CPSC

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to make the safety standard for aquatic toys more stringent. The primary product targeted in the rule is neck floats which have been reported to pose a serious drowning risk to young children. The rule establishes several testing and performance requirements for these products to ensure the highest level of safety.

Conditioning

The rule would require producers of these products to subject them to conditioning procedures to ensure their durability. These include exposing the products to various temperatures, chlorine and salt water environments, and ultraviolet light.

Minimum standards

To safeguard against unintentional submergence and restraint system failure, the rule proposes additional minimum standards.

Buoyancy Requirements

The Commission is proposing to require that all neck floats demonstrate a minimum upward buoyancy equal to or greater than 30 percent of the expected weight capacity. Additionally, the rule would require that inherently buoyant neck floats to not lose more than 5 percent of their initial buoyancy after being submerged for a 24-hour period.

Restraint Systems

To reduce the likelihood of a restraint system failure on a neck float, which can result in a child slipping through the product, the new rule Commission proposes requirements for the release mode of the fastening mechanism, and overall mechanical integrity of restraint systems.

Marking, Labeling, and Instructional Requirements

In the notice, the CPSC noted that the existing safety messaging for neck floats has  limited effectiveness for preventing the submersion hazard. The rule requires new on-product warnings that include:

• A description of the hazard;

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