It would require the CPSC to create a mandatory rule tougher than the voluntary one. They support legislation called the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act. Safety advocates, including those at CR, say the voluntary dresser standard is still not strong enough. For years, many of Ikea’s dressers did not meet the standard, and some have been linked to the deaths of several children, leading to the recall in 20 of 17.3 million products. And each year, 19,900 people, on average, are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to furniture tip-overs.Īlso, not all manufacturers comply with the standard after all, it is voluntary. Indeed, despite updates to the standard over the years, 218 people died in tip-over incidents involving a dresser, chest, or bureau between 20. But almost from the start, safety advocates have said the standard is not tough enough. It currently says dressers 27 inches high or taller should remain stable when a 50-pound weight is hung on an open drawer. One glaring example: the voluntary standard for dressers, first set by ASTM in 2000 and updated incrementally over the years. For many products, “the existing standard is less than rigorous,” she says, adding that the standard-setting process tends to favor industry over consumers. Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger (KID), a consumer safety group, says there’s another potential problem: Just because a voluntary standard exists doesn’t mean it’s strong enough. “This contradicts what many consumers think-that if a product is available for sale, it has been tested and approved,” Weintraub says. It’s also how the Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Sleeper and other inclined sleepers, which are now linked to 94 deaths, got to store shelves and stayed there for a decade before being recalled. That is how in-bed sleepers made it to market. Manufacturers don’t have to first get approval from the CPSC or any other governing body. In other words, if someone invents something substantially different from products in existing categories, they can put it on the market even if it has not been safety-tested. While they must adhere to certain broad, general rules-such as not containing high amounts of lead-they may be new and different enough from other products that they don’t need to conform to an existing standard, whether mandatory or voluntary. In addition to products with mandatory or voluntary standards, a smaller set of products-which includes in-bed sleepers-is not covered by any specific standard. (CR is a member of ASTM.)īut because these standards are voluntary, some manufacturers don’t comply with the rules, leaving a hole in the safety net, Weintraub says. These groups-among them ASTM International and Underwriters Laboratories-bring together manufacturers, academics, regulators, consumers, and others to set rules for the products. There are also federal requirements for materials-including metals, plastics, and textiles-related to toxic substances, such as lead.īut most products are governed by voluntary, not mandatory, standards created by independent organizations. Products with mandatory standards include bunk beds, children’s toys, automatic garage door openers, walk-behind lawn mowers, high chairs, bicycle helmets, and portable gasoline containers. If the manufacturer has violated the law-for instance, by failing to immediately report a noncompliant product to the CPSC-it can face penalties, such as fines and even criminal prosecution. Products that fail these tests must be recalled if they’re already for sale. Manufacturers must test them, usually through third-party labs. For those 70 product categories, federal rules mandate compliance with specific safety requirements.
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