
proposes a safety standard for bassinets and cradles. The proposed
standard is more stringent in some respects than the voluntary standard
developed by ASTM International (formerly the American Society for
Testing and Materials), ASTM F 2194-07a [egr]\1\, ``Standard Consumer
Safety Specification for Bassinets and Cradles.'' The proposed
modifications, if finalized, will further reduce the risk of injury
associated with bassinets and cradles.
B. The Product
A bassinet or cradle is a small bed for infants supported by free-
standing legs, a wheeled base, a rocking base, or that can swing
relative to a stationary base. A bassinet or cradle is not intended to
be used with children who are beyond the age of approximately 5 months.
Bassinet and cradle attachments for non-full-size cribs or play yards
are considered a part of this product category, as are bedside sleeper
bassinets that can be converted to a four-sided bassinet not attached
to a bed.
Full-size cribs and infant swings are not included under the
definition of bassinet or cradle. Products used in conjunction with
infant swings or strollers or Moses baskets (hand-carrying baskets) are
not included under the definition of bassinet or cradle. However, a
Moses basket or a similar product used with infant swings or strollers
that can attach to a separate base which can convert it to a bassinet
[[Page 22304]]
or cradle is considered a bassinet or cradle.
While the current ASTM F 2194-07a [egr]\1\ standard does not
explicitly state that infant hammocks are within the scope of the
standard, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, (JPMA),
historically has certified infant hammocks under the bassinet/cradle
standard. Two firms have hammocks certified by JPMA to the ASTM F
2194--07a [egr]\1\ standard.
By nature of their design, most hammocks do not have a rigid sleep
surface. The Commission believes that many of the current designs it
has been studying result in uneven suspension of the product, which can
cause the hammock to tip to one side, trapping the baby in a face down
position and increasing the risk of positional asphyxia or suffocation.
Because of this hazard pattern, CPSC recently recalled an infant
hammock. Since the sleeping environment of most hammocks differs from
that of bassinets and cradles, the Commission believes a separate
standard for hammocks may be necessary. Most hammocks have mattresses
that are flexible and conform to the body contours of the infant,
whereas bassinets and cradles have flat mattresses with solid or fabric
sides. In a November 17, 2009 CPSC/ASTM teleconference, ASTM agreed to
form a subcommittee to develop requirements for a new hammock standard.
Until a separate standard for hammocks is developed, the Commission
believes it is prudent to include hammocks under the proposed rule for
bassinets and cradles as an interim measure because the proposed rule
addresses the hazard pattern which causes the infant to roll/press up
against the side or corner of the product, posing a risk of positional
asphyxia or suffocation. The Commission is aware that, by their nature,
most infant hammocks will likely be unable to meet the proposed
performance criteria of a 5[deg] rest angle, 5[deg] flatness angle, and
a 20[deg] maximum rock/swing angle in this proposed standard, and will
thus be effectively banned. The Commission seeks comment on whether
such action is necessary given the risk of positional asphyxia the rule
attempts to address. The Commission may remove hammocks from the scope
of a bassinets/cradles standard in the future, should ASTM develop an
effective voluntary standard for hammocks. The Commission seeks
information regarding proposals for an infant hammock standard.
Applying American Baby Group survey data from 2005 to the most
recent U.S. birth data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) yields annual estimates of about 1.4 million
bassinets, 333,000 cradles, 596,000 portable play yards with bassinet
attachments, and 749,000 full-size play yards with bassinet
attachments. (The data collected for the Baby Products Tracking Study
does not represent an unbiased statistical sample.) This yields a total
of approximately 3.1 million units sold per year.
C. ASTM Voluntary Standard
ASTM first approved and published the voluntary standard for
bassinets and cradles in 2002 as ASTM F 2194, Standard Consumer Safety
Specification for Bassinets and Cradles. ASTM has revised the standard
a number of times since 2002, with the current version, ASTM F 2194-07a
[egr]\1\, published in November 2007. ASTM F 2194-07 [egr]\1\ contains
requirements to address the following:
Lead in paint;
Hazardous sharp edges or points;
Small parts;
Wood parts;
Scissoring, shearing, pinching;
Unintentional folding;
Openings;
Labeling;
Fasteners;
Corner posts;
Toy accessories;
Bassinet/cradle attachments to play yards/non-full sized
cribs;
Spacing of rigid sided bassinet/cradle components;
Openings for mesh/fabric-sided bassinet/cradle;
Static load;
Stability;
Sleeping pad properties; and
Protective components.
JPMA operates a certification program to certify bassinets and
cradles to the voluntary standard. To obtain JPMA certification,
manufacturers submit their products to an independent test laboratory
for conformance testing to the most current voluntary standard.
Currently, bassinets or cradles supplied by eight small manufacturers
and four small importers are JPMA certified to ASTM F 2194-07a
[egr]\1\.
D. Incident Data
1. Categories of Incidents
The CPSC Directorate for Epidemiology reports that there have been
209 incidents related to bassinets and cradles since 2006, of which
there were 61 fatalities, 38 non-fatal injuries, and 110 non-injury
incidents. The incidents were grouped into five categories: (a)
Product-related issues, in which sufficient information was available
to describe the product failure modes or defects; (b) non-product-
related issues; (c) unknown issues (incidents that lacked specificity),
(d) recalled product-related issues; and (e) miscellaneous other
issues.
a. Product-Related Issues. Eighty-seven of the 209 incidents, or
approximately 42%, involved hardware failures or design issues related
to the product. The reported problems are listed below, beginning with
the most frequently reported problems:
Inadequate structural integrity, which included unstable
bassinets or cradles, loose hardware, collapse of the product, loose
wheels, etc.;
Locking or tilting issues with the bassinets or cradles,
which cause the infant to roll or press up against the side or corner
of the product, posing a suffocation hazard;
Problems with mattress flatness, such as mattresses that
would not remain horizontal because of metal rods or other structures
designed to be positioned underneath the mattress, lack of rigid
mattress support, and failure of straps or hooks designed to hold
bassinets inside play yards. One death was associated with a mattress
flatness issue; and
Problems with battery-powered bassinet mobiles which had
components that overheated, smoked, or sparked.
b. Non-Product-Related Issues. Sixty of the 209 incident reports,
or 29%, were of deaths or injuries that could not be attributed to a
product defect or failure. Fifty-seven of the 60 incidents were deaths
where a determination of causation or association was complicated by
the inappropriate use of pillows, blankets, or mattresses.
c. Unknown Issues. Twenty-six of the incidents, or 12%, had little
or no information. Twenty-five of these reported a fall of the infant
out of the bassinet or cradle.
d. Recalled Product-Related Issues. There were 19 reports (9%) that
involved recalled products. Among them were seven entrapments (three
deaths, two non-fatal injuries, and two non-injury incidents) between
the metal rods of the bassinet. The remaining 12 reports were
complaints or inquiries from consumers regarding a recalled product.
e. Miscellaneous Other Issues. The remaining 17 incident reports
involved a host of miscellaneous problems, including a tear in the
bassinet fabric, odors, and product assembly or quality issues.
[[Page 22305]]
2. Deaths and Injuries
All 61 fatalities reported to CPSC staff were asphyxiation deaths.
The majority of deaths (57 out of 61) were asphyxiations where the
incident report noted the presence of soft or extra bedding in the
bassinet, prone placement of the infant, or the infant getting wedged
between the side of the bassinet and mattress or bedding. Soft or extra
bedding and the prone placement of an infant are associated with infant
mortality from asphyxiation, independent of any design hazard. A few
were reported as asphyxiation deaths, with no further information
available. Only four of these deaths were determined to have resulted
from design flaws of the product. Three of the four deaths were due to
entrapment of the infant between the metal bars of a particular brand
of bassinet. Of those three deaths, two of the three infants were six
months old and should not have been using the bassinet or cradle
because by definition they are only for use up to five months. The
fourth death resulted from an infant suffocating in the corner of the
bassinet when he rolled into that position due to the unlevel mattress
pad.
Thirty-eight incidents reported an injury to an infant. Twenty-
three out of the 38 incidents, or 61%, were identified as falls out of
the bassinets. Serious injuries included a skull fracture resulting
from an infant falling out of the bassinet due to non-level mattress
issues, an arm fracture resulting from a fall due to problems with a
bassinet's rocking feature, and a second-degree burn resulting from the
bassinet's overheated mobile. The remaining injuries were mostly
limited to contusions and abrasions.
3. Hammock Incidents
The Commission is aware of three fatalities, six non-fatal
injuries, and five non-injury incidents related to infant hammocks that
were reported to have occurred since 2006. All three fatalities
reported to CPSC were asphyxiation deaths. One five-month old infant
was found rolled into a corner in a prone position with the bed in an
inclined position. A four-month old infant was found with her face flat
against the foam mattress. In the third case, the medical examiner
reporting the fatality expressed concern about the safety of the
hammock as a sleeping environment. However, the death of the six-month
old infant, who was found in a prone position, was officially ruled to
be asphyxiation due to respiratory infection.
All six non-fatal injuries were reported through the National
Electronic Injury Surveillance System (``NEISS''). Five of the injuries
were reported to have been falls out of hammocks, while the sixth
injury was sustained when a broken component of the hammock struck the
infant. Little or no circumstantial information is available on how the
falls occurred, except that three of the six infants were eight months
or older.
Two of the five non-injury reports involved infants (a seven-month
old and a 12-month old) in near-strangulation incidents where the
hammock flipped over with the infants dangling from restraints. The
remaining three reports involved near-suffocation incidents where the
infant rolled into a position from which it was unable to move or free
itself. All three infants were under five months of age.
E. Assessment of Voluntary Standard ASTM F 2194-07a [egr]1 and
Description of Proposed Changes and the Proposed Rule
1. Assessment of Voluntary Standard ASTM F 2194-07a [egr]1
Section 104(b) of the CPSIA requires the Commission to assess the
effectiveness of the voluntary standard in consultation with
representatives of consumer groups, juvenile product manufacturers, and
other experts. This consultation process began in October 2009 during
the ASTM International subcommittee meeting regarding the ASTM bassinet
and cradle voluntary standard. Consultations with members of this
subcommittee are still ongoing.
ASTM F 2194-07a [egr]1 contains several labeling and performance
criteria. The standard addresses many of the same hazards associated
with other durable nursery products and includes requirements for tip
stability, unintentional folding of the product, lead in paints, sharp
edges/sharp points, small parts, wood part splinters, scissoring/
shearing/pinching, openings/entrapments, warning labels, and toys
(which includes battery-powered mobiles). The Commission believes that
updates and modifications in certain areas also may address the hazards
described in the incident data, such as suffocation due to mattress
tilting, placing of inappropriate bedding materials (e.g., pillows,
additional blankets, etc.), and entrapment in the frame structure.
While overheating of battery-powered mobiles was identified in the
incidents, those incidents were isolated to one company.
2. Proposed Changes to the ASTM Standard's Requirements
Consistent with section 104(b) of the CPSIA, the Commission,
through this proposed rule, would establish a new 16 CFR part 1218,
``Safety Standard for Bassinets and Cradles.'' The new part would
incorporate by reference the requirements for bassinets and cradles in
ASTM F 2194-07a [egr]1 with certain changes to specific provisions and
additions to the standard, as discussed below. The proposed
modifications and additions to the standard will further reduce the
risk of injury associated with bassinets and cradles. Therefore, the
proposed rule would adopt ASTM F 2194-07a [egr]1 as the mandatory
safety standard for bassinets and cradles with the following additions
and modifications:
Specify in the scope that the standard is a performance
specification for bassinets and cradles and that the intended use is
for infants who are not able to push up on their hands and knees;
Add terminology that defines what constitutes a bassinet
or cradle;
Add a performance requirement and test procedure for
maximum allowable rocking angle, maximum allowable rest angle of the
sleep surface, and maximum allowable flatness angle;
Add a performance requirement and test procedure for
fabric-sided bassinets and cradles;
Add a performance requirement and test procedure for
locking mechanisms intended to prevent rocking or swinging cradles from
rocking or swinging the mattress bed;
Add updated warnings to address proper use of bedding
materials by providing more emphasis and prominence to the warnings;
and
Exclude strap restraints in bassinets and cradles.
Following is a more detailed discussion of these additions and
modifications. To best understand the proposed standard, it is helpful
to view the current ASTM F 2194-07a [egr]1 standard for bassinets and
cradles and the Commission's proposed modifications along with the
explanations provided in section E.2 of the preamble. The ASTM standard
is available for viewing for this purpose during the comment period
through this link: https://www.astm.org/cpsc.htm.
a. Scope (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(1)(i))
Bassinets and cradles should only be used in the early stages of an
infant's development. Once an infant can push up by him/herself, a
number of hazards are created, most notably falling
[[Page 22306]]
hazards. Thus, the proposed rule would add objective criteria of an
infant capable of pushing up on hands and knees to the scope of the
standard to clarify which products would be considered bassinets or
cradles. The proposed rule also would clarify that the bassinet or
cradle should be used only for infants up to approximately five months
of age.
b. Newborn Infant CAMI Dummy (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(2)(i))
Because the proposed standard would require testing with a 7 pound
Newborn CAMI Dummy in the Rock/Swing Angle test and the Bassinet/Cradle
Flatness Angle test, proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(2) would provide this
reference and a photograph.
c. Definition of Bassinet/Cradle (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(3)(i))
Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(3)(i) would improve the definition of
bassinet/cradle by identifying the products that are excluded from the
standard. The updated definition would clarify that full-size and non-
full size cribs are not covered. Also, because a bassinet or cradle is
defined as a product that must be supported by a base, hand-carrying
baskets would not be covered.
d. Bassinet/Cradle Accessory (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(4)(i))
The proposal would update the definition of a bassinet/cradle
accessory to avoid confusion with accessories that can attach to
products that are not intended exclusively for sleep, such as
strollers.
e. Double Action Release Mechanism (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(5)(i))
Section 5.6.3 of ASTM F 2194-07a-[egr]1 requires that products with
a ``double action release mechanism'' latching or locking device
require two distinct and separate actions for release of the mechanism.
The voluntary standard does not define ``double action release
mechanism.'' The Commission has observed various multi-use products
that can convert from a rocking bassinet to a stationary one. During
this conversion, there are dual-action locking mechanisms that require
rotating pop-out casters and then engaging a ``tab''-lock to prevent
the casters from rolling. Despite appearances, such dual-action locking
mechanisms are not double action release mechanisms. To avoid confusion
in what constitutes a double action release mechanism and to ensure
that the locking mechanism works as intended in resisting collapse and/
or movement, the Commission is proposing to adopt the same definition
as used in the voluntary ASTM high chair standard F 404-08.
Specifically, the proposed rule would define a double action release
mechanism as a ``mechanism requiring either two consecutive actions,
the first of which must be maintained while the second is carried out
or two separate and independent single action locking mechanisms that
must be activated simultaneously to fully release.''
f. Removable Cover (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(5)(ii))
Because the term removable cover is referenced in the test
procedure for evaluating possible scenarios of entrapment hazards from
bounded areas of fabric and rigid sides of a bassinet or cradle in
proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(11)(iii), the proposed rule would add a
definition of ``removable cover'' to the standard.
g. Maximum Deflection Angle and Rest Angle (Proposed Sec.
1218.2(b)(5)(iii), 1218.2(b)(5)(iv), 1218.2(b)(10), and 1218.2(b)(11))
When a bassinet or cradle is not in a swinging or rocking mode, it
needs to be level to facilitate a safe sleeping environment for
infants. There was one death and several close calls associated with
non-level bassinets/cradles. According to an in-depth investigation
(IDI) report, a two month old male died in a bassinet portion of a play
yard. The infant rolled, causing his face to be placed in the corner of
the bassinet. One side was approximately five inches higher than the
other. The metal poles upon which the bassinet was seated were too
short to keep the sleep surface level. In one non-fatal incident, a
mother found her two-week old male infant with his face against the
mattress, covering his nose and mouth after he had slid down the side
of the mattress. The product involved was a play yard-swinging bassinet
combination. The IDI report states that the locking mechanism to
prevent the swinging motion disengaged when the mother placed her son
in the product. The infant was not injured, and the mother returned the
product to the store. In another non-fatal incident, a mother found her
five-month-old daughter in a bassinet-play yard combination asleep up
against the back side of the bassinet portion. The infant was not
injured when the strap holding the bassinet insert to the side of her
play yard ripped, causing the bassinet to tip sideways. The photographs
from the IDI report showed the bassinet sleep surface at a substantial
angle when the strap failure occurred. The infant could have been
trapped between the bassinet and side of the play yard.
To ensure a level sleeping environment for infants, the proposal
would establish a performance requirement and test method for the
maximum allowable rock/swing angle and maximum allowable rest angle of
the bassinet/cradle. CPSC staff worked with ASTM to develop these
performance requirements and test procedures to reduce potential
suffocations and entrapments. The 20[ordm] maximum rock/swing angle
recommendation is based on the Canadian regulation for cribs and
cradles (SOR 86-962, available in its entirety at https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/regu/sor-86-962/latest/sor-86-962.html), as
well as on observations and measurements made by the Commission on
recent model bassinets and cradles. The Canadian crib and cradle
regulation is a widely accepted standard. The Commission believes the
20[deg] limit included in the Canadian regulation allows sufficient
rocking/swinging motion while maintaining safety. The 5[deg]
recommendation for the mattress rest angle is based on conclusions from
the Australian study, ``The Danger of Freely Rocking Cradles,'' by S.M.
Beal et al., Journal of Pediatric Child Health (1995) and the
performance requirements from AS/NZS 4385:1996 the Australian/New
Zealand standard for infant's rocking cradles. The conclusions from the
Australian study suggest that a maximum 5[deg] rest angle from rocking
cradles could minimize the risk of an infant rolling and getting
trapped in a corner or other entrapment/asphyxiation scenario. The
Commission seeks comment on the Australian study and any other
literature that may be relevant to the recommendation on the mattress
rest angle.
The test method for the maximum allowable rock/swing angle and rest
angle performance requirements, the ``Rock/Swing Angle test,'' is found
in proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(11)(i). The test method is based on the
procedure developed by the Task Group of the ASTM subcommittee for
bassinets and cradles, with specific changes proposed by the
Commission. CPSC test data have shown that some products have better
angle measurement results (i.e., a less steep angle) with the Newborn
CAMI Dummy, and others get better results with the CAMI Dummy, Mark II.
Thus, the proposal would require that the testing be done with the
Newborn Infant CAMI Dummy, in addition to the CAMI Dummy, Mark II. Test
data also showed that the placement of the dummy in the sleep surface
can affect the results. For
[[Page 22307]]
example, placing the dummy next to the wall in a rocking cradle may
produce an angle that is more severe compared to placing the dummy in
the center. Therefore, the proposed procedures would describe how the
dummy should be placed in the sleep surface. The proposed rule would
also provide specific angle measurement procedures. Finally, because
some products can swing along the head-to-toe axis, the proposed rule
would require such products to be tested in that direction as well.
h. Flatness Angle (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(5)(v), 1218.2(b)(10)(ii),
and 1218.2(b)(11)(ii)
Incidents involving bassinet/play yard combinations suggest that a
sloped surface or a mattress with multiple seams (mattresses that
double as a play yard cover) may have the potential for an asphyxia
suffocation hazard, as an infant's head may become entrapped between
the sloped mattress and bassinet wall surface. Proposed Sec.
1218.2(b)(10)(ii) would require that the angle of the bassinet or
cradle sleeping support surface not be greater than 5[deg] when tested
in accordance with the test procedures in proposed Sec.
1218.2(b)(11)(ii). This is to ensure that the mattress does not deform
and create a depression, sloped surface, or an appreciable gap between
a bassinet wall surface and the mattress.
Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(11)(ii) includes testing with the CAMI
Infant Dummy, Mark II and the Newborn CAMI Dummy. The test is intended
to ensure that the sleep surface of the bassinet or cradle is flat and
will not tilt when either CAMI dummy is placed in a corner or edge of
the sleeping surface. A dynamic test, which is a force applied over a
relatively short period of time, is needed because it will simulate
children turning themselves over in the mattress bed area, particularly
in a bassinet/play yard combination product with multiple segmented
seams.
i. Testing equipment (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(6))
In the standardization and calibration section, proposed Sec.
1218.2(b)(6) would specify the type of angle instrument and its
measurement resolution to minimize angle measurement variability. Also,
proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(6) would specify the tolerance and calibration
interval for the force gauge required on several performance tests to
minimize force measurement variability.
j. Restraints (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(7)(i))
Infants lying on a flat surface do not need restraints and the use
of restraints could contribute to a possible strangulation hazard.
Therefore, proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(7)(i) would add language to the
standard to clarify that bassinets should not include any restraint
system that requires action on the part of the caregiver to secure the
restraint.
k. Spacing of Rigid and Fabric-Sided Bassinet/Cradle Components
(Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(8), 1218.2(b)(10)(iii) and
1218.2(b)(11)(iii))
Seven incidents (among them three deaths) involved recalled
products where infants were trapped between structural members of the
bassinet. Bassinets and cradles with fabric sides can present similar
entrapment hazards from bounded areas of fabric and rigid sides of a
bassinet or cradle. ASTM F 2194--07a [egr]\1\ contains performance
requirements and test methods for the spacing of rigid sided bassinet
and cradle components, intended to minimize torso and/or head
entrapments. Because similar hazards are presented by fabric-sided
bassinets and cradles, the proposed rule would include performance
requirements and test methods for fabric-sided bassinets and cradles as
well. For some types of bassinets or cradles with fabric removable
covers, it is foreseeable that a parent or caregiver will place fabric
back loosely onto a bassinet or cradle after washing and forget to
fasten the snaps, zippers, or other fasteners. If the fabric should
slip and separate from the structural members of the bassinet/cradle
wall, an infant's torso may become entrapped between two structural
members of a bassinet/cradle. Also, it is possible that an infant can
suffocate if he or she is trapped in a bounded area between structural
members and fabric. Thus, the proposed rule would require testing in
this configuration, i.e., where the fabric cover is placed loosely on
the bassinet or cradle but is unfastened, as well.
The test method for this performance requirement is found in
proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(11)(iii). Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(11)(iii)
would require that fabric-sided bassinets or cradles comply with the
crib spacing requirements in 16 CFR Part 1509.4 when subjected to the
20 pound (lb) probe test. The fabric must not fully release and form a
completely bounded opening which would allow complete passage of the
torso test probe. The bassinets and cradles must comply both when the
fabric cover is fastened and when it is unfastened. The Commission
believes it is reasonable to use the crib spacing requirements in 16
CFR Part 1509.4, given that infants of similar ages are utilizing
bassinets or cradles and cribs. While the ASTM committee initially
proposed a 35 lb force for the probe test, the Commission believes that
20 lbs appears to be consistent with the crib standard (16 CFR Part
1509.6) and is more realistic for infants in the age range of less than
five months. ASTM subcommittee for bassinets and cradles, with CPSC
staff's input, developed the proposed test procedures.
k. Stability (Proposed Sec. 1218.2(b)(9)(i))
Because at least three of the 87 product-related incidents involved
a locking mechanism failure or malfunction, proposed rule Sec.
1218.2(b)(9)(i) would include test scenarios where the bassinet or
cradle is tested with the locking mechanism(s) engaged if it is
equipped with a locking mechanism to prevent swinging or rocking. This
requirement would ensure the stability of the product in modes where
the locks are engaged to prevent swinging or rocking.
l. Marking and Labeling Section (Proposed Sec. Sec. 1218.2(b)(12)
Through (b)(14))
Because many deaths and non-fatal incidents involve suffocation due
to caregivers and parents using bedding materials (such as pillows and
blankets) that are not specified by the manufacturer, and because these
incidents cannot be addressed by the design of the bassinet or cradle,
it is imperative to improve the warning labels regarding padding and
soft bedding in the standard. Consequently, proposed Sec. Sec.
1218.2(b)(12) through (14) would require certain warning statements or
labeling information regarding a suffocation hazard.
F. Request for Comments
This proposed rule begins a rulemaking proceeding under section
104(b) of the CPSIA to issue a consumer product safety standard for
bassinets and cradles. We invite all interested persons to submit
comments on any aspect of the proposed rule. Comments should be
submitted in accordance with the instructions in the ADDRESSES section
at the beginning of this notice.
G. Effective Date
The Administrative Procedure Act (``APA'') generally requires that
the effective date of a rule be at least 30 days after publication of
the final rule. 5 U.S.C. 553(d). To allow time for bassinets and
cradles to come into compliance, the Commission intends that the
standard would become effective six months after publication of a final
rule. The Commission seeks
[[Page 22308]]
comment on how long it would take manufacturers of bassinets and
cradles to come into compliance with the rule.
H. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (``RFA'') generally requires that
agencies review proposed rules for their potential economic impact on
small entities, including small businesses. 5 U.S.C. 603.
1. The Market
Bassinets and cradles are typically produced and/or marketed by
juvenile product manufacturers and distributors. There are currently at
least 48 known manufacturers or importers supplying bassinets and/or
cradles to the United States market. (These counts also include firms
solely producing hammocks for infants as well. However, under the
standard proposed by the Commission, most hammock products will no
longer be able to conform. ASTM has started working on a new standard
to cover these products.) Nine firms (19 percent) are domestic
importers, 28 firms (58 percent) are domestic manufacturers, and 10
firms (21 percent) are foreign manufacturers. There is an additional
domestic firm whose status as a manufacturer or importer could not be
determined. Thirteen firms, including the firm whose means of supply
could not be determined, supply infant hammocks to the United States
market. (There is an additional hammock on the United States market
whose supplier could not be determined, as well as a small cottage
industry in knitted and crocheted infant hammocks.) The product lines
for seven of these firms rely primarily or entirely on infant hammocks
and related merchandise. (These determinations were made using
information from Dun & Bradstreet and ReferenceUSAGov, as well as firm
Web sites. Manufacturers include traditional manufacturers, as well as
firms that send out their designs to be manufactured, and firms that
import as well but are primarily manufacturers.)
Under Small Business Administration (SBA) guidelines, a
manufacturer of bassinets or cradles is small if it has 500 or fewer
employees, and an importer is considered small if it has 100 or fewer
employees. Based on these guidelines, 22 of the domestic manufacturers
and five of the domestic importers known to be supplying the United
States market are small. The sizes of the four remaining domestic
importers and two additional domestic manufacturers are unknown, but
they are likely to be small as well, as is the firm whose supply source
could not be determined. All of the firms supplying infant hammocks to
the United States market are believed to be small. Two of these small
firms are domestic manufacturers, four are domestic importers, six are
foreign firms, and one is an unknown domestic firm. There are probably
additional unknown small manufacturers and importers operating in the
United States market.
JPMA, the major United States trade association that represents
juvenile product manufacturers and importers, operates a voluntary
certification program for several juvenile products. Products
voluntarily submitted by manufacturers are tested against the
appropriate ASTM standard and only passing products are allowed to
display JPMA's Certification Seal. (See https://www.jpma.org/pdfs/certfacts08.pdf for more information.) Approximately 33 percent of
firms supply bassinets/cradles to the United States market that have
been JPMA certified as compliant with the current ASTM voluntary
standard (16 firms). Two of these firms supply more than one relevant
product category, where one category of products is JPMA certified and
another is not. (For example, one firm has JPMA certified bassinets,
but its play yards are not JPMA certified.) Additionally, one firm
claims compliance although its products have not been certified by
JPMA, and one firm has recently had its product removed from JPMA's
list of certified products. Of the small domestic businesses (this
includes firms suspected of being small as well those known to be
small), 38 percent of manufacturers (nine of 24 firms) and 44 percent
of importers (four of nine firms) have products that are ASTM
compliant. This includes the small manufacturer that claims compliance
with the ASTM standard, but is not part of the JPMA Certification
Program, as well as the firms with only some product categories JPMA
certified. (It should be noted that non-JPMA certified products will
not necessarily fail to comply with the ASTM standard. Although there
is currently no testing to support such an assumption for bassinets and
cradles, testing of other products has revealed a pattern of non-
correlation.)
2. Compliance Requirements of the Proposed Rule
Several of the recommended modifications and new requirements to
the standard would be little to no burden on manufacturers or
importers. The developmental limit modification (limiting the product
use to when a child is able to push up on hands or knees), as well as
the changes to suffocation warnings, would only require changes to
instructional literature and packaging. The clarifications to what is
included and excluded from the definition of the product would
effectively eliminate some products from the scope of the proposed
standard. This would exclude some firms from compliance requirements
entirely, while reducing the number of products for others. As
discussed herein, however, the inclusion of infant hammocks will have a
substantial effect on many of these suppliers. The possible need to
eliminate product restraints would only affect a few firms and the
impact would be minimal. (It is possible that the lack of restraints
could reduce product desirability from the consumer's perspective.
However, this effect would be felt equally across all firms and is not
expected to cause a significant reduction in demand for these products
as a whole. The Commission believes that restraints are unnecessary for
infants who are lying on a flat surface and could pose a strangulation
hazard.)
Double action release mechanisms are typically used with multi-use
products to convert a rocking bassinet to a stationary one. The
expansion of locking and latching mechanism tests to cover double
action release mechanisms, as well as the addition of stability testing
with these locks engaged, are intended to resist collapsing or
movement. There have been several cases where locking mechanisms have
failed which caused the infant to roll and press up against the side or
corner of the product, posing a suffocation hazard. (See Memorandum
from Risana Chowdhury, EPI, Directorate for Epidemiology, dated
February 3, 2010, Subject: Bassinets, Cradles, and Infant Hammocks-
Related Deaths, Injuries and Potential Injuries; 2006-Present. It
should be noted that it is unclear how many of these lock failures were
double action release mechanisms.) This modification is not expected to
pose a substantial burden on firms. However, it is possible that a few
firms might have to make product modifications to comply. This would
most likely take the form of improved locking/latching mechanisms.
Expanding spacing requirements to openings in soft-sided products
could have a substantial effect on a small number of firms. Where
products cannot pass the new requirements, substantial modifications
and product redevelopment are likely. However, the Commission believes
that the severity of the incidents involving these types of products
and the recalls that resulted strongly support adding this requirement
to the proposed standard.
[[Page 22309]]
There are currently no maximum requirements for rocking or rest
angles on products intended to rock or swing. Tilting issues have
resulted in suffocation hazards similar to those of locking mechanism
failures. It is believed that adding maximum angle requirements to the
proposed standard could reduce future incidents, while affecting only a
small number of firms. The fact that these requirements are already a
part of non-United States safety standards indicates that compliance
has not proven difficult. However, it is possible that a few firms
might require product modifications to achieve compliance with these
new requirements.
The maximum sleep surface angle requirement and test is primarily
aimed at incidents involving bassinet/play yard combination products.
These incidents suggest that products with sloped surfaces or
mattresses with multiple seams could pose a suffocation hazard. (See
Memorandum from Han Lim, ESME, Directorate for Engineering Sciences,
dated February 16, 2010, Subject: Engineering Assessment of ASTM F
2194-07 a [egr]1, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bassinets
and Cradles; see also Memorandum from Risana Chowdhury, EPI,
Directorate for Epidemiology, dated February 3, 2010, Subject:
Bassinets, Cradles and Infant Hammocks-Related Deaths, Injuries and
Potential Injuries; 2006-Present.) There are numerous such combination
products on the market, but only a few known suppliers; therefore, this
requirement could require product modifications (and possibly product
redesign) by a few firms.
The rock/rest angles and sleep surface angles are likely to
disproportionately affect most of the thirteen infant hammock
suppliers. Infant hammocks typically hang from a standing base and rock
naturally. Most have sleep surfaces that curve, molding to an infant's
body.
However, two infant hammock suppliers have flat sleep surfaces.
These two firms are not expected to require further modifications to
comply with the recommended sleep surface angle requirement, and it is
likely that they will be able to meet the rock/rest angle requirements
inexpensively, with known fixes running no more than $5 per unit. For
example, they could add a clipping mechanism that has been recently
developed to limit the swing angle for hammocks involved in product
recalls. Alternatively, they may be able to change the number and
placement of the ties from which the hammock hangs.
For the remaining eleven firms supplying infant hammocks, even
though it would be possible to inexpensively modify their products to
meet both the rock/rest angle and sleep surface angle requirements,
such modifications would change their products too extensively to
remain in the market. A niche market exists among parents with colicky
babies for hammocks that curve around babies' bodies and rock
naturally. The suppliers, both manufacturers and importers, are
unlikely to make even inexpensive modifications to meet the
requirements as proposed. Any known fix would eliminate their niche
market, thereby eliminating demand for their products, and may drive
them out of business.
3. Impact of the Proposal on Small Business
There are approximately 48 firms currently known to be marketing
bassinets, cradles, and/or infant hammocks in the United States. Four
are large domestic manufacturers and ten are foreign manufacturers or
importers. The impact on the remaining 34 small firms--24 small
domestic manufacturers and 9 small domestic importers (one of these
firms produces only hammocks, while another produces both hammocks and
bassinets)--is the focus of the remainder of this analysis. Of these
small firms, two domestic manufacturers and four domestic importers (as
well as the unknown domestic firm) supply infant hammocks.
Small Manufacturers (Other than Infant Hammock Manufacturers). The
impact of the proposed standard (if finalized) on small manufacturers
will differ based on whether they are currently compliant with the
voluntary ASTM standard. For the 15 firms that are not complaint with
the current voluntary standard, the proposed standard could have
substantial impact because their products would most likely have to be
redesigned. Product development costs include product design,
development and marketing staff time, product testing, and focus group
expenses. These costs can be high, but they can be treated as new
product expenses and amortized over time, as can other one-time costs
such as the retooling of manufacturing equipment. There also may be
increased costs of production, particularly if modifications to
structural integrity are required, which could include additional raw
materials. This could potentially increase shipping costs as well. The
actual cost of such an effort is unknown, but could be substantial for
some firms, particularly those that rely primarily or entirely on
bassinets/cradles and related products, such as bedding.
The impact on most of the nine firms that comply with the current
voluntary standard is expected to be less substantial. The majority of
modifications recommended by the Commission are expected to have only
minor effects on small manufacturers. There are, however, three
recommended changes (rocking/rest angles, sleep surface angle, and
spacing requirements for soft-sided products) that could require
product modifications. While these requirements may affect only a few
firms, they may require product redevelopment, which has the potential
to impose unknown but substantial, costs. The Commission seeks comment
on the cost associated with these product modifications.
Even though the proposed standard could potentially affect a few
small firms significantly, the costs associated with compliance could
be gradually recouped over the sales of numerous units. Bassinets and
cradles are unique products designed to provide a sleeping environment
for very young children that is smaller and more like the womb.
Therefore, other sleeping products are unlikely to be suitable
substitutes for these products, allowing firms to pass at least some
costs on to consumers and to still compete effectively. (There is also
the possibility, however, that some consumers may instead use
unsuitable sleeping environments, such as bouncers, as substitutes.)
The scenario just described assumes that only those firms that are
JPMA-certified or claim ASTM compliance will meet the voluntary
standard's requirements. This is not necessarily the case. CPSC has
identified many cases where products not certified by JPMA do comply
with the relevant ASTM standard; however, there is insufficient
evidence of this for bassinets/cradles to quantify this impact.
Additionally, the effect of the new and modified requirements may be
less substantial than just outlined to the extent that some products
may already comply with non-United States standards with some more
rigorous requirements. For example, a product that complies with the
Australian standard would pass the proposed rock angle requirement.
However, there is insufficient information to quantify this effect.
Small Importers (Other than Infant Hammock Importers). Four of the
nine small importers are compliant with the current voluntary standard.
Two of these compliant importers supply infant hammocks exclusively. Of
the remaining five non-compliant importers, two supply infant hammocks
[[Page 22310]]
exclusively. Therefore, if their existing supplier does not come into
compliance with the proposed standard, these firms will need to find an
alternate source of bassinets and cradles. Manufacturers are likely to
pass at least some costs onto importers, making the bassinets/cradles
more expensive. (These products would also be expected to be higher
quality given the additional safety requirements.) However, importers
can follow suit, passing some costs on to consumers. Even if importers
responded to the rule by discontinuing the import of their non-
complying bassinets and cradles, either replacing them with a complying
product or another juvenile product, deciding to import an alternative
product would be a reasonable and realistic way to offset any lost
revenue given that most import a variety of products. To the extent
that some firms may comply with the current voluntary standard or one
or more of the new/modified requirements in the proposed standard, the
impact of the proposed rule would be lower.
Small Hammock Manufacturers and Importers. The impact of the
proposed standard on small hammock manufacturers and importers depends
primarily on two factors: (1) Whether their hammocks have a flat sleep
surface; and (2) whether their product line consists (primarily or
entirely) of infant hammocks and related products. If a supplier's
hammocks already have a flat sleep surface (as is the case with one
known small domestic manufacturer), it is likely that it will modify
its existing infant hammocks. This modification can be made
inexpensively based upon a recent product recall fix that minimized the
rock/rest angle of these types of products. (The known fixes are
unlikely to cost more than $5 per unit.) However, the remaining small
infant hammock suppliers, both manufacturers and importers, are
unlikely to make even inexpensive modifications to meet the proposed
requirements. Doing so would eliminate their niche market for
naturally-rocking, flexible-sleep-surface products intended to calm
colicky babies. Among the six small domestic firms supplying this niche
market, four small importers and one unknown firm rely entirely (or
almost entirely) upon infant hammocks and related products. Therefore,
the proposed rule, if finalized, may be likely to put these firms out
of business. The remaining small domestic manufacturer, however, does
supply other products, and the likely elimination of infant hammocks
from its product line is not expected to drive it out of business,
although it is likely to have a substantial effect on its sales
revenue. The Commission seeks comment on the effect of the proposed
modifications to the standard on small hammock manufacturers and
importers.
3. Alternatives. Under section 104 of the CPSIA, the primary
alternative that would reduce the impact on small entities is to make
the voluntary standard mandatory with no additions or modifications.
Adopting the current voluntary standard without any changes could
potentially reduce the costs for nine of the 24 small manufacturers and
four of the nine small importers who already comply with the voluntary
standard. However, the actual reduction in impact for these firms is
likely to be smaller, since many would likely not require substantial
changes even under the proposed standard. For the six small domestic
firms supplying infant hammocks to the United States market, making the
current voluntary standard mandatory with no modifications would
substantially reduce the impact. It would be likely to prevent five
firms from going out of business, while the sixth might be spared a
substantial decrease in sales revenue. It also should be noted that
eliminating the market for potentially hazardous infant hammocks
intended to lull colicky babies may have the unintended consequence of
leading caregivers to use similar products intended for older children
instead, thereby creating a potentially new hazard.
4. Conclusion of Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
It is possible that the proposed standard, if finalized, could have
a significant impact on a few small firms. Most firms supplying
bassinets and/or cradles to the United States market are not JPMA-
certified as compliant with ASTM's voluntary standard and may therefore
require at least some product modifications to achieve compliance. (To
the extent that some of the products not certified by JPMA may still
comply, the impact will be reduced.) For these firms, as well as a few
of those who are JPMA-certified, additional changes to meet the more
significant recommended requirements of the proposed standard may be
required as well. The extent of these costs is unknown, but since
product redevelopment would likely be necessary, it is possible that
the costs could be large for some of the firms. However, at least some
of these costs are expected to be passed on to consumers without a
reduction in the firms' ability to compete due to the unique features
associated with these products. The Commission seeks comment on what
these costs may be, whether they may be passed on to the consumer, and
how these costs will impact small businesses.
The small firms likely to be most significantly impacted by the
staff-recommended rule, however, are those supplying infant hammocks
intended for colicky babies. The majority of these firms have focused
their entire product line on these goods and the required modifications
would eliminate demand for their products, and may drive them out of
business.
I. Environmental Considerations
The Commission's regulations provide a categorical exemption for
the Commission's rules from any requirement to prepare an environmental
assessment or an environmental impact statement as they ``have little
or no potential for affecting the human environment.'' 16 CFR
1021.5(c)(2). This proposed rule falls within the categorical
exemption.
J. Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule contains information collection requirements
that are subject to public comment and review by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). We describe the provisions in this section of
the document with an estimate of the annual reporting burden. Our
estimate includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing each collection of information.
We particularly invite comments on: (1) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the CPSC's
functions, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the CPSC's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques, when
appropriate, and other forms of information technology.
Title: Safety Standard for Bassinets and Cradles.
Description: The proposed rule would require each bassinet and
cradle to comply with ASTM F 2194-07a [epsiv]1, ``Standard Consumer
Safety Specification for Bassinets and Cradles.'' Sections 8 and 9 of
ASTM F 2194-07a[epsiv]1
[[Page 22311]]
contain requirements for marking and instructional literature.
Description of Respondents: Persons who manufacture bassinets and
cradles.
We estimate the burden of this collection of information as
follows:
Table 1--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Frequency of Total annual Hours per Total burden
16 CFR section respondents responses responses response hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1218.2(a).......................................................... 30 7 30 0.5 105
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs
associated with this collection of information.
Our estimates are based on the following:
Proposed Sec. 1218.2(a) would require each bassinet and cradle to
comply with ASTM F 2194-07a [epsiv]1. Sections 8 and 9 of ASTM F 2194-
07a [epsiv]1 contain requirements for marking and instructional
literature that are disclosure requirements, thus falling within the
definition of ``collections of information'' at 5 CFR 1320.3(c).
Section 8.1.1 of ASTM F 2194-07a[epsiv]1 requires that the name and
either the place of business (city, State, and mailing address,
including zip code) or telephone number, or both of the manufacturer,
distributor, or seller be clearly and legibly marked on each product
and its retail package. Section 8.1.2 of ASTM F 2194-07a [epsiv]1
requires that a code mark or other means that identifies the date
(month and year as a minimum) of manufacture'' be clearly and legibly
marked on ``each product and its retail package. In both cases, the
information must be placed on both the product and the retail package.
There are 48 known firms supplying bassinets and/or cradles to the
United States market. Eighteen of the 48 firms are known to already
produce labels that comply with sections 8.1.1 and 8.1.2 of the
standard, so there would be no additional burden on these firms. The
remaining 30 firms are assumed to already use labels on both their
products and their packaging, but would need to make some modifications
to their existing labels. The estimated time required to make these
modification is about 30 minutes per model. Each of these firms
supplies an average of 7 different models of bassinets/cradles,
therefore, the estimated burden hours associated with labels is 30
minutes x 30 firms x 7 models per firm = 6,300 minutes or 105 annual
hours.
The Commission estimates that hourly compensation for the time
required to create and update labels is $27.78 (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, September 2009, all workers, goods-producing industries,
Sales and office, Table 9). Therefore, the estimated annual cost
associated with the Commission recommended labeling requirements is
approximately $2,917 ($27.78 per hour x 105 hours = $2,916.90, which we
have rounded up to $2,917).
Section 9.1 of ASTM F 2194-07a [epsiv]1 requires instructions to be
supplied with the product. Bassinets and cradles are products that
generally require some installation and maintenance, and products sold
without such information would not be able to successfully compete with
products supplying this information. Under OMB's regulations (5 CFR
1320.3(b)(2)), the time, effort, and financial resources necessary to
comply with a collection of information that would be incurred by
persons in the ``normal course of their activities'' are excluded from
a burden estimate where an agency demonstrates that the disclosure
activities needed to comply are ``usual and customary.'' Therefore,
because the CPSC is unaware of bassinets and cradles that: (a)
Generally require some installation, but (b) lack any instructions to
the user about such installation, we tentatively estimate that there
are no burden hours associated with the instruction requirement in
section 9.1 of ASTM F 2194-07a [epsiv]1 because any burden associated
with supplying instructions with a bassinet or cradle would be ``usual
and customary'' and not within the definition of ``burden'' under OMB's
regulations.
Based on this analysis, the requirements of the Commission-
recommended bassinet and cradle rule would impose a burden to industry
of 105 hours at a cost of $2,917 annually.
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3507(d)), we have submitted the information collection requirements of
this rule to OMB for review. Interested persons are requested to fax
comments regarding information collection by May 28, 2010, to the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB (see ADDRESSES).
K. Preemption
Section 26(a) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2075(a), provides that where a
``consumer product safety standard under [the CPSA]'' is in effect and
applies to a product, no State or political subdivision of a State may
either establish or continue in effect a requirement dealing with the
same risk of injury unless the State requirement is identical to the
Federal standard. (Section 26(c) of the CPSA also provides that States
or political subdivisions of States may apply to the Commission for an
exemption from this preemption under certain circumstances.) Section
104(b) of the CPSIA refers to the rules to be issued under that section
as ``consumer product safety rules,'' thus implying that the preemptive
effect of section 26(a) of the CPSA would apply. Furthermore, in
Natural Resources Defense Council v. CPSC, 597 F. Supp. 2d 370 (S.D. NY
2009), the court held that ``[d]esignating the phthalate prohibitions
[in section 108 of the CPSIA] as consumer product safety standards
brings them within a well established statutory preemption scheme [of
section 26(a) of the CPSA].'' Therefore, a rule issued under section
104 of the CPSIA will invoke the preemptive effect of section 26(a) of
the CPSA when it becomes effective.
L. Certification
Section 14(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (``CPSA'') imposes
the requirement that products subject to a consumer product safety rule
under the CPSA, or to a similar rule, ban, standard, or regulation
under any other act enforced by the Commission, be certified as
complying with all applicable CPSC-enforced requirements. 15 U.S.C.
2063(a). Such certification must be based on a test of each product or
on a reasonable testing program or, for children's products, on tests
on a sufficient number of samples by a third-party conformity
assessment body accredited by the Commission to test according to the
applicable requirements. As discussed in Section K, section
104(b)(1)(B) of the CPSIA refers to standards issued under that
section, such as the rule for bassinets and cradles being proposed in
this notice, as ``consumer product safety standards.'' Furthermore, the
designation as consumer product safety standards subjects such
standards to certain sections of the CPSA, such as
[[Page 22312]]
section 26(a), regarding preemption. By the same reasoning, such
standards would also be subject to section 14 of the CPSA. Therefore,
any such standard would be considered to be a consumer product safety
rule to which products subject to the rule must be certified.
In addition, the CPSIA is another act enforced by the Commission,