U.S. – CPSC Issues Final Rule Establishing Safety Standard for Crib Mattresses 16 CFR Part 1241

Vol. 1295 | 17 Mar 2022

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a final rule establishing a safety standard for crib mattresses. The final rule was developed based on product use, market study, review of incident data from hazards patterns associated with crib mattress use, product recalls, and consumer feedback. The scope of the standard includes full-size crib mattresses, non-full-sized crib mattresses as well as after-market mattresses for play yards and non-full-sized cribs.

To address various hazards, the final rule modified the following requirements in the ASTM F2933-19 voluntary standard:

1. Adding a test for firmness to address suffocation hazards associated with crib mattresses, due to overly soft mattresses.
2. Repeating dimensional conformity test and measuring for corner gaps after installing a cotton sheet that is washed twice, to address entrapment hazards associated with full-size crib mattresses, due to poor mattress fit from compression by sheets.
3. Extending dimensional requirements in ASTM F2933-19 section 5.7.2 to all non-full-sized crib mattresses (irrespective of shape and how it is sold,) to address entrapment hazards associated with after-market, non-full-size crib mattresses, due to lack of dimensional requirements for rectangular-shaped products.
4. Adding cyclic impact test to address laceration hazards associated with coils and springs breaking and poking through mattresses.
5. Improving the labeling and instructional literature requirements to better communicate, to consumers, risks associated with SIDS and suffocation related to infant positioning, soft bedding, and gap entrapment.

The CPSC also amended 16 CFR 1130 (Requirements for Consumer Registration of Durable Infant or Toddler products) to include “crib mattresses” as “durable infant or toddler products.” Hence the final rule will require crib mattress manufacturers to establish a product registration program and comply with requirements in 16 CFR part 1130 rule.

In addition, the final rule will add “crib mattresses” to 16 CFR 1112 rule and the list of products that require testing at CPSC accepted third party laboratory for the Certification per 16 CFR 1110 rule.

This rule will become effective from August 15, 2022. For additional information, please see the https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/15/2022-02414/safety-standard-for-crib-mattresses

For questions, please contact Harini Ramaswamy (harini.ramaswamy@intertek.com, +1 847-871-1047) or Matthew Nudell (matthew.nudell@intertek.com, +1 716-225-9006) or Pratik Ichhaporia (pratik.ichhaporia@intertek.com, +1 847 212 8273).