CPSC: New High Chair Safety Standards in Effect

New federal safety standards created by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently came into effect. The standards aim to improve high chair safety for children, which is particularly important because far too many preventable injuries occur.

High chairs come in a variety of styles and different models, but without adequate safety standards in place, children risk serious injuries and sometimes, even death.

High Chair-Related Injuries

According to the CPSC, data shows that more than 18,000 children sustained high chair-related injuries requiring emergency medical care in just two year’s time. The majority of high chair-related injuries result from:

• Falls when kids try to climb in or out of high chairs;
• When a high chair tips over or when a child pushes one backwards;
• Children rocking back and forth in high chairs, and:
• Product failure (e.g. a tray, lock, or restraint fails or is defective)

The Sew Safety Standards

The CPSC’s standards aim to limit preventable injuries and deaths related to high chairs. Under these requirements, high chairs must meet certain restraint and stability standards, and also must have printed labels stating fall hazards in addition to instructions on how to avoid them.

The new standards only apply to high chairs manufactured or imported after June 19, 2019, so the agency is recommending consumers “play it safe” by exclusively using ones that meet the updated standards.

High Chair Safety Tips From the CPSC

There are certain steps that parents and caregivers can take to limit high chair-related injuries and death. The CPSC’s official recommendations include:

• Stay near and supervise children during use;
• If the high chair has a tray, do not use the tray to ensure the child is secure. Always use the chair’s restraint system;
• Do not let children stand on or climb into or out of high chairs;
• Always use safety straps and make sure they fit tightly – but safely – enough, and:
• Be sure that the manufacturing label is on or after June 19, 2019.

Philadelphia Products Liability Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP Representing Injured Individuals Since 1947

If your child sustained injuries because of a defective or unsafe high chair, please contact our Philadelphia products liability attorneys. With offices located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading; Galfand Berger serves clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To schedule a consultation, call us at 800-222-8792 or complete our online contact form.