Infant sleep products - supplier guide

Infant sleep products the mandatory safety standard applies to

Infant sleep products are designed and marketed for use by an infant for sleep. They include products that soothe or settle an infant and have a surface that an infant may lay on.

Infant sleep products include:

• bassinets
• cradles
• co-sleepers
• inclined sleepers
• household cots
• portable folding cots
• mattresses.

Products that can be converted to offer a sleep mode or which may be used for sleep are also within the scope of the mandatory safety standard.

Products the mandatory safety standard does not apply to

The mandatory safety standard does not apply to:

• accessories that attach to or are used with infant sleep products
• products that are regulated by other safety or information standards, such as child car seats, prams and strollers
• a product that is not supplied as an infant sleep product and does not claim it’s suitable for infant sleep, even if an infant may fall asleep when using the product, except antique or collectable cots
• medical devices under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989
• products designed to carry a baby on the body of a carer or parent like a carrier, wrap or sling
• second-hand goods, other than second-hand goods imported into Australia or antique and collectable cots.

Complying with the general requirements in the mandatory safety standard

All infant sleep products, including household cots, folding cots and bassinets, must comply with these general safety requirements.

Fit for purpose

An infant sleep product must have enough strength, stability and integrity to safely support an infant under normal use or foreseeable misuse.

Sleep surfaces

Surfaces which infants sleep on must be firm and flat. The mandatory safety standard provides requirements for the incline, curvature, and how firm or rigid the sleep surface is.

Incline

Sleep surfaces with a horizontal or vertical incline over 7 degrees are not allowed. Incline is measured using a digital level.

Curvature

The surface an infant lays on must be flat, with no curvature. Testing for curvature involves placing a level or long straight edge on the sleep surface in several orientations. The tool should be in contact with the sleep surface along its entire length in all orientations. There should be no gaps between the tool and the sleep surface at the ends or in the middle of the tool.

Firmness

The sleep surface must have a certain level of firmness and rigidity. Testing options to determine firmness are detailed in the mandatory safety standard.

Mattresses and mattress gaps

A mattress to be used by an infant that is supplied separately, or supplied with an infant sleep product, is regarded as an infant sleep product. It must comply with the relevant requirements of both the mandatory safety and information standards.

This includes requirements for:

• sleep surface firmness and rigidity
• labelling information providing mattress dimensions
• any segmented mattress must not fold or separate when laid on.

Mattresses on all infant sleep products, except for household cots, must fit snugly (touching the sides) of the infant sleep product.

There are different mattress gap requirements for household cots compared to other infant sleep products. Household cots may have a gap between the edge of the mattress and the inside of the cot of no greater than 20 mm if the mattress is centred, or 40 mm if the mattress is pushed against one side or end of the cot.

Materials of components

Any components of an infant sleep product that are made from wood must be splinter-free.

Any metal components must be made of corrosion resistant metal or be corrosion resistant. These metal components could include springs, nuts, bolts or washers.

Any decorative transfers or labels must not be accessible to an infant within the infant sleep product.

Infant sleep product components must not have sharp points or edges that may puncture an infant's skin. The components must not have snag points or protrusions that clothing may catch on as this may cause strangulation.

The safety standard provides 2 compliance options that suppliers may choose from.

Materials used for sides of a sleep product

A sleeping infant may roll into the sides of a sleep product. The mesh or fabric sides must be made of material an infant can breathe through or be firm enough so it doesn’t cover or conform to the shape or contours of their nose or mouth, as this may cause suffocation. The mandatory safety standard provides 2 compliance options that suppliers may choose from.

Castors and wheels

If an infant sleep product is fitted with castors or wheels, at least 2 of them must be fitted with a brake. Products with castors or wheels on only 2 legs, must still have a brake.

Restraint systems

All types of restraint systems, including harnesses and straps are prohibited in infant sleep products.

Locking mechanisms

If an infant sleep product has a locking mechanism, it must have a clear locked position and it must be obvious when the locked position is engaged. The locked position must be secure and cannot be accidentally unlocked. The mechanism cannot have any finger entrapments or pinch points. The mechanism must comply with the locking mechanism test from the Australian and New Zealand voluntary standard for folding cots.

Entanglement

Infant sleep products must not have any ribbons, cords or other decorations attached to them that could be a choking or strangulation hazard for an infant.

Entrapment in gaps

Infant sleep products must not have gaps that create entrapment hazards for an infant’s finger, limb, head or neck. To test for entrapment hazards, suppliers should select the most relevant test of the 2 described in the mandatory safety standard.

Small parts

Small parts are a choking or swallowing hazard because infants tend to place small items into their mouths as a way of exploring their world.

Infant sleep products must not have any small parts that can be detached or removed without using a tool.

The mandatory safety standard sets out a test for determining whether a part is considered a small part. A part is considered a small part if it can fit wholly within the small parts testing cylinder, which has a:

• 31.7 mm wide opening at the top
• cavity depth on the shorter side of 25.4 mm
• cavity depth of 57.1 mm on the longer side.

Products that convert from one mode to another

Products that convert from one mode to another must comply with the mandatory safety standard’s general requirements, and any relevant specific requirements.

Complying with the specific requirements in the mandatory safety standard

The mandatory safety standard provides additional specific requirements for household cots, folding cots and bassinets. These relate to construction, performance and integrity. Household cots and folding cots have been regulated by mandatory standards for many years. The requirements provided in the safety standard are based on existing Australian and international standards for these products.

Bassinets are now also subject to specific requirements that relate to product design, construction and warnings.

Household cots that are antique or collectable cots are exempt from the general requirements and specific requirements so long as they carry a prescribed warning that it is dangerous to place a child in the cot.