Be Prepared for New Toddler Bed Standards from Regulators

By Mike Rozembajgier

With so many high profile children’s product recalls, especially crib and toddler bed recalls, over the past year, it should come as no surprise that regulators have now approved new mandatory safety standards for toddler beds. These new standards are just the latest move by increasingly active product safety regulatory bodies to protect consumers, yet another regulation for which manufacturers of children’s products must be prepared.

The latest safety standards will require all toddler beds to include separate warning labels for entrapment and strangulation hazards. In addition, the beds themselves must have a guardrail at least five inches above the bed’s mattress, and the spindle and slat strength must pass the same tests required for cribs.

Even though the new safety standards will not take effect until six months after they are published in the Federal Register, manufacturers should waste no time in ensuring full compliance. As countless past recalls have taught us, resisting change and attempting to delay consumer protection initiatives can backfire, whether in the form of a recall, litigation, or serious brand damage.

With the spotlight continuing to shine on consumer safety and regulatory enforcement, manufacturers must adapt. Just because regulators are now requiring certain physical standards does not mean manufacturers should stop there. Going beyond compliance and creating the industry gold standard for safety can not only protect a company from regulators and litigation, but can also prove a valuable marketing tool for convincing safety conscious parents to buy your product instead of a competitor’s.

As always, the best way to effectively manage a recall is to avoid it in the first place. Unfortunately, just complying with the most basic regulatory standards is not always sufficient to avoid a recall. Going beyond basic compliance can yield tremendous benefits, both in protecting and boosting your bottom line.

Stericycle ExpertRECALL™ is the industry leader in recall logistics and regulatory compliance for consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical device, juvenile product, and food and beverage recalls. ExpertRECALL’s professionals are experts in recall management who can help you streamline the entire product recall process.