As gift basket company owners, we have to be aware of product safety.  Most of us are aware of the requirement for testing and certifying some children’s products.  Here is the latest news.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously this week to extend the stay of enforcement for testing and certification of some children’s products until February 10, 2011. These products still must comply with existing applicable rules and bans.

Products covered by the stay include:
- children’s toys and child care articles with banned phthalates
- children’s toys subject to ASTM’s F-963 toy safety standard
- caps and toy guns
- clacker balls
- durable infant products
- electrically-operated toys
- youth all-terrain vehicles
- youth mattresses, children’s bicycles
- carpets and rugs
- vinyl plastic film
- children’s sleepwear

The commission also voted 4-1 to extend the stay on certification and third-party testing for children’s products that are subject to lead limits under CPSIA until February 10, 2011.

Under today’s decision, some children’s products manufactured after February 10, 2010, will be required to have third-party certification beginning on that date. These include bicycle helmets, bunk beds, infant rattles and dive sticks.

Additionally, general certificates of conformity (GCCs) will not be required for children’s products, but some nonchildren’s products manufactured after February 10, 2010 will require GCCs. These products include:

- candles with metal wicks
- contact adhesives
- cigarette lighters
- multi-purpose lighters
- matchbooks