CPSC Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Neck Floats

SafeGuardSToys and Juvenile ProductsDecember 02, 2024

SG 168/24

US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to revise the existing consumer product safety rule for toys, 16 CFR 1250, to add new performance and revised labelling requirements for neck floats.

On November 20, 2024, the CPSC published an NPR to revise the existing safety standard for toys, 16 CFR 1250. This will add new performance and revised labeling requirements for neck floats to address the following hazards that present a risk of drowning:

Children slipping through the product due to deflation or underinflation
Children slipping through the product for reasons other than deflation or underinflation
Children slipping through the product due to a restraint system failure
Children submerging in water without slipping through the product

The NPR defines a neck float as, “an article, whether inflatable or not, that encircles the neck, supports the weight of the child by being secured around the neck (such as by fastening, tightening, or other methods), is used as an instrument of play in water environments including sinks, baths, paddling pools and swimming pools, and is intended for use by children up to and including 4 years of age in water environments including sinks, baths, paddling pools and swimming pools.”

ASTM F963-23 includes labeling requirements for aquatic toys, including neck floats. However, it does not include any performance requirements for these toys.

The proposed rule would add the following requirements for neck floats in 16 CFR 1250:

Conditioning procedure
Minimum buoyancy requirements
Restraint system requirements
Neck opening test requirements
Marking, labelling and instructional literature requirements

16 CFR 1112 is also proposed to be updated to include neck floats in the CPSC’s list of notice of requirements (NORs).

CPSC is proposing an effective date of 180 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. Interested parties are invited to submit their comments by January 21, 2025.

Notice of Proposed Rule 16 CFR 1250: link

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