CPSC Proposes New Safety Standard for Baby Changing Products, Including Tables

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is proposing a new safety standard on baby changing products, including changing tables (here). The proposed rule would mostly adopt the industry standard ASTM F2388-16, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Baby Changing Tables for Domestic Use. CPSC would impose “more stringent requirements” than the ASTM standard for “structural integrity, restraint system integrity, and warnings on labels and in instructional literature,” it said. Comments are due Dec. 13.

The standard would apply to “baby changing tables and other changing products,” CPSC said. The industry standard defines “'changing tables' as ‘elevated, freestanding structures’ designed ‘to support and retain a child’ with a body weight up to 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) for the purpose of a diaper change,” the commission said. “Changing tables may convert to other furniture pieces, such as dressers or play yards, and they may have storage or other pull-out or drop-down features.” The ASTM standard also applies to “other changing products, such as contoured changing pads and add-on changing units that are sold separately for use on furniture products other than changing tables. Contoured changing pads have barriers designed to keep children up to 30 pounds on the pad for diaper changes on elevated surfaces. Add-on changing units are used with pieces of furniture to provide changing surfaces and/or barriers to keep children on the products during diaper changes,” CPSC said.

(Federal Register 9/29/16)