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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
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Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 111/2/21

29 August 2012

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 692/2012

US: CPSC Safety Standards for Play Yards and Play Yard Bassinet Accessories

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published in the Federal Register (FR) of 29 August 2012 two notices regarding the safety standards for play yards and play yard bassinet accessories.

DETAILS

(i) Safety Standard for Play Yards

2. CPSC has issued a final rule establishing a safety standard for play yards. The relevant FR notice is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-29/pdf/2012-21168.pdf. The final rule is effective on 28 February 2013 and will apply to all play yards manufactured or imported on or after that date.

3. The safety standard incorporates by reference ASTM F406-12a ("Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs/Play Yards"), as developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM International). It excludes sections of ASTM F406-12a that apply exclusively to non-full-size cribs. In addition, the third party testing and certification requirement for play yards will not be in effect until CPSC issues a final notice of requirements outlining how third party conformity assessment bodies will be accepted to test play yards according to the new standard.

4.For more information on the safety standard, please refer to CPSC's press release (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12214.html?tab=news) and ASTM International's website (http://www.astm.org/Standards/F406.htm).

(ii) Safety Standard for Play Yard Bassinet Accessories

5. CPSC has also issued a proposed rule to address misassembly of bassinet accessory in play yards. The relevant FR notice is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-29/pdf/2012-21169.pdf. Interested parties may submit comments to the CPSC by 13 November 2012.

6.Under the proposed rule, compliance could be achieved if all of the key structural elements are attached permanently to the bassinet accessory. Otherwise, each structural element has to be removed from the bassinet and tested individually. For details and other aspects of the proposed rule, please refer to the FR notice.

ENQUIRIES

7. For enquiries concerning this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5682.

Yours faithfully,




(Miss Cindy LAU)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry




Note :
While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.