(Image Source: Central Florida News 13)
BY EMILY GIFFIN
ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO
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If you’re thinking about selling that old crib at the neighborhood garage sale -- might want to think twice.
As of this week, the sale of cribs that don't meet new federal safety standards is officially illegal.
Parents can thank the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for establishing the new safety standards. One of the major flaws addressed by the new standards are drop-side cribs. These cribs allow for the side of a crib to be raised and lowered for easier access. But the CPSC reports that the design has been the cause of 32 infant and toddler deaths since the year 2000.
(Video: CNN)
While drop-side cribs are now banned altogether, sturdier cribs aren’t quite off the hook. A writer for the Chicago Tribune explains how old safety tests performed on cribs compare to the new, more rigorous tests.
“The old rules allowed manufacturers to tighten screws between different tests. Under the new rules, the crib has to pass all of the tests without any adjustments along the way. In one test, the crib is pushed repeatedly in eight different directions for a total of 72,000 movements to simulate wear and tear. Separately, a 45-pound weight is dropped on the mattress support 750 times.”
The instructions for assembling cribs will also be easier to understand so parents can better avoid putting in things upside down, which has lead to infant deaths in the past. But now the challenge for parents is finding a crib that passes the new tests since the packaging won’t tell them. TIME Healthland reports on the obstacle parents might face in the store.
“Manufacturers are required to supply retailers with a certificate proving that their products have been tested under the new standards, but retailers are not required to display the documentation. But parents may specifically request to see those certificates either from the store or from the manufacturer directly.”
The Associated Press reports while many big retailers won’t be caught off guard by Tuesday’s deadline, many smaller retailers hoped for more time to clear out their non-compliant cribs.
Though the CPSC voted against the extension for retailers, places like daycares and hotels had a bit more luck. A reporter for WISH-TV explains.
“On June 28, stores have to carry only these cribs. But public accommodation facilities and childcare businesses aren’t required to use them until December 2012. I asked the CPSC why they’re giving the very places you trust to care for your child two years to replace cribs that are known to cause death. The commission says the retroactive rule is unusual, but it gives companies extra time to replace their crib stock.”
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