The ASTM has recently published two new standards; ASTM F2194 – 12b addressing certain major safety concerns raised by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) with regards to bassinets and cradles, and ASTM F2236 – 12 addressing safety concerns identified with the popular juvenile products known as soft infant and toddler carriers.

The new requirements of ASTM F2194 – 12b include:

• A requirement for bassinets and cradles featuring a folding or segmented mattresses to meet a minimum angle for mattress flatness in order to mitigate hazards associated with suffocation of occupants in the seams of such mattresses;
• An all new test method developed in part with the CPSC to evaluate the flatness of mattresses for both bassinets (including double occupancy bassinets) and cradles.

For more information on ASTM F2194 – 12b, please refer to Intertek standard ｕｐｄａｔｅ CN-779.

The requirements of ASTM F2236 – 12 include:

• A new scope to the products known as “soft infant and toddler carriers” which includes products that support children up to 45 pounds in weight;
• A new definition to address products with back and side carry positions in addition to the standard front carry position;
• Modifications to the static and dynamic test methods that evaluate for structural integrity of shoulder and support straps;
• The introduction of a requirement for static and dynamic testing for each carry position when a product features multiple carry positions;
• Modification to the unbounded leg opening test method to clarify the test procedure and standardize the test fixture used.

The Solution:
Intertek, through our extensive global network, has a variety of services available to help you overcome the challenges related to complying with the new standards. Intertek experts can assess your specific compliance and product testing needs and recommend ways to ensure that your juvenile products and other product testing programs meet all the CPSC, as well as other US and international requirements, in the most effective and economical way possible.