U.S. – CPSC Approves 16 CFR 1228 Safety Standard for Sling Carriers

Vol. 948 | 07 Feb 2017

As part of the rulemaking process required by Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted 3-2 to approve the final rule 16 CFR 1228, Safety Standard for Sling Carriersⁱ.

The rule adopts the current version of the ASTM standard for Sling Carriers, ASTM F2907-15ⁱⁱ with one additional subsection intended to strengthen the effectiveness of the standard. The additional subsection, addresses the issue of sewn-in labels affixed only at end of the label that may be easily removed/altered by requiring that warning labels attached to the product by seams, be in contact with the fabric along the entire perimeter of the label. This modification intends to ensure that the warning label stays on the product during its useful life including transfer from one consumer to another and if removed, would either clearly indicate that information was missing or might damage the product. This additional subsection reads as follows:

“5.7.3 Warning labels that are attached to the fabric with seams shall remain in contact with the fabric around the entire perimeter of the label, when the sling is in all manufacturer-recommended use positions.”

In order to align with the federal rule as quickly as possible, the ASTM subcommittee is already in the process to consider revising the F2907-15 standard to add this CPSC requirement.

Other key safety issues addressed by the new federal safety standard include:

• Laundering;
• Monofilament threads;
• Flammability;
• Marking and labeling; and
• Instructional literature

This rule is effective January 30, 2018. Sling Carriers manufactured on and after this date shall meet requirements of this rule. In addition the sling carriers manufactured on and after this date will also require certification per 16 CFR 1110 based on testing at a CPSC approved Third party accreditation body (third party lab) for 16 CFR 1228.

For questions, please contact Laxmi Ravikumar (laxmi.ravikumar@intertek.com, 630-209-9265).

 

ⁱhttps://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-01-30/pdf/2017-01285.pdf
ⁱⁱhttps://www.astm.org/Standards/F2907.htm