Safety Standard for Infant Bath Seats: Final Rule, 31691-31699 [2010-13073]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 107 / Friday, June 4, 2010 / Rules and Regulations
any such product manufactured on or
after December 1, 2010 tested by a third
party conformity assessment body
accredited to do so and must issue a
certificate of compliance with 16 CFR
part 1215 based on that testing.
To ease the transition to the new
standard and avoid a ‘‘bottlenecking’’ of
products at conformity assessment
bodies at or near the effective date of 16
CFR 1215, the Commission will accept
certifications based on testing that
occurred prior to the effective date of
the new standard in certain prescribed
circumstances. However, any such
testing must comport with all CPSC
requirements, including:
• At the time of product testing, the
product was tested by a third party
conformity assessment body that was
ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by an ILAC–
MRA member, and had been accepted
by the Commission, at the time of the
test.
• The accreditation scope in effect for
the third party conformity assessment
body at the time of testing expressly
included testing to the test method(s)
included in 16 CFR part 1215; and
• The test results show compliance
with the test methods in the new
regulation (16 CFR part 1215).
Dated: May 25, 2010.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
[FR Doc. 2010–13080 Filed 6–3–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355–01–P
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 1215
[CPSC Docket No. CPSC–2009–0064]
Safety Standard for Infant Bath Seats:
Final Rule
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AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: Section 104(b) of the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement
Act of 2008 (‘‘CPSIA’’) requires the
United States Consumer Product Safety
Commission (‘‘Commission,’’ ‘‘CPSC,’’
‘‘we’’) 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. We are issuing a safety
standard for infant bath seats in
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response to the direction under section
104(b) of the CPSIA.
DATES: The rule will become effective
on December 6, 2010 and apply to
products manufactured or imported on
or after that date. The incorporation by
reference of the publication listed in
this rule is approved by the Director of
the Federal Register as of December 6,
2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carolyn Manley, Office of Compliance
and Field Operations, Consumer
Product Safety Commission, 4330 East
West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814;
telephone (301) 504–7607;
cmanley@cpsc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background and Statutory Authority
Section 104(b) of the Consumer
Product Safety Improvement Act of
2008 (‘‘CPSIA,’’ Public Law 110–314)
requires the Commission to promulgate
consumer product safety standards for
durable infant or toddler products.
Section 104 includes infant bath seats
among these products. See CPSIA,
section 104(f). The standards developed
under section 104 of the CPSIA 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. Section 104(b)(2) of the
CPSIA directs the Commission to begin
rulemaking for two standards by August
14, 2009. Under this provision, the
Commission published a notice of
proposed rulemaking (‘‘NPR’’) in the
Federal Register of September 3, 2009
(74 FR 45719) proposing a safety
standard for bath seats. The proposed
standard was substantially the same as
a voluntary standard developed by
ASTM International (formerly known as
the American Society for Testing and
Materials), ASTM F 1967–08a,
‘‘Standard Consumer Safety
Specification for Infant Bath Seats,’’
with some modifications to strengthen
the standard in order to reduce the risk
of injury associated with bath seats. The
Commission is now issuing a final
standard for infant bath seats that is
almost the same as the proposed
standard it published in September
2009.
B. The Product
Infant bath seats are used in a tub or
sink to support a seated infant while he
or she is being bathed. They are
marketed for use with infants between
the age of approximately 5 months (the
time at which infants can sit up
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31691
unassisted) to the age of approximately
10 months (the time at which infants
begin pulling themselves up to a
standing position). Currently, there are
two manufacturers and one importer of
bath seats active in the United States
(one fewer than at the time the
Commission published its proposed
rule). All are members of the Juvenile
Products Manufacturers Association
(‘‘JPMA’’), which is the major United
States trade association representing
juvenile product manufacturers and
importers. All produce a variety of
children’s products in addition to bath
seats.
The exact number of bath seats
currently sold or in use is not known.
Data from a 2005 survey by the
American Baby Group (2006 Baby
Products Tracking Study), in
conjunction with Centers for Disease
Control (‘‘CDC’’) birth data, indicated
annual sales of bath seats of about 1.5
million and about 1.8 million bath seats
in use. In 2000, JPMA estimated annual
sales of bath seats at about one million
and estimated up to 2 million bath seats
in use for infants under one year of age.
C. ASTM Voluntary Standard
ASTM F 1967, ‘‘Standard Consumer
Safety Specification for Infant Bath
Seats,’’ was first published in 1999.
Between 2003 and 2007, the ASTM
standard was subsequently revised
several times to exclude tub-like
products and to include requirements
that the Commission had proposed in a
notice of proposed rulemaking it issued
in 2003, 68 FR 74878 (December 29,
2003).
In response to changes in the ASTM
standard, the design of bath seats
changed significantly. The new designs
use an arm that clamps onto the side of
the bath tub rather than relying on
suction cups for stability. In its
proposed rule, the Commission
referenced ASTM F 1967–08a, which
was published in December 2008, and
contains the same labeling, stability and
leg opening requirements as the 2007
version. In April 2010, ASTM published
a new version of ASTM F 1967. The
differences between the 2008 and 2010
standards are insubstantial (one word in
section 8.1.1). The 2010 version adopted
none of the changes the Commission
proposed. Thus, the final standard
continues to reference ASTM F 1967–
08a.
JPMA provides certification programs
for juvenile products, including bath
seats. Manufacturers submit their
products to an independent testing
laboratory to test the product for
conformance to the ASTM standard.
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Currently only one bath seat model is
certified to ASTM F 1967–08a.
The ASTM standard includes general
requirements common to many ASTM
standards for children’s products;
performance requirements specific to
bath seats to address the hazards of the
bath seat tipping over or the child
becoming entrapped and/or submerged
in the leg openings; and labeling
requirements to address the child
coming out of the bath seat.
General requirements in the ASTM
standard, none of which the
Commission is modifying, include:
• Requiring compliance with CPSC’s
standards concerning sharp points and
edges, small parts, and lead paint (16
CFR parts 1303, 1500.48, 1500.49,
1500.50, 1500.51, and 1501);
• Requirements for latching and
locking mechanisms;
• Requirements to prevent scissoring,
shearing and pinching;
• Entrapment testing for accessible
holes and openings;
• Torque/tension test for graspable
components; and
• A requirement that warning labels
be permanent.
The ASTM standard’s requirements
specifically related to hazards posed by
bath seats (as discussed in part F of this
preamble, the Commission’s rule
modifies aspects of some of these
requirements) include:
• A test for stability performed on a
test platform containing both a slip
resistant surface and a smooth surface to
test whether the bath seat may tip over
during use;
• Requirements for restraint systems
requiring passive crotch restraint to
prevent a child from sliding through
front or sides of the seat;
• Static load test to test whether the
bath seat may break or become damaged
during use;
• A requirement that suction cups (if
used) adhere to the bath seat and the
surface;
• A leg opening requirement to
prevent children from sliding through
these openings;
• A leg opening requirement
restricting the expansiveness of the
seating area to prevent the child from
slumping and becoming entrapped in a
reclined position; and
• Requirements for warning labels
and instruction manual.
D. Incident Data
Since publication of the NPR in the
Federal Register of September 3, 2009,
the CPSC staff identified five new
fatalities and five new non-fatal
incidents, all of which occurred in 2009.
Three deaths and three additional non-
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fatal incidents involved bath seat
products (not combination infant bath
tub-bath seat products) meeting the
stability requirements of either F 1967–
04 or F 1967–07. One death involved an
earlier pre-2004 bath seat product and
the remaining death involved a
combination infant bath tub-bath seat
product that was certified to the 2004
edition of the bath seat and bath ring
standard (F 1967–04) but is no longer
being produced. (Combination bath tubbath seat products are no longer covered
by F 1967 and will be covered by a new
separate infant bath tub-specific
standard.) This fatality is not included
in the frequency statistics. The data
update for the final rule also located
additional information enabling CPSC
staff to identify two 2005 fatality case
reports, previously considered to be
independent, as being a single case.
Taking into account these changes in
the data, from 1983 through November
30, 2009, there have been 174 reported
fatalities involving bath seats, although
more fatalities may have occurred
because fatality reporting is not
considered to be complete for 2006,
2007, 2008, and 2009. All of these
fatalities were submersions.
There were 300 non-fatal bath seat
incidents reported to CPSC staff in this
1983 through November 30, 2009 time
frame. A submersion hazard was
identified in 154 of these non-fatal
incidents of which 117 were actual
submersion incidents. (Submersion is
defined as the act of placing, or the
condition of being, under water. A
submersion hazard indicates that
submersion is possible, as a direct result
of the incident. An actual submersion is
when the victim actually became
submerged as a result of the incident.)
The remaining 146 reports were nonsubmersion hazards such as lacerations
and limb entrapments.
None of the identifiable products
involved in the fatal bath seat incidents
were certified to meet ASTM F 1967–
08a or its predecessor, ASTM F 1967–
07. Four of the non-fatal incidents
involved products certified to ASTM F
1967–07, neither of which were
submersion hazards, and thus were not
life threatening.
Of the 174 fatal incidents, 23 involved
products that were identified as being
certified to the 2004 version of the
ASTM standard. Three of these were
due to the arm of the bath seat
disengaging from the bath tub. Fifty-four
of the non-fatal incidents involved bath
seats certified to the 2004 version of the
ASTM voluntary standard.
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E. Response to Comments on the NPR
of September 3, 2009
The Commission received seven
comments on the NPR of September 3,
2009. Four comments from individual
consumers supported a mandatory
safety standard for infant bath seats. In
addition, the Commission received three
specific comments on various aspects of
the NPR. These three comments were
from IISG (an international testing
laboratory); the Juvenile Products
Manufacturers Association (JPMA); and
one comment from various consumer
groups (Consumers Union, Kids in
Danger, and Consumer Federation of
America). These comments and the
Commission’s responses to them are
discussed below.
1. Leg Opening Requirement
a. Comment: One commenter asked
that the rule be clarified to indicate that
the torso probe shall be inserted in a
straight direction and it is not allowed
to be inserted partially and then rotated
along some minor axis to make it pass
through the hole.
Response: In the NPR, the
Commission proposed a change to the
voluntary standard that called for the
torso probe to be inserted in all
orientations of the leg openings to
determine if any position can create a
slip through and/or entrapment hazard.
This change was proposed because the
language in the ASTM standard, which
stated that the probe should be inserted
in the most adverse orientation, was
open to interpretation by the person
performing the test. The language the
commenter suggests would actually
make the requirement less restrictive
than what is already in the voluntary
standard. For this reason, the
Commission disagrees with the
recommendation.
b. Comment: One commenter argued
that the proposed change to the leg
opening torso probe would not have
prevented the two incidents discussed
in the NPR when children fit both their
legs and hips through a single leg hole
of the bath seat. The commenter
asserted that reducing the leg opening
might exacerbate entrapment and
ingress and egress conditions. The
commenter believes that the ASTM
standard has optimized this probe size,
is consistent with other standards that
provide similar submarining protection,
and should not be changed.
Response: Although in these two
incidents children did become
entrapped in the leg holes, of more
concern is the fact the victims’ pelvis
and torso were able to penetrate the leg
openings. Once the pelvis goes through
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the leg hole, the victim is in serious
danger of submersion because the waist
and upper torso are more malleable and
therefore more capable of squeezing
through the leg holes. Therefore,
contrary to the commenter’s
characterization of the incidents, the leg
holes failed to prevent a potential
submersion condition. The infants were
not endangered by the entrapment as
much as they were endangered by their
position during their entrapment. These
incidents show a failure in the design of
the torso probe and the leg opening test
which was developed to prevent the
manufacture of leg holes that allow a
pelvis to fit through them. As a
photograph taken of the actual victim
from one of the incidents clearly shows,
in that incident the pelvis had fit
through the leg opening. The current
bath seat torso probe used to test the leg
openings was based on probes from
other juvenile products that do not
normally entail use with wet, naked
babies. The data associated with these
two incidents suggest that the unique
use of a bath seat in a watery, soapy
environment requires a smaller probe.
Reducing the size of leg openings by
making the torso probe more rounded at
the corners and slightly smaller will
prevent future submersion incidents.
The issue of entrapment during
ingress and egress is irrelevant to the leg
hole opening test method. The
Commission is aware that consumers
have encountered difficulties with
getting infants in and out of some
models of bath seats currently sold in
the United States. However, the size and
shape of the leg hole opening is only
one factor in the overall design of a bath
seat’s occupant retention space. Such
features as the shape of the seat, the
slope of the supports, and the thickness
and the type of materials used to make
the bath seat are not determined by the
performance requirements of the
standard. The leg hole opening test does
not dictate any other dimensional or
design requirements for bath seats,
leaving the designer ample freedom to
design a bath seat that allows easy entry
and exit.
c. Comment: One commenter
approved of the proposed change to the
torso probe and conducting testing in all
orientations, but stated that incident
data indicate that leg openings on
models currently meeting the ASTM
standard may still pose this hazard.
Response: The Commission concurs.
The Commission’s changes to the torso
probe are intended to address such
incidents.
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2. Stability Issues
a. Comment: One commenter states
that the pass/fail criteria in the ASTM
standard were specifically created to
require that both the attachment
disengage from the test platform and
that the product fail to return to the
manufacturer’s intended use position
after being tested. The commenter
asserts that both conditions must be
present in order to constitute a failure.
The commenter argues that the proposal
to consider a tilt angle of 12-degrees or
more from the bath seat’s initial starting
position to be a failure is not indicative
of an unsafe condition and ‘‘is a
departure from the primary intent of the
requirement which is to determine if the
bath seat tips.’’
Response: The two parts of the criteria
were added to the ASTM standard at
different times, and there is no language
to suggest that both conditions must be
met in order to constitute a failure. If
that were the intent, then there would
be no need to add the second pass/fail
criteria because if the bath seat
disengaged from the test platform
(condition #1), then obviously it would
not return to the manufacturer’s
intended use position (condition #2).
This second condition was added in the
2007 standard to address those
situations where a bath seat started
tipping, to a degree that could be
hazardous, but did not fully disengage
from the tub. The Commission’s
modification to the ASTM standard
clarifies the intent, as well as ensuring
that a bath seat which significantly tips
during the stability test, but returns to
a fully upright condition, is not in
compliance with the requirement.
b. Comment: The same commenter
argues that the 12 degree tilt test ‘‘is
unrelated to submersion risk and would
not reduce the risk of injury and
submersion incidences identified in the
incident data. The risk of submersion
presents itself when the position of the
product indicates that the child’s head
area would be in a compromising
position.’’
Response: CPSC agrees with the last
statement presented above which is why
the Commission is modifying the ASTM
standard to provide a clearer definition
of the pass/fail criteria. If the bath seat
is tilted, children can slump over, lean
over, and expose their faces to the water
more easily than if the bath seat is not
tilted.
c. Comment: The same commenter
states that the 17-pound force used in
the stability testing in the ASTM
standard was based on the assumption
that the older user of a bath seat would
apply his/her total weight in the head
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location when in a seated position.
However, the commenter states, it is
more likely that the child would exert
only a percentage of his/her total body
weight.
Response: According to the rationale
in the ASTM standard (Appendix, part
X1.17), the original basis for the 17pound force is that it represents 60
percent of the 95th percentile (27.8
pound) body weight for oldest users
(which was for 12 to 15 month old
children at the time the requirement
was developed), not the child’s total
body weight. A review of the incident
data shows that fatal incidents that
occurred in the newer style bath seats
(which are designed for children who
cannot yet pull themselves to a standing
position) involved babies whose weights
ranged from 15 to 30 pounds, with at
least two of the victims (ages 8 and 9
months) being 30 pounds at the time of
their deaths. Thus, it is foreseeable that
a child of this size may use the product
and, as the commenter recognizes, exert
a percentage of his/her body weight.
Thus, the 17-pound force is still valid.
d. Comment: The same commenter
argues that the Commission’s change to
the failure definition (adding the 12
degree tilt angle test) would prohibit
even ‘‘infinitesimal movements’’ of the
bath seat with little affect on safety.
Response: The Commission disagrees
that this additional requirement would
prohibit infinitesimal movement. The
ASTM standard could be interpreted
very strictly to not allow any movement
or tilt of the bath seat from the original
position. By adding the 12 degree tilt
limit, the stability test allows bath seats
some controlled flexibility.
e. Comment: The same commenter
asserts that the 12 degree tilt angle is
random and lacks any rationale as to
how exceeding this angle could result in
a compromising unsafe condition.
Response: In developing this
requirement, CPSC staff conducted an
analysis looking at various water levels
and possible head positions of
occupants vs. angles of bath seats to
determine what level of tilt was
potentially hazardous. In addition,
CPSC staff looked at other ASTM
standards, such as those for infant
bouncer seats and toys which use a 10
degree table or tilt when testing for
stability. Lastly, staff acknowledged that
the requirement must allow for the
ductility of the aluminum rod test
fixture combined with some expected
ductility or flexing of the bath seat itself.
Therefore, the staff conducted testing to
determine the maximum level of tilt that
might be expected solely due to the
flexibility of the bath seat and the test
rig. As a result of this work, staff
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selected a tilt angle of 12 degrees as the
pass/fail criteria to insure passing
products will remain in the
manufacturer’s intended use position.
Thus, the 12 degree angle will allow
for some inherent flexibility in the
system (the product and the test rig) as
a whole, but would fail a bath seat that:
(1) Stayed firmly clamped to the bath
tub but the bath seat itself experienced
significant ductility (i.e., its ability to be
fashioned into a new form or drawn out
without breaking) or flexibility (12
degrees or more) during the testing; or
(2) had a clamping mechanism that lost
firm contact with the bath tub and
allowed the bath seat to tilt 12 degrees
or more during the test.
f. Comment: The same commenter
argues that, so long as the product
remains attached, the angle at which it
may tilt during testing does not affect
the safety of the bath seat. The
commenter asks, if the product were to
reach a 15 degree angle, how would this
angle result in an unsafe condition if the
product remains attached?
Response: CPSC disagrees with the
commenter’s assertion that the
condition of the product during the test
has no bearing on safety. In the test, a
17-pound load is applied and then
released. In real life, if a child leans over
a bath seat railing, he/she may not be
able to sit back upright. Young infants
do not have a good sense of balance, and
the more the bath seat allows them to
tilt forward, the less likely they will be
able to return to an upright position. If
a child’s body remains tilted forward,
this could result in his/her face
becoming submerged in the water. Once
an infant’s face is submerged, the infant
may not pull his/her face out of the
water. Infants may be physically capable
of lifting their heads, but they may not
do so because they do not recognize the
need to do so or because they breathe
in a lungful of water before trying to lift
their head. Bath seats should never
allow an infant’s face to be submerged
under water. In addition, another
argument against allowing any
significant tilt during the test is that the
more the seat tilts forward, the higher
the likelihood for a child to crawl out
of the seat. When the seat is far enough
forward, even if it has not tipped over,
the child can stand (hunched over) on
his/her feet with legs still through the
leg holes, and this would also make a
tilted seat hazardous.
g. Comment: One commenter agreed
that the pass/fail criteria in the ASTM
stability requirements need clarification,
but recommended that the Commission
consider any movement from the bath
seat’s originally fixed position to be a
failure.
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Response: There are three ways that a
bath seat can fail the stability
requirement as proposed in the NPR
(and finalized in the rule): (1) If the bath
seat tips over (and remains tipped over
after the test); (2) if any attachment
point disengages from (is no longer in
contact with) the test platform (bath tub)
and the bath seat fails to return to the
manufacturer’s recommended use
position after the test; and (3) if the
measured tilt angle during the test ever
exceeds 12 degrees.
The first two pass/fail criteria above
were already required under the
voluntary standard, and the third one
was proposed by CPSC as a new
additional requirement in the NPR, and
is also in the final rule. With regard to
the third criteria, there are two different
ways in which a bath seat can tilt during
stability testing. The first is the tilt that
might occur when the bath seat
attachment slips or moves from its
original fixed position. The second is
the tilt that can occur due to the
flexibility between all the parts of the
bath seat and the bath seat test fixture
(the aluminum rod and clamping
devices). Depending on the product, it
is possible to have both factors
contribute to the tilt, or just have the
second factor contribute to the tilt.
There is no way to eliminate the
flexibility of the system (the bath seat
and the test fixture) entirely. The
flexibility of the aluminum rod itself
can result in a two degree tilt. When the
clamping fixtures and then the expected
flexibility of the plastic used in the
product are added, there is inherent
flexibility in the system that cannot be
totally eliminated. A tilt test must allow
for this flexibility among all the
components of the system. Twelve
degrees allows for some practical
amount of flexibility that is inherent in
a bath seat and the test rig, but is still
not a significant tilt angle that might
compromise the safety of the occupant.
3. Changes to Test Platform Preparation
Comment: One commenter stated that,
while it agrees with the application of
the soap solution inside and outside of
the tub, it believes that the soap solution
should be applied once the product has
been installed, if manufacturers present
this as a prerequisite to use in
instructional literature because
clamping mechanisms rely on a clean
tub side surface for effectiveness.
Response: Regardless of instructional
literature or warnings, it is foreseeable
that caregivers will install the bath seat
on a wet and soapy tub; therefore, bath
seats should be tested under such
conditions.
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4. Weighing the Seat Down
Comment: One commenter
recommended adding a statement
requiring removal of the weight once the
seat is flooded to eliminate the potential
for a counterweight to be included
during the test.
Response: The Commission agrees
with this comment and has included
such a statement in the final rule.
5. Maximum Water Level
Comment: One commenter
recommended that all bath seats be
labeled to indicate a maximum water
level to be used. The comment stated
that, because 96% of all deaths, injuries,
and other incidents involve bath seats
used in water depths greater than one or
two inches, the fill line demarcation
should be specified at depths of no
greater than two inches.
Response: The Commission is
concerned that a water line could imply
a safe water level. However, children
can drown in very little water. In
addition, because of various bath seat
designs, some of which may elevate the
bath seat, two inches of water in the tub
can correspond to a water level
insufficient to cover the occupant’s legs.
Thus, the maximum water level
recommended would change based on
the design of the bath seat, and would
not necessarily reflect a ‘‘safe level’’. The
Commission believes that the ASTM
wording required in the user
instruction, ‘‘Babies can drown in as
little as 1 inch of water. ALWAYS bathe
your infant using as little water as
necessary,’’ describes the risk associated
with any level of water in a more
accurate manner. If there was a water
line indicator that could visually
express the increasing risk with
increasing water depth without
implying that a shallow level was ‘‘safe,’’
then CPSC staff may agree with the
suggestion. At this time, CPSC staff does
not believe a maximum water level
requirement should be added to the
standard, but does believe it is
something that manufacturers could
consider for their products. CPSC staff
will continue to monitor this issue and
the Commission could add such a
requirement in the future if it is feasible.
6. Incident Data
Comment: One comment notes that
the numbers of fatalities stated in the
NPR do not reflect the increased fatality
rate of recent years. Although the 171
reported fatalities involving bath seats
from 1983 through 2008 represents an
average of 6.6 reported deaths per year
over the 26 year period, an analysis of
the most recent years for which there is
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complete data (1998 through 2007)
shows an average of 9.7 reported deaths
per year—nearly 50 percent more than
stated. The commenter notes that, in
comparison, baby bath tubs (a popular
alternative) showed an average fatality
rate of only 1.7 deaths per year during
this same time period.
Response: Some fatalities in recent
years involved older products. Caution
should be used in any analysis since
this product, its standards, and markets
have changed significantly over the
years. Comparisons between bath seats
and infant bath tubs are not
straightforward due to differences in the
product and target population. Also,
incidents are voluntarily reported and
represent a minimum count. An
updated memorandum of incident data
was provided as part of the briefing
package for the final rule.
7. Risks Related to Bath Seats and Risks
Related to Bath Tubs
Comment: The same commenter
noted that comparing the risks related to
bath seats and those related to bath tubs
indicates that the ASTM F 1967
standard has not been effective in
reducing infant deaths in bath seats and
that bath seats are inherently more
dangerous than infant bath tubs.
Response: Risk analysis is very
difficult to perform with these products
due to changes in the market, standards,
and product. Without accurate usage
data, it was not possible for CPSC staff
to perform this analysis. Comparisons
between bath seats and infant bath tubs
are not straightforward due to
differences in the product and target
population. Based on the ownership
data that is available for infant bath
seats and infant bath tubs, it is clear that
infant bath tubs are far more prevalent
than infant bath seats. It is also clear
that many of those surveyed own both
products, possibly using them at
different stages in their child’s
development. It is also apparent that
ownership rates for bath seats increased
substantially between 1993 and 2002,
but have since dropped off. In 2004, the
ASTM standard was significantly
modified (with additional changes made
in 2007 and 2008), which means that
determining the effectiveness of the
voluntary standard requires examining
the incidents with pre-2004 infant bath
seats and comparing them to incidents
involving post-2004 bath seats—in
particular those that comply with the
voluntary standard. Therefore, looking
at only the number of annual incidents
is insufficient to evaluate the voluntary
standard’s effectiveness or to evaluate
its likely effectiveness, were it
mandatory.
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8. Unattended Bath Seats
Comment: One commenter stated that
the bath seat standard must address the
primary hazard pattern with these
products—leaving an infant
unattended—and encouraged the CPSC
to ‘‘explore technology to ensure that it
would be difficult to use a bath seat
unless a caregiver is in close proximity
to the product.’’
Response: The Commission is open to
suggestions to overcome the tendency of
caregivers to feel confident leaving
children unsupervised in bath seats. To
date, no practical solutions to this
serious problem have been developed,
except for warning labels, which were
last strengthened in the ASTM
voluntary standard in 2007.
9. CPSIA Process
a. Comment: One commenter stated
that the Commission ‘‘should not modify
existing effective standards unless it can
clearly substantiate on the record before
it that such changes will provide a
demonstrable reduction of injury.’’ The
commenter noted that the ASTM
standard was originally published in
1999 and has undergone several
revisions since then through the ASTM
subcommittee and task group process
and that CPSC has participated in this
process. The commenter states that it
sees ‘‘little value in revising the current
requirements in this standard by using
the NPR regulatory process’’ and is
‘‘concerned that the imposition of
additional requirements without
demonstrable evidence that they will
both enhance bath safety and not create
unintended entrapment related hazards,
will restrict the availability of
potentially lifesaving products.’’
Response: Section 104(b) of the CPSIA
requires the Commission to use the
notice and comment rulemaking process
under the Administrative Procedure Act
to promulgate consumer product safety
standards for durable infant or toddler
products. The CPSIA directs the
Commission to issue a rule that is
‘‘substantially the same as’’ the
applicable voluntary standard or ‘‘more
stringent than’’ the voluntary standard if
the more stringent standard ‘‘would
further reduce the risk of injury
associated with the product.’’ See
section 104(b)(1)(B) of the CPSIA. The
statute does not require that the
Commission, in the commenter’s words,
‘‘clearly substantiate on the record
before it that such change will provide
a demonstrable reduction in injury.’’
Section 104 of the CPSIA takes durable
infant or toddler products out of the
Commission’s usual rulemaking
procedure and all of the findings that
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would be required under sections 7 and
9 of the Consumer Product Safety Act
(‘‘CPSA’’). For these products, Congress
wanted ‘‘the highest level of safety for
such products that is feasible.’’ See
section 104(b)(2) of the CPSIA. The
Commission recognizes that the ASTM
standard has been in place for numerous
years and has been refined through
ASTM’s standard-setting process.
Nevertheless, incidents continue to
occur. Under the mandate of section 104
of the CPSIA, the Commission is
promulgating more stringent
requirements where necessary to
address certain design features that
CPSC staff believes contribute to some
of these continuing deaths and torso
entrapments. The staff has conducted
testing and performed analyses to
support the requirements that are
different from the ASTM requirements
and that it believes will reduce the risk
of injury from infant bath seats.
b. Comment: The same commenter
states that it believes ‘‘the most
streamlined approach to following the
primary congressional mandate that
standards required to be developed are
to be ‘substantially the same as’
applicable voluntary standards, would
be to adopt a regulation that wholly
adopts the existing ASTM standard,
with the ability to subject it to the
ASTM update and review process. CPSC
can assure itself veto authority as part
of an implementing regulation, which
provides it with the ability to restrict
diminution of effective ASTM standard
provisions, similar to the authority
applicable under CPSIA Section 106, as
a check to changes that reduce stringent
protections.’’ The commenter suggests
that CPSC adopt ASTM F 1967–08a as
a consumer product safety standard
issued by the Commission under section
9 of the CPSA and that any additional
changes to the pending ASTM standard
be submitted to the ASTM standard
setting process. The commenter states,
‘‘this process could also incorporate a
provision by rule that a reservation of
right to the CPSC to object to any
subsequent revisions to the ASTM
Standard, similar to that afforded under
CPSIA Section 106(g).’’
Response: The standard the
Commission proposed for infant bath
seats incorporates by reference most of
ASTM F 1967–08a with a few
modifications to strengthen the
standard. Section 104(b) of the CPSIA
sets forth the procedure for these
standards for durable infant or toddler
products, and it is different from what
Congress provided in section 106 of the
CPSIA. It is doubtful that the
Commission, by rule, could change the
procedure Congress provided for rules
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under section 104 of the CPSIA to the
one Congress provided for rules under
section 106 of the CPSIA.
The Commission received no
comments on this provision in the NPR
and is finalizing it without change.
F. Assessment of Voluntary Standard
ASTM F 1967–08a and Description of
the Final Rule
b. Incorporation by Reference
(§ 1215.2(a))
Section 1215.2(a) explains that,
except as provided in § 1215.2(b), each
infant bath seat must comply with all
applicable provisions of ASTM F 1967–
08a, ‘‘Standard Consumer Safety
Specification for Infant Bath Seats,’’
which is incorporated by reference.
Section 1215.2(a) also provides
information on how to obtain a copy of
the ASTM standard or to inspect a copy
of the standard at the CPSC.
The Commission received no
comments on this provision in the NPR
and is finalizing it without change.
1. Section 104(b) of the CPSIA:
Consultation and CPSC Staff Review
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
2008 during the ASTM subcommittee
meeting regarding the ASTM infant bath
seat voluntary standard. The
Commission has reviewed the incident
data and the ASTM F 1967–08a
standard and conducted testing on bath
seats to assess the ASTM standard.
Consistent with section 104(b) of the
CPSIA, this rule establishes a new 16
CFR part 1215, ‘‘Safety Standard for
Bath Seats.’’ The new part incorporates
by reference the requirements for bath
seats in ASTM F 1967–08a with certain
changes to specific provisions to
strengthen the ASTM standard as
discussed below. These modifications
are almost identical to the changes the
Commission proposed in the NPR of
September 3, 2009. Differences from the
NPR are noted in the discussion below.
2. Description of the Final Rule,
Including Changes to the ASTM
Standard’s Requirements
While most requirements of the
ASTM standard are sufficient to reduce
the risk of injury posed by bath seats,
the Commission has determined to
modify several provisions in the
standard to make them more stringent
and further reduce the risk of injury and
to clarify the test procedures. The
following discussion describes the final
rule, including changes to the ASTM
requirements, and notes any changes
from the NPR. In addition, some editing
and formatting changes have been made
which make the final text different from
the NPR. These changes were made at
the request of the Office of the Federal
Register and do not alter the substance
of the rule.
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a. Scope (§ 1215.1)
The final rule states that part 1215
establishes a consumer product safety
standard for infant bath seats
manufactured or imported on or after a
date which would be six months after
the date of publication of a final rule in
the Federal Register.
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c. Definition of Bath Seat
(§ 1215.2(b)(1)(i))
In the NPR, the Commission proposed
changing the definition of bath seat to
the definition in a previous NPR the
Commission had issued in 2003—‘‘an
article that is used in a bath tub, sink,
or similar bathing enclosure and that
provides support, at a minimum, to the
front and back of a seated infant during
bathing by a caregiver * * *.’’
The Commission received no
comments on this provision and is
finalizing it without change.
d. Stability Requirement
Limiting the tilt of the bath seat
(§ 1215.2(b)(2)(i), (b)(4)(i), and (b)(5)(i)).
As discussed in the preamble to the
proposed rule (74 FR at 45720 through
45721), when testing bath seats, CPSC
staff found that the clamping
mechanism on the JPMA-certified bath
seat lifted from the side of the tub and
continued to tip when force was
applied. The clamp did not disengage
from the tub, but the arm rest contact
points were no longer in contact with
the tub surface. This situation allows for
possible misinterpretation of the ASTM
standard’s pass/fail criteria because the
bath seat tilted from its original position
while the clamp remained attached to
the side of the tub. Moreover, this
scenario could present a hazard to an
infant using a bath seat. As explained in
greater detail in the response to
comments in section E of this preamble
above, with the bath seat in this position
an infant could submerge his/her face in
the water, and the tilt of the seat could
increase the likelihood the infant will
crawl out of the seat. Thus, the NPR
proposed a requirement to limit the
allowable tilt angle of the bath seat
during the stability test. This
modification is added in several places
of the ASTM standard: To section 6.1,
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between sections 7.4.2.2 and 7.4.2.3,
and between sections 7.4.2.3 and
7.4.2.4. The Commission proposed that
a bath seat capable of tilting 12 degrees
or more during testing be considered a
failure. This limit was determined after
measuring, and allowing for the
flexibility of, current products. CPSC
staff also considered other ASTM
standards such as those for infant
bouncer seats and toys. These standards
use a 10 degree table or tilt when testing
stability, and so the Commission
proposed a tilt angle just above that
level.
The final rule retains the 12 degree tilt
limit. (We discussed comments relating
to stability at part E of this preamble.)
The final rule also clarifies the
language in section 6.1 of the ASTM
standard to make it consistent with the
definition of bath seat. This is a change
from the NPR. Thus, the final rule
removes the beginning phrase in section
6.1: ‘‘for bath seats which provide
support for an occupant’s back and
support for the sides or front of the
occupant or both.’’ Given the definition
of bath seat in the final rule, this phrase
is redundant, and the final rule,
therefore, eliminates it.
Clarifying the order of steps in the
stability test (§ 1215.2(b)(3)). The final
rule retains other proposed changes
clarifying the order of steps to be
performed when conducting the
stability test. The Commission proposed
re-ordering the steps specified in the
ASTM standard for preparing the test
surface and installing the bath seat to
clarify that the test platform should be
flooded before installing the bath seat.
Test solution application
(§ 1215.2(b)(3)(i)(B)). The Commission
proposed that a test solution be applied
to all areas where the product may make
contact while in use. As explained in
the NPR’s preamble (74 FR at 45721),
the ASTM standard requires that a
soapy test solution ‘‘thoroughly saturate
the coverage area’’ which is defined in
the ASTM standard as any internal
surface of the tub well or tub bottom
that makes contact with the product. In
its testing of bath seats, CPSC staff
found that spraying the soap solution on
the top and outer surface contact points
as well as the interior surfaces affected
the final position of the bath seat and
therefore could affect the results of the
test. The Commission recognizes that
the outside of a tub may become wet,
and this may affect the ability of a bath
seat’s attachment arm to remain stable.
The final rule retains this requirement.
(We discussed comments relating to test
platform preparation at part E of this
preamble.)
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Measuring water levels
(§ 1215.2(b)(3)(i)(D)). When testing the
stability of bath seats, CPSC staff noted
that it can be difficult to obtain accurate
water level measurements because the
unoccupied bath seat may float when
the test platform is flooded. To address
this, the Commission proposed to add a
clarifying statement: ‘‘For the purpose of
measuring the water level, the product’s
seating surface can be temporarily
weighed down to prevent the seat from
floating.’’
In response to a comment to the NPR
(see part E of this preamble), the final
rule retains this change, but also adds
the following clarifying language: ‘‘The
weight shall be removed following the
measurement of the water level and
prior to conducting the test.’’
e. Leg Opening Requirement
(§ 1215.2(b)(6)(i) Through (8))
According to recent incident reports,
children have fit both legs and their
hips through a single leg hole of a bath
seat that complies with the ASTM
standard. The torso probe specified in
the ASTM standard used to test the size
of the leg openings is not sufficiently
analogous to the human infant in this
wet environment. This has resulted in a
child’s torso fitting through a leg hole
when the ASTM torso probe does not.
The Commission proposed decreasing
the length of the vertical and horizontal
axes of the wood torso probe specified
in the ASTM standard by approximately
five percent and rounding the corners of
the probe resulting in a 1.45″ radius
rather than the current 1″ radius size of
the probe. To accomplish this, the
Commission proposed modifications to
Figure 4 in the ASTM standard that
shows the torso probe. As explained in
the preamble to the NPR (see 74 FR at
45721) and in the response to comments
in section E above, the Commission
believes that changes in the test probe
would not restrict the utility of the
product, but would still allow many
possible designs for bath seats, even
ones which would accommodate large
children.
The NPR also proposed changing (at
§ 1215.2(b)(6)(i) and (7)(i)) the ASTM
standard’s instruction in section 7.7.1
and 7.7.2 of the ASTM standard to
insert the test probe ‘‘* * * in the most
adverse orientation into each opening.’’
The Commission proposed changing
this language because the terms ‘‘the
most’’ appearing with respect to adverse
orientation is open to interpretation.
The final rule retains the proposed
wording that the probe needs to be
inserted ‘‘in all orientations to
determine if any position can create a
slip through and/or entrapment hazard.’’
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f. Size of Warning Label Requirement
(§ 1215.2(b)(9) and(10))
According to the incident data, one
hazard associated with almost all of the
deaths that are reported involving bath
seats is caregivers leaving children
unattended in the bath seat. For
example, of the 23 deaths reported from
2004–2009, where the bath seat product
was certified to meet the stability
requirements of ASTM F 1967–04, 21,
or more than 91%, occurred when
caregivers reported leaving the child for
as little as 1 minute. (This data,
collected by CPSC staff only reflects full
reporting of deaths through 2006.)
While ASTM 1967–07 updated the
language of the warning label (see 1967–
07 section 8.1), the size of the warning
label has not changed in any of the prior
four updates to this standard. (The
previous standards required letters not
less than 0.2 in. (5 mm) in height for the
safety alert symbol, the signal word, and
all other words that are all capital
letters, with all remaining text not less
than 0.1 in. (2.5 mm) in height.) The
warning label explains, among other
things, caregivers should ‘‘ALWAYS
keep baby within adult’s reach.’’ The
final rule doubles the size of this
warning in order to raise the visibility
of this vital information to caregivers.
G. Effective Date
In the NPR, the Commission proposed
that the standard would become
effective six months after publication of
a final rule. The Commission received
no comments on the proposed effective
date. The final rule provides that the
rule will become effective six months
after publication and thus will require
that bath seats manufactured or
imported on or after that date must meet
this standard.
H. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act
(‘‘RFA’’) generally requires that agencies
review final rules for their potential
economic impact on small entities,
including small businesses. 5 U.S.C.
604.
Three firms currently market infant
bath seats in the United States: One
large domestic manufacturer, one small
foreign manufacturer and one small
domestic importer. All of these
companies’ bath seats are expected to
require modifications to meet the bath
seat standard. This final regulatory
flexibility analysis focuses on the small
domestic importer.
As noted in the NPR preamble (see 74
FR at 45722), the effect of the regulation
on importers of bath seats would be felt
indirectly, requiring a shift in suppliers
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rather than the design and production of
a different product. The impact on the
small domestic importer is expected to
be small. The small domestic importer
would most likely respond by
discontinuing the import of its noncomplying bath seat, either replacing
the bath seat with a complying product
or another juvenile product (the firm
currently imports approximately 165
juvenile products, of which three are
substitutes for its imported bath seat).
Hence, even if the cost of developing
a compliant product did prove to be a
barrier for individual small firms, the
loss of bath seats as a product category
is expected to be minor and would
likely be mitigated by increased sales of
competing products, such as multi-stage
infant bathtubs, or entirely different
juvenile products.
I. Environmental Considerations
The Commission’s regulations
provide a categorical exclusion for the
Commission’s safety standards 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)(1). This rule falls within the
categorical exclusion.
J. Paperwork Reduction Act
Sections 8 and 9 of ASTM F 1967–08
contain requirements for marking,
labeling and instructional literature that
are considered ‘‘information collection
requirements’’ under the Paperwork
Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520. In
a separate notice in this issue of the
Federal Register, the Commission is
publishing a notice requesting
comments on this collection of
information.
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.
Therefore, a rule issued under section
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104 of the CPSIA will invoke the
preemptive effect of section 26(a) of the
CPSA when it becomes effective.
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L. Certification
Section 14(a) of the 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, must
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
recognized by the Commission to test
according to the applicable
requirements. As discussed above in
section K, section 104(b)(1)(B) of the
CPSIA refers to standards issued under
that section, such as the rule for infant
bath seats established in this notice, as
‘‘consumer product safety standards.’’ 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.
Because infant bath seats are
children’s products, they must be tested
by a third party conformity assessment
body accredited by the Commission.
The Commission is issuing a separate
notice of requirements to explain how
laboratories can become accredited as a
third party conformity assessment
bodies to test to this new infant bath
seat safety standard. (Infant bath seats
also must comply with all other
applicable CPSC requirements, such as
the lead content requirements of section
101 of the CPSIA and potentially the
phthalate content requirements in
section 108 of the CPSIA should the
bath seat incorporate a toy component,
the tracking label requirement in section
14(a)(5) of the CPSA, and the consumer
registration form requirements in
section 104 of the CPSIA.)
List of Subjects in 16 CFR 1215
Consumer protection, Incorporation
by reference, Imports, Infants and
children, Labeling, Law enforcement,
and Toys.
■ Therefore, the Commission amends
Title 16 of the Code of Federal
Regulations by adding part 1215 to read
as follows:
PART 1215—SAFETY STANDARD FOR
INFANT BATH SEATS
Sec.
1215.1 Scope.
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1215.2
Requirements for infant bath seats.
Authority: The Consumer Product Safety
Improvement Act of 2008, Pub. Law 110–314,
§ 104, 122 Stat. 3016 (August 14, 2008).
§ 1215.1
Scope.
This part 1215 establishes a consumer
product safety standard for infant bath
seats manufactured or imported on or
after December 6, 2010.
§ 1215.2
seats.
Requirements for infant bath
(a) Except as provided in paragraph
(b) of this section, each infant bath seat
shall comply with all applicable
provisions of ASTM F 1967–08a,
Standard Consumer Safety Specification
for Infant Bath Seats, approved
November 1, 2008. 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; telephone
610–832–9585; www.astm.org. You may
inspect a copy at the Office of the
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission, Room 820, 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 1967–
08a standard with the following
additions or exclusions:
(1) Instead of complying with section
3.1.1 of ASTM F 1967–08a, comply with
the following:
(i) 3.1.1 Bath seat, n—an article that
is used in a bath tub, sink, or similar
bathing enclosure and that provides
support, at a minimum, to the front and
back of a seated infant during bathing by
a caregiver. This does not include
products that are designed or intended
to retain water for bathing.
(ii) [Reserved]
(2) In addition to section 6.1 of ASTM
F 1967–08a, comply with the following:
(i) 6.1 Stability—* * * If any time
during the application of force, the seat
is no longer in the initial ‘intended use
position’ and is tilted at an angle of 12
degrees or more from its initial starting
position, it shall be considered a failure.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) Instead of complying with section
7.4.1. of ASTM F 1967–08a, comply
with the following:
(i) 7.4.1 Surface Preparation and
Product Installation:
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(A) 7.4.1.1 Prepare the test surface as
follows:
(B) 7.4.1.2 For all surfaces on the test
platform where the product makes
contact, clean the coverage area (as
defined in 7.4.3.3) with a commercial
cleaner intended for bath tubs, then
wipe the coverage area with alcohol and
allow to dry.
(C) 7.4.1.3 Using a spray bottle
containing a 1:25 mixture of test
solution (see table 1) to distilled water,
immediately before each test run,
thoroughly saturate all test platform
surfaces above the water line where the
product makes contact and where
contact might be expected.
(D) 7.4.1.4 Flood the test platform
with clear water that is at an initial
temperature of 100 to 105° F (37.8 to
10.6° C) and a depth of 2 in. (51 mm)
above the highest point of the occupant
seating surface. Install the product
according to the manufacturer’s
instructions onto the test platform
specified in 7.4.3. For the purpose of
measuring the water level, the product’s
seating surface can be temporarily
weighed down to prevent the seat from
floating. The weight shall be removed
following the measurement of the water
level and prior to conducting the test.
(ii) [Reserved]
(4) After section 7.4.2.2 and before
section 7.4.2.3 of ASTM F 1967–08a,
comply with the following:
(i) Rigidly install an inclinometer to
the test bar above the location where
force is to be applied. The weight of the
inclinometer and the fastening method
shall be less than or equal to 2.2
pounds. The inclinometer shall have a
measurement tolerance of less than or
equal to 0.5 degrees. Measure and
record the pre-test angle of the test bar.
(ii) [Reserved]
(5) Between section 7.4.2.3 (including
Note 2) and section 7.4.2.4 of ASTM F
1967–08a, comply with the following:
(i) Measure and record the maximum
angle of the test bar during the
application of the 17.0 lbf load.
Calculate the absolute value of the
Change in Angle in degrees. Change in
Angle = (Angle measured during test)—
(Angle measured pre-test).
(ii) [Reserved]
(6) Instead of complying with the first
sentence in section 7.7.1 of ASTM F
1967–08a, comply with the following:
(i) 7.7.1 With the bath seat in each of
the manufacturer’s recommended use
position(s), insert the tapered end of the
Bath Seat Torso Probe (see Fig. 4) in all
orientations into each opening. * * *
(ii) [Reserved]
(7) Instead of complying with the first
sentence in section 7.7.2 of ASTM F
1967–08a, comply with the following:
E:\FR\FM\04JNR1.SGM
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Bath Seat Shoulder Probe (see Fig. 6) in
all orientations into each opening.
* * *
(ii) [Reserved]
(8) Instead of Figure 4 of ASTM F
1967–08a, use the following:
(9) Instead of complying with section
8.1.1 of ASTM F 1967–08a, comply with
the following:
(i) 8.1.1 The safety alert symbol, the
signal word, and all other words that are
all capital letters shall be in sans serif
type face with letters not less than 0.4
in. (10 mm) in height, with all
remainder of the text not less than 0.2
in. (5 mm) in height. Specified
warning(s) on both the product and the
package shall be distinctively separated
from any other wording or designs and
shall appear in the English language at
a minimum. They shall also be highly
visible and in a contrasting color to the
background on which they are located.
(ii) [Reserved]
(10) In addition to complying with
section 8.2 of ASTM F 1967–08a,
comply with the following:
(i) 8.2 * * * The specified warnings
may not be placed in a location that
allows the warning(s) to be obscured or
rendered inconspicuous when in the
manufacturer’s recommended use
position.
(ii) [Reserved]
Dated: May 25, 2010.
Todd Stevenson,
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
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14:03 Jun 03, 2010
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BILLING CODE 6355–01–P
PO 00000
25 CFR Part 900
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
25 CFR Part 1000
Bureau of Indian Affairs
25 CFR Part 900
Indian Health Service
25 CFR Part 900
RIN 1076–AE86
Indian Self-Determination Act
Contracts and Annual Funding
Agreements—Appeal Procedures
AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior; Indian Health Service, Health
and Human Services.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) in the Department of the Interior
(DOI) and the Indian Health Service
(IHS) in the Department of Health and
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erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with RULES
(i) 7.7.2 With the bath seat in each of
the manufacturer’s recommended use
position(s), insert the tapered end of the
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 107 (Friday, June 4, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 31691-31699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13073]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 1215
[CPSC Docket No. CPSC-2009-0064]
Safety Standard for Infant Bath Seats: Final Rule
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
of 2008 (``CPSIA'') requires the United States Consumer Product Safety
Commission (``Commission,'' ``CPSC,'' ``we'') 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. We are issuing a
safety standard for infant bath seats in response to the direction
under section 104(b) of the CPSIA.
DATES: The rule will become effective on December 6, 2010 and apply to
products manufactured or imported on or after that date. The
incorporation by reference of the publication listed in this rule is
approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of December 6,
2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Manley, Office of Compliance
and Field Operations, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East
West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504-7607;
cmanley@cpsc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background and Statutory Authority
Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of
2008 (``CPSIA,'' Public Law 110-314) requires the Commission to
promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or
toddler products. Section 104 includes infant bath seats among these
products. See CPSIA, section 104(f). The standards developed under
section 104 of the CPSIA 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.
Section 104(b)(2) of the CPSIA directs the Commission to begin
rulemaking for two standards by August 14, 2009. Under this provision,
the Commission published a notice of proposed rulemaking (``NPR'') in
the Federal Register of September 3, 2009 (74 FR 45719) proposing a
safety standard for bath seats. The proposed standard was substantially
the same as a voluntary standard developed by ASTM International
(formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials),
ASTM F 1967-08a, ``Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Infant
Bath Seats,'' with some modifications to strengthen the standard in
order to reduce the risk of injury associated with bath seats. The
Commission is now issuing a final standard for infant bath seats that
is almost the same as the proposed standard it published in September
2009.
B. The Product
Infant bath seats are used in a tub or sink to support a seated
infant while he or she is being bathed. They are marketed for use with
infants between the age of approximately 5 months (the time at which
infants can sit up unassisted) to the age of approximately 10 months
(the time at which infants begin pulling themselves up to a standing
position). Currently, there are two manufacturers and one importer of
bath seats active in the United States (one fewer than at the time the
Commission published its proposed rule). All are members of the
Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (``JPMA''), which is the
major United States trade association representing juvenile product
manufacturers and importers. All produce a variety of children's
products in addition to bath seats.
The exact number of bath seats currently sold or in use is not
known. Data from a 2005 survey by the American Baby Group (2006 Baby
Products Tracking Study), in conjunction with Centers for Disease
Control (``CDC'') birth data, indicated annual sales of bath seats of
about 1.5 million and about 1.8 million bath seats in use. In 2000,
JPMA estimated annual sales of bath seats at about one million and
estimated up to 2 million bath seats in use for infants under one year
of age.
C. ASTM Voluntary Standard
ASTM F 1967, ``Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Infant
Bath Seats,'' was first published in 1999. Between 2003 and 2007, the
ASTM standard was subsequently revised several times to exclude tub-
like products and to include requirements that the Commission had
proposed in a notice of proposed rulemaking it issued in 2003, 68 FR
74878 (December 29, 2003).
In response to changes in the ASTM standard, the design of bath
seats changed significantly. The new designs use an arm that clamps
onto the side of the bath tub rather than relying on suction cups for
stability. In its proposed rule, the Commission referenced ASTM F 1967-
08a, which was published in December 2008, and contains the same
labeling, stability and leg opening requirements as the 2007 version.
In April 2010, ASTM published a new version of ASTM F 1967. The
differences between the 2008 and 2010 standards are insubstantial (one
word in section 8.1.1). The 2010 version adopted none of the changes
the Commission proposed. Thus, the final standard continues to
reference ASTM F 1967-08a.
JPMA provides certification programs for juvenile products,
including bath seats. Manufacturers submit their products to an
independent testing laboratory to test the product for conformance to
the ASTM standard.
[[Page 31692]]
Currently only one bath seat model is certified to ASTM F 1967-08a.
The ASTM standard includes general requirements common to many ASTM
standards for children's products; performance requirements specific to
bath seats to address the hazards of the bath seat tipping over or the
child becoming entrapped and/or submerged in the leg openings; and
labeling requirements to address the child coming out of the bath seat.
General requirements in the ASTM standard, none of which the
Commission is modifying, include:
Requiring compliance with CPSC's standards concerning
sharp points and edges, small parts, and lead paint (16 CFR parts 1303,
1500.48, 1500.49, 1500.50, 1500.51, and 1501);
Requirements for latching and locking mechanisms;
Requirements to prevent scissoring, shearing and pinching;
Entrapment testing for accessible holes and openings;
Torque/tension test for graspable components; and
A requirement that warning labels be permanent.
The ASTM standard's requirements specifically related to hazards
posed by bath seats (as discussed in part F of this preamble, the
Commission's rule modifies aspects of some of these requirements)
include:
A test for stability performed on a test platform
containing both a slip resistant surface and a smooth surface to test
whether the bath seat may tip over during use;
Requirements for restraint systems requiring passive
crotch restraint to prevent a child from sliding through front or sides
of the seat;
Static load test to test whether the bath seat may break
or become damaged during use;
A requirement that suction cups (if used) adhere to the
bath seat and the surface;
A leg opening requirement to prevent children from sliding
through these openings;
A leg opening requirement restricting the expansiveness of
the seating area to prevent the child from slumping and becoming
entrapped in a reclined position; and
Requirements for warning labels and instruction manual.
D. Incident Data
Since publication of the NPR in the Federal Register of September
3, 2009, the CPSC staff identified five new fatalities and five new
non-fatal incidents, all of which occurred in 2009. Three deaths and
three additional non-fatal incidents involved bath seat products (not
combination infant bath tub-bath seat products) meeting the stability
requirements of either F 1967-04 or F 1967-07. One death involved an
earlier pre-2004 bath seat product and the remaining death involved a
combination infant bath tub-bath seat product that was certified to the
2004 edition of the bath seat and bath ring standard (F 1967-04) but is
no longer being produced. (Combination bath tub-bath seat products are
no longer covered by F 1967 and will be covered by a new separate
infant bath tub-specific standard.) This fatality is not included in
the frequency statistics. The data update for the final rule also
located additional information enabling CPSC staff to identify two 2005
fatality case reports, previously considered to be independent, as
being a single case.
Taking into account these changes in the data, from 1983 through
November 30, 2009, there have been 174 reported fatalities involving
bath seats, although more fatalities may have occurred because fatality
reporting is not considered to be complete for 2006, 2007, 2008, and
2009. All of these fatalities were submersions.
There were 300 non-fatal bath seat incidents reported to CPSC staff
in this 1983 through November 30, 2009 time frame. A submersion hazard
was identified in 154 of these non-fatal incidents of which 117 were
actual submersion incidents. (Submersion is defined as the act of
placing, or the condition of being, under water. A submersion hazard
indicates that submersion is possible, as a direct result of the
incident. An actual submersion is when the victim actually became
submerged as a result of the incident.) The remaining 146 reports were
non-submersion hazards such as lacerations and limb entrapments.
None of the identifiable products involved in the fatal bath seat
incidents were certified to meet ASTM F 1967-08a or its predecessor,
ASTM F 1967-07. Four of the non-fatal incidents involved products
certified to ASTM F 1967-07, neither of which were submersion hazards,
and thus were not life threatening.
Of the 174 fatal incidents, 23 involved products that were
identified as being certified to the 2004 version of the ASTM standard.
Three of these were due to the arm of the bath seat disengaging from
the bath tub. Fifty-four of the non-fatal incidents involved bath seats
certified to the 2004 version of the ASTM voluntary standard.
E. Response to Comments on the NPR of September 3, 2009
The Commission received seven comments on the NPR of September 3,
2009. Four comments from individual consumers supported a mandatory
safety standard for infant bath seats. In addition, the Commission
received three specific comments on various aspects of the NPR. These
three comments were from IISG (an international testing laboratory);
the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA); and one comment
from various consumer groups (Consumers Union, Kids in Danger, and
Consumer Federation of America). These comments and the Commission's
responses to them are discussed below.
1. Leg Opening Requirement
a. Comment: One commenter asked that the rule be clarified to
indicate that the torso probe shall be inserted in a straight direction
and it is not allowed to be inserted partially and then rotated along
some minor axis to make it pass through the hole.
Response: In the NPR, the Commission proposed a change to the
voluntary standard that called for the torso probe to be inserted in
all orientations of the leg openings to determine if any position can
create a slip through and/or entrapment hazard. This change was
proposed because the language in the ASTM standard, which stated that
the probe should be inserted in the most adverse orientation, was open
to interpretation by the person performing the test. The language the
commenter suggests would actually make the requirement less restrictive
than what is already in the voluntary standard. For this reason, the
Commission disagrees with the recommendation.
b. Comment: One commenter argued that the proposed change to the
leg opening torso probe would not have prevented the two incidents
discussed in the NPR when children fit both their legs and hips through
a single leg hole of the bath seat. The commenter asserted that
reducing the leg opening might exacerbate entrapment and ingress and
egress conditions. The commenter believes that the ASTM standard has
optimized this probe size, is consistent with other standards that
provide similar submarining protection, and should not be changed.
Response: Although in these two incidents children did become
entrapped in the leg holes, of more concern is the fact the victims'
pelvis and torso were able to penetrate the leg openings. Once the
pelvis goes through
[[Page 31693]]
the leg hole, the victim is in serious danger of submersion because the
waist and upper torso are more malleable and therefore more capable of
squeezing through the leg holes. Therefore, contrary to the commenter's
characterization of the incidents, the leg holes failed to prevent a
potential submersion condition. The infants were not endangered by the
entrapment as much as they were endangered by their position during
their entrapment. These incidents show a failure in the design of the
torso probe and the leg opening test which was developed to prevent the
manufacture of leg holes that allow a pelvis to fit through them. As a
photograph taken of the actual victim from one of the incidents clearly
shows, in that incident the pelvis had fit through the leg opening. The
current bath seat torso probe used to test the leg openings was based
on probes from other juvenile products that do not normally entail use
with wet, naked babies. The data associated with these two incidents
suggest that the unique use of a bath seat in a watery, soapy
environment requires a smaller probe. Reducing the size of leg openings
by making the torso probe more rounded at the corners and slightly
smaller will prevent future submersion incidents.
The issue of entrapment during ingress and egress is irrelevant to
the leg hole opening test method. The Commission is aware that
consumers have encountered difficulties with getting infants in and out
of some models of bath seats currently sold in the United States.
However, the size and shape of the leg hole opening is only one factor
in the overall design of a bath seat's occupant retention space. Such
features as the shape of the seat, the slope of the supports, and the
thickness and the type of materials used to make the bath seat are not
determined by the performance requirements of the standard. The leg
hole opening test does not dictate any other dimensional or design
requirements for bath seats, leaving the designer ample freedom to
design a bath seat that allows easy entry and exit.
c. Comment: One commenter approved of the proposed change to the
torso probe and conducting testing in all orientations, but stated that
incident data indicate that leg openings on models currently meeting
the ASTM standard may still pose this hazard.
Response: The Commission concurs. The Commission's changes to the
torso probe are intended to address such incidents.
2. Stability Issues
a. Comment: One commenter states that the pass/fail criteria in the
ASTM standard were specifically created to require that both the
attachment disengage from the test platform and that the product fail
to return to the manufacturer's intended use position after being
tested. The commenter asserts that both conditions must be present in
order to constitute a failure. The commenter argues that the proposal
to consider a tilt angle of 12-degrees or more from the bath seat's
initial starting position to be a failure is not indicative of an
unsafe condition and ``is a departure from the primary intent of the
requirement which is to determine if the bath seat tips.''
Response: The two parts of the criteria were added to the ASTM
standard at different times, and there is no language to suggest that
both conditions must be met in order to constitute a failure. If that
were the intent, then there would be no need to add the second pass/
fail criteria because if the bath seat disengaged from the test
platform (condition 1), then obviously it would not return to
the manufacturer's intended use position (condition 2). This
second condition was added in the 2007 standard to address those
situations where a bath seat started tipping, to a degree that could be
hazardous, but did not fully disengage from the tub. The Commission's
modification to the ASTM standard clarifies the intent, as well as
ensuring that a bath seat which significantly tips during the stability
test, but returns to a fully upright condition, is not in compliance
with the requirement.
b. Comment: The same commenter argues that the 12 degree tilt test
``is unrelated to submersion risk and would not reduce the risk of
injury and submersion incidences identified in the incident data. The
risk of submersion presents itself when the position of the product
indicates that the child's head area would be in a compromising
position.''
Response: CPSC agrees with the last statement presented above which
is why the Commission is modifying the ASTM standard to provide a
clearer definition of the pass/fail criteria. If the bath seat is
tilted, children can slump over, lean over, and expose their faces to
the water more easily than if the bath seat is not tilted.
c. Comment: The same commenter states that the 17-pound force used
in the stability testing in the ASTM standard was based on the
assumption that the older user of a bath seat would apply his/her total
weight in the head location when in a seated position. However, the
commenter states, it is more likely that the child would exert only a
percentage of his/her total body weight.
Response: According to the rationale in the ASTM standard
(Appendix, part X1.17), the original basis for the 17-pound force is
that it represents 60 percent of the 95th percentile (27.8 pound) body
weight for oldest users (which was for 12 to 15 month old children at
the time the requirement was developed), not the child's total body
weight. A review of the incident data shows that fatal incidents that
occurred in the newer style bath seats (which are designed for children
who cannot yet pull themselves to a standing position) involved babies
whose weights ranged from 15 to 30 pounds, with at least two of the
victims (ages 8 and 9 months) being 30 pounds at the time of their
deaths. Thus, it is foreseeable that a child of this size may use the
product and, as the commenter recognizes, exert a percentage of his/her
body weight. Thus, the 17-pound force is still valid.
d. Comment: The same commenter argues that the Commission's change
to the failure definition (adding the 12 degree tilt angle test) would
prohibit even ``infinitesimal movements'' of the bath seat with little
affect on safety.
Response: The Commission disagrees that this additional requirement
would prohibit infinitesimal movement. The ASTM standard could be
interpreted very strictly to not allow any movement or tilt of the bath
seat from the original position. By adding the 12 degree tilt limit,
the stability test allows bath seats some controlled flexibility.
e. Comment: The same commenter asserts that the 12 degree tilt
angle is random and lacks any rationale as to how exceeding this angle
could result in a compromising unsafe condition.
Response: In developing this requirement, CPSC staff conducted an
analysis looking at various water levels and possible head positions of
occupants vs. angles of bath seats to determine what level of tilt was
potentially hazardous. In addition, CPSC staff looked at other ASTM
standards, such as those for infant bouncer seats and toys which use a
10 degree table or tilt when testing for stability. Lastly, staff
acknowledged that the requirement must allow for the ductility of the
aluminum rod test fixture combined with some expected ductility or
flexing of the bath seat itself. Therefore, the staff conducted testing
to determine the maximum level of tilt that might be expected solely
due to the flexibility of the bath seat and the test rig. As a result
of this work, staff
[[Page 31694]]
selected a tilt angle of 12 degrees as the pass/fail criteria to insure
passing products will remain in the manufacturer's intended use
position.
Thus, the 12 degree angle will allow for some inherent flexibility
in the system (the product and the test rig) as a whole, but would fail
a bath seat that: (1) Stayed firmly clamped to the bath tub but the
bath seat itself experienced significant ductility (i.e., its ability
to be fashioned into a new form or drawn out without breaking) or
flexibility (12 degrees or more) during the testing; or (2) had a
clamping mechanism that lost firm contact with the bath tub and allowed
the bath seat to tilt 12 degrees or more during the test.
f. Comment: The same commenter argues that, so long as the product
remains attached, the angle at which it may tilt during testing does
not affect the safety of the bath seat. The commenter asks, if the
product were to reach a 15 degree angle, how would this angle result in
an unsafe condition if the product remains attached?
Response: CPSC disagrees with the commenter's assertion that the
condition of the product during the test has no bearing on safety. In
the test, a 17-pound load is applied and then released. In real life,
if a child leans over a bath seat railing, he/she may not be able to
sit back upright. Young infants do not have a good sense of balance,
and the more the bath seat allows them to tilt forward, the less likely
they will be able to return to an upright position. If a child's body
remains tilted forward, this could result in his/her face becoming
submerged in the water. Once an infant's face is submerged, the infant
may not pull his/her face out of the water. Infants may be physically
capable of lifting their heads, but they may not do so because they do
not recognize the need to do so or because they breathe in a lungful of
water before trying to lift their head. Bath seats should never allow
an infant's face to be submerged under water. In addition, another
argument against allowing any significant tilt during the test is that
the more the seat tilts forward, the higher the likelihood for a child
to crawl out of the seat. When the seat is far enough forward, even if
it has not tipped over, the child can stand (hunched over) on his/her
feet with legs still through the leg holes, and this would also make a
tilted seat hazardous.
g. Comment: One commenter agreed that the pass/fail criteria in the
ASTM stability requirements need clarification, but recommended that
the Commission consider any movement from the bath seat's originally
fixed position to be a failure.
Response: There are three ways that a bath seat can fail the
stability requirement as proposed in the NPR (and finalized in the
rule): (1) If the bath seat tips over (and remains tipped over after
the test); (2) if any attachment point disengages from (is no longer in
contact with) the test platform (bath tub) and the bath seat fails to
return to the manufacturer's recommended use position after the test;
and (3) if the measured tilt angle during the test ever exceeds 12
degrees.
The first two pass/fail criteria above were already required under
the voluntary standard, and the third one was proposed by CPSC as a new
additional requirement in the NPR, and is also in the final rule. With
regard to the third criteria, there are two different ways in which a
bath seat can tilt during stability testing. The first is the tilt that
might occur when the bath seat attachment slips or moves from its
original fixed position. The second is the tilt that can occur due to
the flexibility between all the parts of the bath seat and the bath
seat test fixture (the aluminum rod and clamping devices). Depending on
the product, it is possible to have both factors contribute to the
tilt, or just have the second factor contribute to the tilt.
There is no way to eliminate the flexibility of the system (the
bath seat and the test fixture) entirely. The flexibility of the
aluminum rod itself can result in a two degree tilt. When the clamping
fixtures and then the expected flexibility of the plastic used in the
product are added, there is inherent flexibility in the system that
cannot be totally eliminated. A tilt test must allow for this
flexibility among all the components of the system. Twelve degrees
allows for some practical amount of flexibility that is inherent in a
bath seat and the test rig, but is still not a significant tilt angle
that might compromise the safety of the occupant.
3. Changes to Test Platform Preparation
Comment: One commenter stated that, while it agrees with the
application of the soap solution inside and outside of the tub, it
believes that the soap solution should be applied once the product has
been installed, if manufacturers present this as a prerequisite to use
in instructional literature because clamping mechanisms rely on a clean
tub side surface for effectiveness.
Response: Regardless of instructional literature or warnings, it is
foreseeable that caregivers will install the bath seat on a wet and
soapy tub; therefore, bath seats should be tested under such
conditions.
4. Weighing the Seat Down
Comment: One commenter recommended adding a statement requiring
removal of the weight once the seat is flooded to eliminate the
potential for a counterweight to be included during the test.
Response: The Commission agrees with this comment and has included
such a statement in the final rule.
5. Maximum Water Level
Comment: One commenter recommended that all bath seats be labeled
to indicate a maximum water level to be used. The comment stated that,
because 96% of all deaths, injuries, and other incidents involve bath
seats used in water depths greater than one or two inches, the fill
line demarcation should be specified at depths of no greater than two
inches.
Response: The Commission is concerned that a water line could imply
a safe water level. However, children can drown in very little water.
In addition, because of various bath seat designs, some of which may
elevate the bath seat, two inches of water in the tub can correspond to
a water level insufficient to cover the occupant's legs. Thus, the
maximum water level recommended would change based on the design of the
bath seat, and would not necessarily reflect a ``safe level''. The
Commission believes that the ASTM wording required in the user
instruction, ``Babies can drown in as little as 1 inch of water. ALWAYS
bathe your infant using as little water as necessary,'' describes the
risk associated with any level of water in a more accurate manner. If
there was a water line indicator that could visually express the
increasing risk with increasing water depth without implying that a
shallow level was ``safe,'' then CPSC staff may agree with the
suggestion. At this time, CPSC staff does not believe a maximum water
level requirement should be added to the standard, but does believe it
is something that manufacturers could consider for their products. CPSC
staff will continue to monitor this issue and the Commission could add
such a requirement in the future if it is feasible.
6. Incident Data
Comment: One comment notes that the numbers of fatalities stated in
the NPR do not reflect the increased fatality rate of recent years.
Although the 171 reported fatalities involving bath seats from 1983
through 2008 represents an average of 6.6 reported deaths per year over
the 26 year period, an analysis of the most recent years for which
there is
[[Page 31695]]
complete data (1998 through 2007) shows an average of 9.7 reported
deaths per year--nearly 50 percent more than stated. The commenter
notes that, in comparison, baby bath tubs (a popular alternative)
showed an average fatality rate of only 1.7 deaths per year during this
same time period.
Response: Some fatalities in recent years involved older products.
Caution should be used in any analysis since this product, its
standards, and markets have changed significantly over the years.
Comparisons between bath seats and infant bath tubs are not
straightforward due to differences in the product and target
population. Also, incidents are voluntarily reported and represent a
minimum count. An updated memorandum of incident data was provided as
part of the briefing package for the final rule.
7. Risks Related to Bath Seats and Risks Related to Bath Tubs
Comment: The same commenter noted that comparing the risks related
to bath seats and those related to bath tubs indicates that the ASTM F
1967 standard has not been effective in reducing infant deaths in bath
seats and that bath seats are inherently more dangerous than infant
bath tubs.
Response: Risk analysis is very difficult to perform with these
products due to changes in the market, standards, and product. Without
accurate usage data, it was not possible for CPSC staff to perform this
analysis. Comparisons between bath seats and infant bath tubs are not
straightforward due to differences in the product and target
population. Based on the ownership data that is available for infant
bath seats and infant bath tubs, it is clear that infant bath tubs are
far more prevalent than infant bath seats. It is also clear that many
of those surveyed own both products, possibly using them at different
stages in their child's development. It is also apparent that ownership
rates for bath seats increased substantially between 1993 and 2002, but
have since dropped off. In 2004, the ASTM standard was significantly
modified (with additional changes made in 2007 and 2008), which means
that determining the effectiveness of the voluntary standard requires
examining the incidents with pre-2004 infant bath seats and comparing
them to incidents involving post-2004 bath seats--in particular those
that comply with the voluntary standard. Therefore, looking at only the
number of annual incidents is insufficient to evaluate the voluntary
standard's effectiveness or to evaluate its likely effectiveness, were
it mandatory.
8. Unattended Bath Seats
Comment: One commenter stated that the bath seat standard must
address the primary hazard pattern with these products--leaving an
infant unattended--and encouraged the CPSC to ``explore technology to
ensure that it would be difficult to use a bath seat unless a caregiver
is in close proximity to the product.''
Response: The Commission is open to suggestions to overcome the
tendency of caregivers to feel confident leaving children unsupervised
in bath seats. To date, no practical solutions to this serious problem
have been developed, except for warning labels, which were last
strengthened in the ASTM voluntary standard in 2007.
9. CPSIA Process
a. Comment: One commenter stated that the Commission ``should not
modify existing effective standards unless it can clearly substantiate
on the record before it that such changes will provide a demonstrable
reduction of injury.'' The commenter noted that the ASTM standard was
originally published in 1999 and has undergone several revisions since
then through the ASTM subcommittee and task group process and that CPSC
has participated in this process. The commenter states that it sees
``little value in revising the current requirements in this standard by
using the NPR regulatory process'' and is ``concerned that the
imposition of additional requirements without demonstrable evidence
that they will both enhance bath safety and not create unintended
entrapment related hazards, will restrict the availability of
potentially lifesaving products.''
Response: Section 104(b) of the CPSIA requires the Commission to
use the notice and comment rulemaking process under the Administrative
Procedure Act to promulgate consumer product safety standards for
durable infant or toddler products. The CPSIA directs the Commission to
issue a rule that is ``substantially the same as'' the applicable
voluntary standard or ``more stringent than'' the voluntary standard if
the more stringent standard ``would further reduce the risk of injury
associated with the product.'' See section 104(b)(1)(B) of the CPSIA.
The statute does not require that the Commission, in the commenter's
words, ``clearly substantiate on the record before it that such change
will provide a demonstrable reduction in injury.'' Section 104 of the
CPSIA takes durable infant or toddler products out of the Commission's
usual rulemaking procedure and all of the findings that would be
required under sections 7 and 9 of the Consumer Product Safety Act
(``CPSA''). For these products, Congress wanted ``the highest level of
safety for such products that is feasible.'' See section 104(b)(2) of
the CPSIA. The Commission recognizes that the ASTM standard has been in
place for numerous years and has been refined through ASTM's standard-
setting process. Nevertheless, incidents continue to occur. Under the
mandate of section 104 of the CPSIA, the Commission is promulgating
more stringent requirements where necessary to address certain design
features that CPSC staff believes contribute to some of these
continuing deaths and torso entrapments. The staff has conducted
testing and performed analyses to support the requirements that are
different from the ASTM requirements and that it believes will reduce
the risk of injury from infant bath seats.
b. Comment: The same commenter states that it believes ``the most
streamlined approach to following the primary congressional mandate
that standards required to be developed are to be `substantially the
same as' applicable voluntary standards, would be to adopt a regulation
that wholly adopts the existing ASTM standard, with the ability to
subject it to the ASTM update and review process. CPSC can assure
itself veto authority as part of an implementing regulation, which
provides it with the ability to restrict diminution of effective ASTM
standard provisions, similar to the authority applicable under CPSIA
Section 106, as a check to changes that reduce stringent protections.''
The commenter suggests that CPSC adopt ASTM F 1967-08a as a consumer
product safety standard issued by the Commission under section 9 of the
CPSA and that any additional changes to the pending ASTM standard be
submitted to the ASTM standard setting process. The commenter states,
``this process could also incorporate a provision by rule that a
reservation of right to the CPSC to object to any subsequent revisions
to the ASTM Standard, similar to that afforded under CPSIA Section
106(g).''
Response: The standard the Commission proposed for infant bath
seats incorporates by reference most of ASTM F 1967-08a with a few
modifications to strengthen the standard. Section 104(b) of the CPSIA
sets forth the procedure for these standards for durable infant or
toddler products, and it is different from what Congress provided in
section 106 of the CPSIA. It is doubtful that the Commission, by rule,
could change the procedure Congress provided for rules
[[Page 31696]]
under section 104 of the CPSIA to the one Congress provided for rules
under section 106 of the CPSIA.
F. Assessment of Voluntary Standard ASTM F 1967-08a and Description of
the Final Rule
1. Section 104(b) of the CPSIA: Consultation and CPSC Staff Review
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 2008 during
the ASTM subcommittee meeting regarding the ASTM infant bath seat
voluntary standard. The Commission has reviewed the incident data and
the ASTM F 1967-08a standard and conducted testing on bath seats to
assess the ASTM standard.
Consistent with section 104(b) of the CPSIA, this rule establishes
a new 16 CFR part 1215, ``Safety Standard for Bath Seats.'' The new
part incorporates by reference the requirements for bath seats in ASTM
F 1967-08a with certain changes to specific provisions to strengthen
the ASTM standard as discussed below. These modifications are almost
identical to the changes the Commission proposed in the NPR of
September 3, 2009. Differences from the NPR are noted in the discussion
below.
2. Description of the Final Rule, Including Changes to the ASTM
Standard's Requirements
While most requirements of the ASTM standard are sufficient to
reduce the risk of injury posed by bath seats, the Commission has
determined to modify several provisions in the standard to make them
more stringent and further reduce the risk of injury and to clarify the
test procedures. The following discussion describes the final rule,
including changes to the ASTM requirements, and notes any changes from
the NPR. In addition, some editing and formatting changes have been
made which make the final text different from the NPR. These changes
were made at the request of the Office of the Federal Register and do
not alter the substance of the rule.
a. Scope (Sec. 1215.1)
The final rule states that part 1215 establishes a consumer product
safety standard for infant bath seats manufactured or imported on or
after a date which would be six months after the date of publication of
a final rule in the Federal Register.
The Commission received no comments on this provision in the NPR
and is finalizing it without change.
b. Incorporation by Reference (Sec. 1215.2(a))
Section 1215.2(a) explains that, except as provided in Sec.
1215.2(b), each infant bath seat must comply with all applicable
provisions of ASTM F 1967-08a, ``Standard Consumer Safety Specification
for Infant Bath Seats,'' which is incorporated by reference. Section
1215.2(a) also provides information on how to obtain a copy of the ASTM
standard or to inspect a copy of the standard at the CPSC.
The Commission received no comments on this provision in the NPR
and is finalizing it without change.
c. Definition of Bath Seat (Sec. 1215.2(b)(1)(i))
In the NPR, the Commission proposed changing the definition of bath
seat to the definition in a previous NPR the Commission had issued in
2003--``an article that is used in a bath tub, sink, or similar bathing
enclosure and that provides support, at a minimum, to the front and
back of a seated infant during bathing by a caregiver * * *.''
The Commission received no comments on this provision and is
finalizing it without change.
d. Stability Requirement
Limiting the tilt of the bath seat (Sec. 1215.2(b)(2)(i),
(b)(4)(i), and (b)(5)(i)). As discussed in the preamble to the proposed
rule (74 FR at 45720 through 45721), when testing bath seats, CPSC
staff found that the clamping mechanism on the JPMA-certified bath seat
lifted from the side of the tub and continued to tip when force was
applied. The clamp did not disengage from the tub, but the arm rest
contact points were no longer in contact with the tub surface. This
situation allows for possible misinterpretation of the ASTM standard's
pass/fail criteria because the bath seat tilted from its original
position while the clamp remained attached to the side of the tub.
Moreover, this scenario could present a hazard to an infant using a
bath seat. As explained in greater detail in the response to comments
in section E of this preamble above, with the bath seat in this
position an infant could submerge his/her face in the water, and the
tilt of the seat could increase the likelihood the infant will crawl
out of the seat. Thus, the NPR proposed a requirement to limit the
allowable tilt angle of the bath seat during the stability test. This
modification is added in several places of the ASTM standard: To
section 6.1, between sections 7.4.2.2 and 7.4.2.3, and between sections
7.4.2.3 and 7.4.2.4. The Commission proposed that a bath seat capable
of tilting 12 degrees or more during testing be considered a failure.
This limit was determined after measuring, and allowing for the
flexibility of, current products. CPSC staff also considered other ASTM
standards such as those for infant bouncer seats and toys. These
standards use a 10 degree table or tilt when testing stability, and so
the Commission proposed a tilt angle just above that level.
The final rule retains the 12 degree tilt limit. (We discussed
comments relating to stability at part E of this preamble.)
The final rule also clarifies the language in section 6.1 of the
ASTM standard to make it consistent with the definition of bath seat.
This is a change from the NPR. Thus, the final rule removes the
beginning phrase in section 6.1: ``for bath seats which provide support
for an occupant's back and support for the sides or front of the
occupant or both.'' Given the definition of bath seat in the final
rule, this phrase is redundant, and the final rule, therefore,
eliminates it.
Clarifying the order of steps in the stability test (Sec.
1215.2(b)(3)). The final rule retains other proposed changes clarifying
the order of steps to be performed when conducting the stability test.
The Commission proposed re-ordering the steps specified in the ASTM
standard for preparing the test surface and installing the bath seat to
clarify that the test platform should be flooded before installing the
bath seat.
Test solution application (Sec. 1215.2(b)(3)(i)(B)). The
Commission proposed that a test solution be applied to all areas where
the product may make contact while in use. As explained in the NPR's
preamble (74 FR at 45721), the ASTM standard requires that a soapy test
solution ``thoroughly saturate the coverage area'' which is defined in
the ASTM standard as any internal surface of the tub well or tub bottom
that makes contact with the product. In its testing of bath seats, CPSC
staff found that spraying the soap solution on the top and outer
surface contact points as well as the interior surfaces affected the
final position of the bath seat and therefore could affect the results
of the test. The Commission recognizes that the outside of a tub may
become wet, and this may affect the ability of a bath seat's attachment
arm to remain stable. The final rule retains this requirement. (We
discussed comments relating to test platform preparation at part E of
this preamble.)
[[Page 31697]]
Measuring water levels (Sec. 1215.2(b)(3)(i)(D)). When testing the
stability of bath seats, CPSC staff noted that it can be difficult to
obtain accurate water level measurements because the unoccupied bath
seat may float when the test platform is flooded. To address this, the
Commission proposed to add a clarifying statement: ``For the purpose of
measuring the water level, the product's seating surface can be
temporarily weighed down to prevent the seat from floating.''
In response to a comment to the NPR (see part E of this preamble),
the final rule retains this change, but also adds the following
clarifying language: ``The weight shall be removed following the
measurement of the water level and prior to conducting the test.''
e. Leg Opening Requirement (Sec. 1215.2(b)(6)(i) Through (8))
According to recent incident reports, children have fit both legs
and their hips through a single leg hole of a bath seat that complies
with the ASTM standard. The torso probe specified in the ASTM standard
used to test the size of the leg openings is not sufficiently analogous
to the human infant in this wet environment. This has resulted in a
child's torso fitting through a leg hole when the ASTM torso probe does
not. The Commission proposed decreasing the length of the vertical and
horizontal axes of the wood torso probe specified in the ASTM standard
by approximately five percent and rounding the corners of the probe
resulting in a 1.45'' radius rather than the current 1'' radius size of
the probe. To accomplish this, the Commission proposed modifications to
Figure 4 in the ASTM standard that shows the torso probe. As explained
in the preamble to the NPR (see 74 FR at 45721) and in the response to
comments in section E above, the Commission believes that changes in
the test probe would not restrict the utility of the product, but would
still allow many possible designs for bath seats, even ones which would
accommodate large children.
The NPR also proposed changing (at Sec. 1215.2(b)(6)(i) and
(7)(i)) the ASTM standard's instruction in section 7.7.1 and 7.7.2 of
the ASTM standard to insert the test probe ``* * * in the most adverse
orientation into each opening.'' The Commission proposed changing this
language because the terms ``the most'' appearing with respect to
adverse orientation is open to interpretation. The final rule retains
the proposed wording that the probe needs to be inserted ``in all
orientations to determine if any position can create a slip through
and/or entrapment hazard.''
f. Size of Warning Label Requirement (Sec. 1215.2(b)(9) and(10))
According to the incident data, one hazard associated with almost
all of the deaths that are reported involving bath seats is caregivers
leaving children unattended in the bath seat. For example, of the 23
deaths reported from 2004-2009, where the bath seat product was
certified to meet the stability requirements of ASTM F 1967-04, 21, or
more than 91%, occurred when caregivers reported leaving the child for
as little as 1 minute. (This data, collected by CPSC staff only
reflects full reporting of deaths through 2006.)
While ASTM 1967-07 updated the language of the warning label (see
1967-07 section 8.1), the size of the warning label has not changed in
any of the prior four updates to this standard. (The previous standards
required letters not less than 0.2 in. (5 mm) in height for the safety
alert symbol, the signal word, and all other words that are all capital
letters, with all remaining text not less than 0.1 in. (2.5 mm) in
height.) The warning label explains, among other things, caregivers
should ``ALWAYS keep baby within adult's reach.'' The final rule
doubles the size of this warning in order to raise the visibility of
this vital information to caregivers.
G. Effective Date
In the NPR, the Commission proposed that the standard would become
effective six months after publication of a final rule. The Commission
received no comments on the proposed effective date. The final rule
provides that the rule will become effective six months after
publication and thus will require that bath seats manufactured or
imported on or after that date must meet this standard.
H. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (``RFA'') generally requires that
agencies review final rules for their potential economic impact on
small entities, including small businesses. 5 U.S.C. 604.
Three firms currently market infant bath seats in the United
States: One large domestic manufacturer, one small foreign manufacturer
and one small domestic importer. All of these companies' bath seats are
expected to require modifications to meet the bath seat standard. This
final regulatory flexibility analysis focuses on the small domestic
importer.
As noted in the NPR preamble (see 74 FR at 45722), the effect of
the regulation on importers of bath seats would be felt indirectly,
requiring a shift in suppliers rather than the design and production of
a different product. The impact on the small domestic importer is
expected to be small. The small domestic importer would most likely
respond by discontinuing the import of its non-complying bath seat,
either replacing the bath seat with a complying product or another
juvenile product (the firm currently imports approximately 165 juvenile
products, of which three are substitutes for its imported bath seat).
Hence, even if the cost of developing a compliant product did prove
to be a barrier for individual small firms, the loss of bath seats as a
product category is expected to be minor and would likely be mitigated
by increased sales of competing products, such as multi-stage infant
bathtubs, or entirely different juvenile products.
I. Environmental Considerations
The Commission's regulations provide a categorical exclusion for
the Commission's safety standards 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)(1). This rule falls within the categorical exclusion.
J. Paperwork Reduction Act
Sections 8 and 9 of ASTM F 1967-08 contain requirements for
marking, labeling and instructional literature that are considered
``information collection requirements'' under the Paperwork Reduction
Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. In a separate notice in this issue of the
Federal Register, the Commission is publishing a notice requesting
comments on this collection of information.
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. Therefore, a rule
issued under section
[[Page 31698]]
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 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, must 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 recognized by the
Commission to test according to the applicable requirements. As
discussed above in section K, section 104(b)(1)(B) of the CPSIA refers
to standards issued under that section, such as the rule for infant
bath seats established in this notice, as ``consumer product safety
standards.'' 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.
Because infant bath seats are children's products, they must be
tested by a third party conformity assessment body accredited by the
Commission. The Commission is issuing a separate notice of requirements
to explain how laboratories can become accredited as a third party
conformity assessment bodies to test to this new infant bath seat
safety standard. (Infant bath seats also must comply with all other
applicable CPSC requirements, such as the lead content requirements of
section 101 of the CPSIA and potentially the phthalate content
requirements in section 108 of the CPSIA should the bath seat
incorporate a toy component, the tracking label requirement in section
14(a)(5) of the CPSA, and the consumer registration form requirements
in section 104 of the CPSIA.)
List of Subjects in 16 CFR 1215
Consumer protection, Incorporation by reference, Imports, Infants
and children, Labeling, Law enforcement, and Toys.
0
Therefore, the Commission amends Title 16 of the Code of Federal
Regulations by adding part 1215 to read as follows:
PART 1215--SAFETY STANDARD FOR INFANT BATH SEATS
Sec.
1215.1 Scope.
1215.2 Requirements for infant bath seats.
Authority: The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008,
Pub. Law 110-314, Sec. 104, 122 Stat. 3016 (August 14, 2008).
Sec. 1215.1 Scope.
This part 1215 establishes a consumer product safety standard for
infant bath seats manufactured or imported on or after December 6,
2010.
Sec. 1215.2 Requirements for infant bath seats.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each
infant bath seat shall comply with all applicable provisions of ASTM F
1967-08a, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Infant Bath Seats,
approved November 1, 2008. 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; telephone 610-832-9585; www.astm.org. You may inspect a copy
at the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, Room 820, 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 1967-08a standard with the following
additions or exclusions:
(1) Instead of complying with section 3.1.1 of ASTM F 1967-08a,
comply with the following:
(i) 3.1.1 Bath seat, n--an article that is used in a bath tub,
sink, or similar bathing enclosure and that provides support, at a
minimum, to the front and back of a seated infant during bathing by a
caregiver. This does not include products that are designed or intended
to retain water for bathing.
(ii) [Reserved]
(2) In addition to section 6.1 of ASTM F 1967-08a, comply with the
following:
(i) 6.1 Stability--* * * If any time during the application of
force, the seat is no longer in the initial `intended use position' and
is tilted at an angle of 12 degrees or more from its initial starting
position, it shall be considered a failure.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) Instead of complying with section 7.4.1. of ASTM F 1967-08a,
comply with the following:
(i) 7.4.1 Surface Preparation and Product Installation:
(A) 7.4.1.1 Prepare the test surface as follows:
(B) 7.4.1.2 For all surfaces on the test platform where the product
makes contact, clean the coverage area (as defined in 7.4.3.3) with a
commercial cleaner intended for bath tubs, then wipe the coverage area
with alcohol and allow to dry.
(C) 7.4.1.3 Using a spray bottle containing a 1:25 mixture of test
solution (see table 1) to distilled water, immediately before each test
run, thoroughly saturate all test platform surfaces above the water
line where the product makes contact and where contact might be
expected.
(D) 7.4.1.4 Flood the test platform with clear water that is at an
initial temperature of 100 to 105[deg] F (37.8 to 10.6[deg] C) and a
depth of 2 in. (51 mm) above the highest point of the occupant seating
surface. Install the product according to the manufacturer's
instructions onto the test platform specified in 7.4.3. For the purpose
of measuring the water level, the product's seating surface can be
temporarily weighed down to prevent the seat from floating. The weight
shall be removed following the measurement of the water level and prior
to conducting the test.
(ii) [Reserved]
(4) After section 7.4.2.2 and before section 7.4.2.3 of ASTM F
1967-08a, comply with the following:
(i) Rigidly install an inclinometer to the test bar above the
location where force is to be applied. The weight of the inclinometer
and the fastening method shall be less than or equal to 2.2 pounds. The
inclinometer shall have a measurement tolerance of less than or equal
to 0.5 degrees. Measure and record the pre-test angle of the test bar.
(ii) [Reserved]
(5) Between section 7.4.2.3 (including Note 2) and section 7.4.2.4
of ASTM F 1967-08a, comply with the following:
(i) Measure and record the maximum angle of the test bar during the
application of the 17.0 lbf load. Calculate the absolute value of the
Change in Angle in degrees. Change in Angle = (Angle measured during
test)--(Angle measured pre-test).
(ii) [Reserved]
(6) Instead of complying with the first sentence in section 7.7.1
of ASTM F 1967-08a, comply with the following:
(i) 7.7.1 With the bath seat in each of the manufacturer's
recommended use position(s), insert the tapered end of the Bath Seat
Torso Probe (see Fig. 4) in all orientations into each opening. * * *
(ii) [Reserved]
(7) Instead of complying with the first sentence in section 7.7.2
of ASTM F 1967-08a, comply with the following:
[[Page 31699]]
(i) 7.7.2 With the bath seat in each of the manufacturer's
recommended use position(s), insert the tapered end of the Bath Seat
Shoulder Probe (see Fig. 6) in all orientations into each opening. * *
*
(ii) [Reserved]
(8) Instead of Figure 4 of ASTM F 1967-08a, use the following:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR04JN10.000
(9) Instead of complying with section 8.1.1 of ASTM F 1967-08a,
comply with the following:
(i) 8.1.1 The safety alert symbol, the signal word, and all other
words that are all capital letters shall be in sans serif type face
with letters not less than 0.4 in. (10 mm) in height, with all
remainder of the text not less than 0.2 in. (5 mm) in height. Specified
warning(s) on both the product and the package shall be distinctively
separated from any other wording or designs and shall appear in the
English language at a minimum. They shall also be highly visible and in
a contrasting color to the background on which they are located.
(ii) [Reserved]
(10) In addition to complying with section 8.2 of ASTM F 1967-08a,
comply with the following:
(i) 8.2 * * * The specified warnings may not be placed in a
location that allows the warning(s) to be obscured or rendered
inconspicuous when in the manufacturer's recommended use position.
(ii) [Reserved]
Dated: May 25, 2010.
Todd Stevenson,
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2010-13073 Filed 6-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P