Apr 01, 2006

ASTM International Committee F15 on Consumer Products has recently formed several new subcommittees. All interested parties are invited to participate in the activities of these subcommittees.

F15.59 on Children’s Folding Chairs

The scope of F15.59 is the development of a safety standard for children’s folding chairs. The standard will detail testing requirements for structural integrity and performance requirements for children’s folding chairs, as well as provide requirements for labeling.

At an organizational meeting on Dec. 6, 2005, Vince Amodeo and Keysha Watson, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, provided background information to explain why the commission requested that ASTM Committee F15 look into safety issues regarding children’s folding chairs. Amodeo and Watson noted that there are over six million children’s folding chairs on the market. Over the past five years, CPSC has learned of many injuries resulting from children’s chairs, including finger lacerations, finger tip amputations, fractures, and broken and pinched fingers.

Because of compliance issues and recalls, Subcommittee F15.22 will be considering revisions to ASTM F 963, Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, to help reduce the number of finger injuries that occur with toy chairs. However, it was also felt that the creation of Subcommittee F15.59 was necessary for the development of a separate standard to address issues with children’s chairs that are not toys.

For further technical information, contact Kitty Pilarz, Fisher-Price Toys, East Aurora, N.Y. (phone: 716/687-3343; kitty.pilarz@fisher-price.com).

F15.60 on Portable Pools

Subcommittee F15.60 on Portable Pools was organized on Dec. 5, 2005. The subcommittee plans to develop standards for portable pools for residential use. A portable pool is defined as a pool that is easily moved or carried, and designed to be purchased, set up and installed personally by the consumer. Subcommittee F15.60 will address safety issues that result in portable pool drownings, as well as other injuries. Some of the issues that have been raised and will be discussed at future meetings are drowning and pool access, electrocution, sanitation/bacteria, liner bursting and hair and clothing entrapment.

For further information, contact Carol Pollack-Nelson, Rockville, Md. (phone: 301/340-2912; pollacknel@comcast.net).

F15.61 on Constant Air Inflatable Play Devices for Home Use

Subcommittee F15.61 on Constant Air Inflatable Play Devices for Home Use was formed Feb. 6. This subcommittee will develop safety specifications for various types of constant air inflatable devices intended for use by children over the age of 18 months to 14 years in a home environment. Subcommittee F15.61 will also work to maintain liaisons with relevant organizations, both internal and external to ASTM.

Another recently formed F15 subcommittee, F15.58 on Powered Scooters and Skateboards, was covered in the February issue of Standardization News, and in a previous news release.

For further information, contact David Dick, Bureau Veritas, Buffalo, N.Y. (phone: 716/505-3300; dave.dick@us.bureauveritas.com).

Committee F15 will meet Sept. 25-28, at ASTM International Headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa. For membership or meeting details, contact Kathie Morgan (phone: 610/832-9721; kmorgan@astm.org).

Release #7378