Final Rule to Establish a Safety Standard for Crib Mattresses in the US, 16 CFR 1241

This regulation includes full-size and non-full-size crib mattresses, as well as after-market mattresses for play yards and non-full-size cribs.

The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) proposed modifications to the voluntary standard to address the following hazards:

1. Suffocation hazards associated with crib mattresses, due to overly soft mattresses
2. Entrapment hazards associated with full-size crib mattresses, due to poor mattress fit from compression by sheets
3. Entrapment hazards associated with after-market, non-full-size crib mattresses, due to lack of dimensional requirements for rectangular-shaped products 
4. Laceration hazards associated with coils and springs breaking and poking through mattresses
5. The risks of SIDS and suffocation related to infant positioning, soft bedding, and gap entrapment, by improving the labeling and instructional literature requirements to better communicate risks to consumers

The new regulation for crib mattresses, 16 CFR 1241, states that crib mattresses must comply with all applicable provisions of ASTM F2933-21 with the following additions or exclusions.

• Modified definitions for the word “conspicuous”
• Added definition for “sleep surface”
• Modified requirements for: 
  1. Mattress size, section 5.7.1.1 
  2. Non-full-size crib mattress, sections 5.7.2 through 5.7.2.2
  3. Added requirements for after-market mattresses
• Modified after-market mattresses for play yards, section 5.9 through 5.9.1.2 
• Added section 5.10 for mattress firmness testing
• Added section 5.11 for mattresses with coil springs
• Renumbered sections 6.2.2 through 6.2.2.4
• Added section 6.2.3.5 for test mattress sheet
• Added section 6.2.3.6 and 6.2.3.7 for measurement of gaps between the mattress and projected crib corner
• Modified requirements for sections 6.2.2, 6.2.2.1 and 6.2.2.2
• Added section 6.3 for mattress firmness
• Added section 6.4 for coil spring test
• Modified following sections for marking and labeling and warning statements:
  1. Sections 7.1 and 7.2
  2. Sections 7.3, 7.3.1, 7.3.2 and 7.3.3
  3. Section 7.4
  4. Sections 7.5, 7.5.1, 7.5.2, 7.5.3, 7.5.3.1 and 7.5.3.2
  5. Sections 7.6, 7.6.1, 7.6.1.1, 7.6.1.2 and 7.7
  6. Added section 7.8 for warnings on retail packaging
  7. Redesignate section 8 as section 9
  8. Added section 8 for instruction literature

16 CFR 1130 (Requirements for Consumer Registration of Durable Infant or Toddler products) is also updated to include “crib mattresses” in the list of products subject to the rule.

The rule comes into effect August 15, 2022.

Reference:

1. Final rule 16 CFR 1241

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