Earlier this month, ASTM International Committee F15 on Consumer Products approved a revised version of F1169, Specification for Full-Size Baby Crib. The standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F15.18 on Cribs, Toddler Beds, Play Yards, Bassinets, Cradles and Changing Tables.

The most significant change to F1169 is the removal of provisions for drop sides in cribs from the standard. Subcommittee F15.18 investigated incidents provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, many of which involved hardware failure related to misassembly and subsequent reassembly of a crib. After extensive testing and exploration of different design approaches to eliminating these hazards, the ASTM subcommittee approved the recent revisions that now preclude cribs with a functional drop side and related hardware assemblies from complying with the ASTM standard.

Further, this revision to F1169 also contains new performance tests for crib assemblies to assure the structural integrity of crib slats.

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Technical Contact: Bill Suvak, Child Craft, Salem, Ind., bsuvak@hotmail.com

ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #8446/Dec2009