ASTM Adult Bed Rail Panel Hears Worries about Conspicuity

Though most of a September 22 ASTM F15.70 task group teleconference on adult bed rails dealt with mundane details of language, concern about labeling conspicuity led to a discussion of the merits of voluntary standards versus mandatory rules.

One manufacturer representative said his company would not be able to comply with a "visible at all times" provision as it already had invested in engineering and other changes to its products to address the hazards.

The primary reaction was that non-compliance could be an opening for CPSC to justify a rulemaking. Once converted to mandatory, industry would lose flexible control over requirements.

The panel settled on leaving the language in, with the moderator noting that even if that decision led to a negative vote, it would not necessarily derail the standard. This is because the group could deem the concerns to be non-persuasive.