CPSC Approves New Standards for Water Beads, Infant Neck Floats; Withdraws Certain Rules
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has approved two safety standards, one for water beads and the other for neck floats for infants and young children.
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Each safety standard was approved on a 2-0 vote.
For water beads, CPSC is defining the item as “various shaped liquid absorbent polymer, composed of materials such as, but not limited to, polyacrylamide and polyacrylate, which expands when soaked in liquid.”
According to the agency, the new rule sets a maximum expansion size limit for water bead toys to prevent them from becoming large enough to cause blockages if ingested or inserted; establishes limits on the amount of allowable acrylamide to reduce toxicity risks; and requires strongly worded, easily seen warning labels to caution consumers.
Meanwhile, the federal mandatory safety standard for neck floats is aimed at preventing deaths and injuries to infants, although CPSC also defined neck floats as "an aquatic toy intended for use by children up to and including four years of age."
CPSC is now adding performance requirements to neck floats, and it is revising labeling requirements, including mandating warnings on products and instructional literature.
The rule will take effect 180 days after publication in the Federal Register. Publication is forthcoming.
The rule doesn't apply to life-saving flotation devices regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard, including those that attach to the neck of a user.
In addition to the two safety updates, CPSC also said this week it would be withdrawing several existing and pending rulemakings that the agency says "no longer align with agency priorities." By withdrawing these pending rulemakings, these rules will not be finalized.
The withdrawals are:
- Safety Standard Addressing Blade-Contact Injuries on Table Saws (76 Fed. Reg. 62678)
- Standard for Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (74 Fed. Reg. 55495)
- Safety Standard for Debris Penetration Hazards (87 Fed. Reg. 43688)
- Information Disclosure Under Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (79 Fed. Reg. 10712)
- Disclosure of Interests in Commission Proceedings (88 Fed. Reg. 67127)
- Banned Hazardous Substances: Aerosol Duster Products Containing More Than 18 mg in Any Combination of HFC-152a and/or HFC-134a (89 Fed. Reg. 61363).
CPSC is rescinding what it says are two outdated rules, one on citizens band radio antennas, "which have no relevance to modern consumer products," and "Eisenhower-era refrigerator safety mandates aimed at models that have not been produced in over 50 years."