US CPSC Updates its Mandatory Standard for Infant Walkers

On 29 November 2022, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a "Direct Final Rule" in the Federal Register, to update the mandatory standard for infant walkers, by referring to ASTM F977-22e1 "Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Infant Walkers".

This latest version of the ASTM standard for infant walkers includes performance requirements, test methods, and requirements for warning labels and instructional literature, to reduce or prevent death or injuries to children (such as cuts and bruises, burns, and skull fractures).  The intention is to minimize accidents to children resulting from normal use and reasonably foreseeable misuse or abuse of walkers.

CPSC considers this 2022 version of the standard improves the safety of infant walkers, and has therefore updated 16 CFR Part 1216 to reference ASTM F977-22e1 as the mandatory standard for infant walkers, without modifications. 16 CFR Part 1216 now requires each infant walker must comply with all applicable provisions of ASTM F977-22e1.

Substantive Changes:

While ASTM made only editorial change from ASTM F977-22 to F977–22e1, there are substantive changes from ASTM F977-22 to the previous version that is referenced in 16 CFR Part 1216 earlier, and hence the following changes should be noteworthy – “Section 7.6.1.8, part of Test Platform Specifications, and Section 7.6.3.2, part of the Forward Facing Step Test, were revised to require the CAMI Infant Dummy Mark II to be secured to the front of the occupant seating area (tray) during the Forward-Facing Step Test. Prior to this change, the dummy could be unsecured.”

Effective Date:

The rule is effective on 25 February 2023.

Reference:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/29/2022-25812/safety-standard-for-infant-walkers

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-11-29/pdf/2022-25812.pdf

https://www.astm.org/f0977-22e01.html

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