U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Sling Carriers

FAIRFIELD, N.J. - Aug. 14, 2014 - PRLog -- The proposed 16 CFR 1228 safety standard incorporates, by reference, the voluntary ASTM F2907-14a Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Sling Carriers without change. The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) identifies the fact that the terms “infant slings” and “sling carriers” are both used and are intended to be interchangeable and have the same meaning.

In conjunction with this NPR, the CPSC is also proposing an amendment to 16 CFR 1112 that would establish the requirements for the accreditation of testing laboratories to test for compliance with the sling carrier final rule.

The CPSC invites comments from interested parties, which are to be submitted by October 6, 2014. The effective date of the rule will be at least 30 days after publication of the final rule.

Sling Carrier – ASTM Definition

ASTM F2907–14a defines a ‘‘sling carrier’’ as ‘‘a product of fabric or sewn fabric construction, which is designed to contain a child in an upright or reclined position while being supported by the caregiver’s torso.’’

These products generally are intended for children starting at full-term birth until a weight of about 35 pounds (15.9 kg).

The CPSC identifies three broad classes of sling carrier products available in the United States:

-    Ring slings are hammock-shaped fabric products, in which fabric is run through two rings for the purpose of adjusting and tightening the sling.
-    Pouch slings, although similar to ring slings, do not use rings for adjustment.  Many such slings are sized rather than adjustable, while others may include buckles or other fasteners for adjustment purposes.
-    Wrap slings, generally composed of a long length of fabric upwards of six yards long and up to two feet wide, are unstructured and rely on the caregiver to wrap and secure the material around their body using various methods to secure the child.

Incident Data Related to the Use of Sling Carriers

The CPSC cites a total of 122 incidents, consisting of 16 fatal and 106 non-fatal related to sling carriers, reported to have occurred between 1 January 2003 and the end of October 2013.
Since 1 January 2003, the CPSC has issued five consumer-level recalls involving about 1.1 million sling carriers, all of which were for product defects that created substantial product hazards, including suffocation and falls, or potential falls.

Reference:

Information and review of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-07-23/pdf/2014-16792...)

About SGS Services for Toys and Juvenile Products

SGS is committed to providing information about development in regulations for consumer products as complimentary services. Throughout a global network of laboratories, SGS is able to provide a wide range of services including physical and mechanical testing (http://www.sgs.com/en/Consumer-Goods-Retail/Toys-and-Juve...), analytical testing and consultancy work for technical and non-technical parameters applicable to a comprehensive range of consumer products.

Please do not hesitate to contact an SGS expert for further information.

Website: www.sgs.com/toys

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 80,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,650 offices and laboratories around the world.