Responding to incident data presented by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and recent recalls, ASTM International Committee F15 on Consumer Products has developed a new standard, F 2613, Consumer Safety Specification for Children’s Folding Chairs. The standard, which is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F15.59 on Children’s Folding Chairs, establishes testing requirements for structural integrity and performance requirements for children’s folding chairs. The standard also provides requirements for labeling.
 
“The standard addresses lacerations, fractures, pinches and amputations of children’s fingers in the folding mechanisms of chairs,” says Kitty Pilarz, F15 member and director, Mattel Worldwide Product Safety, Fisher-Price. “It requires these chairs to have either a locking mechanism that engages automatically or that they be designed with adequate clearance to provide protection for the child’s fingers, hands and toes. The standard also address sharp points, sharp edges, small parts and labeling.”
 
Pilarz notes that F15.59 is seeking additional participation, particularly from manufacturers of children’s folding chairs, to prepare future revisions of F 2613. The subcommittee is currently considering adding a static load test in the next revision.
 
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For further technical information, contact Kitty Pilarz, Mattel Worldwide Product Safety, Fisher-Price, East Aurora, N.Y. (phone: 716/687-3343; Kitty.Pilarz@Fisher-Price.com). Committee F15 will meet Oct. 8-11 at ASTM International Headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa. For membership or meeting information, contact Katharine Morgan, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9721; kmorgan@astm.org).

Release #7734