Portable Hook on Chairs
The regulation seeks to prevent deaths and injuries by preventing falls when the chair detaches from the table or breaks, or when the table and chair tip over together.
The regulation was originally published at 81 FR 17062 and codified at 16 C.F.R. part 1233. The regulation incorporates by reference ASTM F1235, and 16 C.F.R. § 1233.2 identifies the latest Commission-accepted version of ASTM F1235 that is mandatory as well as any potential modifications.
Read-only copies of ASTM standards that are incorporated by reference can be viewed at ASTM’s electronic Reading Room.
A portable hook-on chair is a seat made expressly to seat and hold children who can sit up on their own. A portable hook-on chair is usually a legless seat, designed to position the occupant at a table and at an elevation allowing the tabletop to be used as the feeding surface for the occupant. The hook-on chair is supported solely by the table on which it is mounted. These chairs are intended for use by children from ages 6 months to 36 months, and who weigh no more than 37 lbs. (16.8 kg).
Typical hook-on chairs consist of fabric over a lightweight frame, with a device to mount the seat to a support surface, such as a table or counter. Some hook-on chairs fold for easy storage or transport, and some include a removable tray that can be used in conjunction with a table.
The requirements for portable hook-on chairs are as follows:
- General requirements
- Sharp points and edges – see also 16 C.F.R. §§ 1500.3(b)(4)(i)(D) and 1500.3(b)(15)(i)(A)
- Small parts – see also our small parts business guidance page
- Paint and surface coating– see also our lead in paint business guidance page
- Wood parts
- Latching or locking mechanisms
- Scissoring, shearing, and pinching
- Exposed coil springs
- Openings
- Labeling
- Protective components
- Performance requirements
- Chair dop test
- Static load test
- Seat and seat back disengagement test
- Chair bounce test
- Chair pull/push test
- Restraint system
- Openings and passive crotch restraint system
For details on the individual requirements, firms should review the latest Commission-accepted version of ASTM F1235 as well as any modifications referenced at 16 C.F.R. § 1233.2. Read-only copies of ASTM standards that are incorporated by reference can be viewed at ASTM’s electronic Reading Room.
Yes. There are general requirements for child care articles and durable infant or toddler products that apply:
- Small parts: Products intended for children under 3 years of age must not contain small parts or liberate small parts after use and abuse testing.
- Lead in paint and similar surface coatings: Children’s products must not bear paint and/or similar surface coatings that contain more than 0.009 percent (90 ppm) lead.
- Total lead content: Children’s products must not contain greater than 100 ppm (0.01 percent) of total lead content in any accessible component part.
- Phthalates: Children’s toys and child care articles as defined per 16 C.F.R. § 1307.2 must not contain greater than 0.1 percent (1000 ppm) of any regulated phthalate in any accessible plasticized component part.
- Third-party testing: Children’s products must be tested for compliance with applicable safety rules by a third-party, CPSC-accepted laboratory.
- Certification: Domestic manufacturers or importers of children’s products must generate a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) certifying compliance with applicable safety rules and ensures that a CPC accompanies the distribution of the product.
- Labeling: Children’s products must bear distinguishing, permanent marks on the product and any packaging (tracking label) that allow consumers to ascertain certain information. Durable infant or toddler products are required to have product markings in addition to the tracking label. This chart summarizes the specific labeling and registration requirements that durable infant and toddler products must meet.
- Registration form: Durable infant or toddler products must have a product registration form (also known as registration card) permanently attached to the product. There must also be an option to register via a website or, in the absence of a website, via email.