Inclined Sleepers Data Panel Continues to Shape Its Focus

An ASTM F15.18 working group looking at incident data on inclined sleepers September 4 decided tentatively to share with co-panels that it is looking at defining sleep and rollover.

A goal of the teleconference had been to give some information to those groups to help focus their work. Those sessions (see related story in this issue and PSL, 8/26/19) have been making slow process because members have not wanted to waste effort addressing concerns that might change.

The incident group looked at about five IDIs that identified types of sleepers (although not brands) such as elevated-free-standing or low-to-ground-free-standing.

Participants also watched a video of an infant in a sleeper using legs to roll over. While some members wondered if the product design helped facilitate the action, others questioned how representative it was of typical infant activity.

Other conversation included positional asphyxia and restraints. The latter had two topics: whether existing designs are sufficiently protective (three- versus five-point, for example) and whether and when consumers disengage them.

A CPSC report on nursery product published in 2018 led one member to point out that other products, like cribs, are associated with more deaths and to question if sleepers are risky. Others pushed back that the numbers do not consider factors like soft bedding, product ages, and units in use.