U.S. – CPSC Amends 16 CFR 1234 Safety Standard for Infant Bathtubs

Vol. 1313 | 01 Jul 2022

On Jun 24th, 2022, The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a direct final rule in the Federal Register amending 16 CFR Part 1234, Safety Standard for Infant Bathtubs. The direct final rule replaces 16 CRF 1234, in reference to the ASTM F2670-18, the previous version of the standard, with a reference to the ASTM F2670-22, the current version of the standard. This direct final rule will become effective on September 24, 2022. Hence infant bathtubs manufactured on or after September 24, 2022, will have to meet the requirements in the ASTM F2670-22 standard. In addition, the Certification, per 16 CFR 1110, of the infant bathtubs manufactured on and after September 24, 2022, shall be based on testing to the ASTM F2670-22 standard.

ASTM F2670-22 has the same requirements as the previous version, ASTM F2670-18, with the following revisions:

• Resistance to collapse renamed as Latching and Locking Mechanism(s) along with adding a requirement to this section that products that fold must have a latching and locking mechanism(s) or other means to prevent the product from folding or collapsing in a manner that puts the occupant at risk of injury by falling out of the product or being subjected to contact or pressure by-product components.
• Addition of the following marking and labeling requirements for battery-operated infant bathtubs:
  • Markings indicating the size, polarity, and voltage
  • Button cell battery warnings
  • Battery cautionary and warning statements
• Technical and administrative changes to improve the clarity of the standard

The final rule can be viewed at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-06-24/pdf/2022-13255.pdf

A copy of the ASTM F2670-22 standard can be purchased from: https://www.astm.org/f2670-22.html

For questions, please contact Matthew Nudell (matthew.nudell@intertek.com, +1 716-225-9006) or Dr. Pratik Ichhaporia (pratik.ichhaporia@intertek.com, +1 847 212 8273)