U.S. – CPSC Approves 16 CFR 1238 Safety Standard for Stationary Activity Centers

Vol. 1085 | 21 Jun 2019

As part of the rulemaking process required by the Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), on June 18, 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a new federal rule -- 16 CFR 1238 Safety Standard for Stationary Activity Centers. The rule adopts the current ASTM standard, F2012–18^e1 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Stationary Activity Centers, without any changes.

As described in the F2012–18^e1 standard, a “Stationary Activity Center” is defined as “a freestanding product intended to remain stationary that enables a sitting or standing occupant whose torso is completely surrounded by the product to walk, rock, play, spin or bounce, or all of these, within a limited range of motion.”

The CPSC notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) for stationary activity centers (SAC) recommended adopting the F2012–18^e1 version of the standard as it sufficiently addressed many of the general hazards associated with the use of SACs. In issuing the final rule, the CPSC has confirmed that the ASTM F2012–18^e1 standard adequately addresses all the hazards and injury patterns identified by the CPSC.

The ASTM F2012–18^e1 standard addresses general requirements such as sharp points, sharp edges, locking and latching mechanisms, openings, scissoring, shearing and pinching, marking and labeling, instructional literature, in addition to specific hazard-related requirements for the SAC including:

• Springs: exposed coil springs and spring failures on spring-supported SACs
• Toy accessories sold with the SACs
• Stability, including tip overs and seat tilt
• Straps
• Structural integrity
• Motion resistance

This rule is effective December 18, 2019. Stationary activity centers manufactured on and after this date must meet requirements of this rule. In addition, the stationary activity centers manufactured on and after this date will also require certification per 16 CFR 1110 based on testing at a CPSC-approved third-party accreditation body (third-party lab) for 16 CFR 1238.

The approved rule can be viewed at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-06-18/pdf/2019-12804.pdf

For questions, please contact Laxmi Ravikumar (laxmi.ravikumar@intertek.com, +1-630-209-9265).