Paper Shredders (Last Updated 06/27/2006)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff is participating in voluntary standard activities related to paper shredders. CPSC staff is currently working with Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Standards Technical Panel 60950, Information Technology Equipment, to address finger injuries to children associated with home document shredder machines. CPSC staff is focusing on changes to the test probe, since the probe currently specified in the standard to test the accessibility to hazardous moving parts does not capture injuries to young children.
From January 2000 through September 2005, CPSC received 50 reports involving finger amputations, lacerations, and other finger injuries from paper shredders. The majority of injuries were to young children under the age of 5 years.
Paper shredders can pose a risk of finger injury to children because of their small finger size. With no force applied, a child’s finger would not likely penetrate the shredder opening since their finger diameter is typically larger than a paper shredder opening. However, depending on the design of the shredder, the shredder opening may enlarge as the shredder pulls in the paper and child’s fingers. Based upon information presented in in-depth investigation reports, injuries often occurred when children were feeding paper into a shredder (under adult supervision) and did not release the paper in time to prevent their fingers from entering the shredder opening.
Additional Information
Safety Alerts:
Voluntary Standard and Code Activities
Correspondence to Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
May 2, 2005, CPSC staff comments on UL draft document, Accessibility of Hazardous Moving Parts in the Throat of a Document (Paper) Shredder – New Probe Concept
CPSC Staff Reports, Memoranda and Contracts:
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
For further information concerning UL 60950 Standard for Information Technology Equipment, please contact Brad Schmidt at Bradley.J.Schmidt@us.ul.com
Contact CPSC
For additional information or to comment, please contact CPSC’s Office of the Secretary at cpsc-os@cpsc.gov
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