CPSC has Published Direct Final Rule to Revise the Carriage and Stroller Standard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has published a direct final rule in the Federal Register that makes changes to the Federal safety requirements for carriages and strollers. This direct final rule updates 16 CFR part 1227 to incorporate by reference the revised voluntary standard, ASTM F833-21, which is the ASTM’s latest version for the “Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Carriages and Strollers” published in August 2021.
Based on CPSC's review of ASTM F833-21, the Commission has decided to allow the revised standard to become the mandatory standard for carriages and strollers, without modification.
Changes:
The 2021 revision of ASTM F833 contains editorial, non-substantive changes, as well as several substantive changes to improve the requirements. The changes are summarized as follows:
1. Substantive Changes
|
Item changed |
Section |
ASTM F833-19 |
ASTM F833-21 |
Remark |
|
Allowance for a Concrete Floor Test Surface |
4.1 |
Section 4.1 specifies that testing to be conducted “on a concrete floor that shall be covered with 1/8 in. (3 mm) thick vinyl floor covering, unless test instructs differently.” |
It replaces the word “shall” with “may,” allowing for testing on the originally specified surface, or on an uncovered concrete floor. |
This change applies to all carriages and stroller tests, except parking brake testing (Section 7.6), which is conducted on a horizontal test surface covered with 60 grit sandpaper, and wheel detachment from axle testing (Section 7.13.1), which is conducted on a table. |
|
Addition of Parking Brake Mechanism Test Methods |
6.1.3 |
Section 6.1.3 specifies that “each parking brake shall be constructed so that it cannot be disengaged by the child within the unit when the child is secured in the unit in accordance with the instructional literature.” |
It replaces this text and adds three alternative test methods in new sections 6.3.1.1, 6.3.1.2, and 6.3.1.3, for evaluating the parking brake release mechanism for each seating position of the product. |
- |
|
Summary List of References on Combination Unit of a Car Seat on a Stroller |
6.7.1 / 6.10 |
It provided the impact test in Section 6.7.1 with its corresponding test method in Section 7.11, and the head entrapment requirement in Section 6.10 with its test Start Printed Page 64347 method in 7.18. However, these sections were not included in the summary list of requirements that apply to a combination unit of a car seat on a stroller in Section 6.6.1. |
It adds references to Section 6.7.1 and Section 6.10, as well as their corresponding test methods, to the list of requirements in Section 6.6.1. Section 6.7.1 applies to a “combination unit of a car seat on a carriage, stroller, or convertible carriage/stroller” and Section 6.10 applies to a “combination unit of a rear-facing car seat on a stroller or convertible carriage/stroller.” |
- |
2. Non-Substantive Changes
Minor formatting changes were made to the ASTM F833-21, including:
(1) Renumbering figures to account for two new parking brake figures (Figures 7 and 8 of ASTM F833-21)
(2) Adding hyphens to compound adjectives
(3) Adding units to the first value in range
(4) Revising punctuation and spacing
Effective Date:
The rule is effective on 2022-02-15.
References:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/18/2021-25140/safety-standard-for-carriages-and-strollers
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-11-18/pdf/2021-25140.pdf
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