CPSC Announces Sharp Points Regulation For Toys

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today finalized its sharp points regulation for toys and other articles intended for use by children under 8 years of age.

If the Commission identifies sharp points through laboratory testing on these products that could present an unreasonable risk of injury to children under 8, it can ban the item from sale and order it repurchased cram those who may have bought it.

This regulation will take effect one year after it is published in the Federal Register. Publication is expected within the next few days.

CPSC has found that certain toys intended for children under 8 years of age can puncture or cut skin and cause bleeding during normal use or reasonably foreseeable misuse. While many of these injuries may be scratches and finger prickings causing minor bleeding there are a substantial number of injuries which are more severe. Such injuries warrant reasonable regulations to reduce or eliminate their occurrence.

According to the Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), an estimated 43,000 toy-related injuries of children under 8 were treated in hospital emergency rooms in 1976. Laceration and puncture injuries accounted for over half.

The test device developed by CPSC for determining whether or not a b toy has a sharp point will preempt any other method used by states or local authorities to determine sharp points.

Bicycles and baby cribs are exempted from this regulation because they are covered by their own specific regulations. Additionally, toys that need to have functionally sharp points, such as needles for toy sewing machines, are exempt provided the toy is clearly labeled to that effect at the point of sale. Model and craft kits are also exempt from this regulation.