CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND RETAIL E-SSENTIALS

USA: CPSC publishes final rule for safety standard for clothing storage units

DECEMBER 2022 - HARDLINES, TOYS AND CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS

On 25 November 2022, CPSC issues a final rule for Safety Standard for Clothing Storage Units¹; the new rule aims to reduce injuries and deaths associated with tip-overs.

The final rule established a new consumer product safety standard for Clothing Storage Units (CSUs) in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), by adding a new part, 16 CFR 1261.

A Clothing Storage Unit is defined as a consumer product that is a freestanding furniture item, with drawer(s) and/or door(s), that may be reasonably expected to be used for storing clothing, that is designed to be configured to greater than or equal to 27 inches in height, has a mass greater than or equal to 57 pounds with all extendable elements filled with at least 8.5 pounds/ cubic foot times their functional volume (cubic feet), has a total functional volume of the closed storage greater than 1.3 cubic feet, and has a total functional volume of the closed storage greater than the sum of the total functional volume of the open storage and the total volume of the open space.

Exemptions are given to Clothes lockers and Portable storage closets.

This new safety standard establishes the following key requirements:

• Requirements for interlocks
• Requirements for stability
• Requirements for marking and labeling
• Requirements to provide performance and technical data by labeling
• Prohibited stockpiling.

The rule also requires manufacturers’ certification per rule 16 CFR 1110² and to test at a CPSC-accepted third-party laboratory when the product is for children.

The new standard goes into effect on 24 May 2023

[1] CPSC Final Rule on Safety Standard for Clothing Storage Units

[2] 16 CFR 1110