subject: New Cpsc Rules Ban Crib Design Linked To Suffocation Deaths [print this page] A couple of days before Christmas, the Consumer Product Safety Commission delivered a Christmas present to parents and caregivers, consumer safety and safety groups as well as California injury attorneys. The gift came in the form of some of the strongest crib safety rules in the world, including a ban on the drop side crib design that has been linked to dozens of fatalities and hundreds of reports of near-suffocation incidents.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced the new crib safety rules, and these include a complete ban on the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of drop side cribs. These cribs have been popular in the United States for decades now. The cribs come with a drop side that can be slid up and down in order to enable parents to access a child easily. Unfortunately, over a period of time, wear and tear can cause the plastic hardware attaching the side to the crib, to malfunction or break down. This can cause the drop side to detach from the crib, and create a dangerous empty space. An infant could easily roll over into this space, and be suffocated to death. In other cases, the space can be big enough for an infant to fall through the space, and on to the ground, suffering serious injuries.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are at least 32 confirmed reports of infant deaths from suffocation, strangulation or falls due to detached drop sides. There have also been reports of infants who were trapped in the space, but were rescued just in time by parents and caregivers.
The calls for a ban on drop side cribs altogether have been made for a couple of years now. However, those calls began to get really loud over the past 12 months after a series of crib recalls that involved more than 9 million cribs, shook the industry, and rattled parents across California. Just about every crib manufacturer recalled hundreds of thousands of cribs and many of these recalls were linked to reports of suffocation and fatalities.
The new rules mean that parents across California, who still have these old cribs in their homes, must get rid of these immediately. These cribs may be more convenient, but contain dangerous hazards that could be deadly. It's not just parents who must get rid of these cribs. Over the next couple of months, hotels, motels and day care centers must also get rid of their drop side cribs, and install new cribs that meet the new safety standards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has said that it will extend the deadline for complying with the new drop side crib ban, giving commercial establishments the chance to invest in new crib furniture.
The new crib safety rules announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission involve more than the drop side design. The rules also call for stronger and more durable hardware to be used in crib manufacture.
