Health Canada Recommends Stricter Safety Standards for Playpen Accessories

News Release
2010-25
February 26, 2010
For immediate release

OTTAWA - As part of the Government's ongoing efforts to improve the safety of consumer products for children, Health Canada is recommending that industry implement stricter safety standards for playpen accessories, which can include change tables, bassinets, mobiles and some types of canopies.

"The health and safety of children is of the utmost priority to the Government of Canada and the need to have confidence in consumer products intended for children is crucial," said the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health. "This new guidance aims to enhance the safety of a product frequently used by infants and young children and is another important step towards creating safer environments and improving product safety."

The new recommendations include enhanced structural testing processes and more prominent, permanent and bilingual labelling requirements. Health Canada is now recommending that all playpen accessories manufactured, advertised and sold in Canada meet the international design, testing and labelling standards outlined by ASTM International, which is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations. The new recommendations also include specific guidance to improve the structural solidity of bassinet accessories.

Health Canada reminds parents and caregivers that the safest place for an unsupervised baby to sleep is alone in a crib. Babies and young children should never be placed to sleep in products that are not specifically designed to accommodate an unattended sleeping baby, such as bassinets or change tables attached to a playpen, car seats or strollers.

There are a number of ways consumers and parents can keep themselves informed:

• Sign up for free consumer product recall updates from Health Canada.
• For more information on the recent steps Canada has taken to make cribs, cradles and bassinets safer for young children, visit Health Canada's website.
• Follow Health Canada on  Twitter

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Media Enquiries:
Health Canada
(613) 957-2983

Josée Bellemare
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
(613) 957-0200

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