Playpens Regulations (SOR/2018-186)

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

1 The following definitions apply in these Regulations.

accessory

accessory means a product, including a change table accessory and a sleep accessory, that is designed or advertised to be used with a playpen and that has the following characteristics:

• (a) it is designed to support the weight of a child;

• (b) it can be placed on or fixed to the playpen; and

• (c) its primary function is

  • (i) in the case of a change table accessory, to allow the changing of a child’s diaper or the dressing of a child,

  • (ii) in the case of a sleep accessory that has sides to confine the child, to provide sleeping accommodation for a child, and

  • (iii) in any other case, to provide a play area for a child or an area to enable caregiver-child interaction. (accessoire)

fastener

fastener includes all of the following items:

• (a) items that, once installed on a playpen or accessory, are capable of being joined or unjoined without the use of any tool or equipment, such as

  • (i) string, cords, straps, wire and other similar items, and

  • (ii) zippers, buttons, snaps and other similar items; and

• (b) items that join two objects together on being installed on a playpen or accessory, such as screws, bolts, hinges, nails and other similar items. (attaches)

good laboratory practices

good laboratory practices means practices that are in accordance with the principles set out in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development document entitled OECD Principles of Good Laboratory Practice, Number 1 of the OECD Series on Principles of Good Laboratory Practice and Compliance Monitoring, ENV/MC/CHEM(98)17, the English version of which is dated January 21, 1998 and the French version of which is dated March 6, 1998. (bonnes pratiques de laboratoire)

occupant retention area

occupant retention area means

• (a) in the case of a playpen, the space that is bounded by the playing surface and the interior surfaces of the playpen’s sides; and

• (b) in the case of a sleep accessory, the space that is bounded by the sleeping surface and the interior surfaces of the accessory’s sides. (espace de confinement)

playpen

playpen means a product that has the following characteristics:

• (a) its function is to provide a play area for a child who has a height of 90 cm or less;

• (b) none of its structural components are inflatable;

• (c) it has sides, at least one of which is made of a textile or other pliable material, that are attached to its floor;

• (d) it serves to confine the child; and

• (e) it can be used as a stand-alone product. (parc pour enfant)

structural cover

structural cover means a structural component of a playpen or sleep accessory that has the following characteristics:

• (a) it is made of a textile or other pliable material;

• (b) it attaches to the frame of the playpen or sleep accessory with a zipper, snaps, buttons or other similar fasteners;

• (c) it completely or partially defines the occupant retention area; and

• (d) it is removable. (recouvrement structurel)

supplied with

supplied with, in respect of an accessory, means designed to be used and sold together with a specific playpen or accessory that is made by the same manufacturer. (fourni)

Specifications

Requirements for Playpens and Accessories

Marginal note:Toxicity

2 Every playpen or accessory that contains a toxic substance must comply with section 25 of the Toys Regulations in relation to that substance.

Marginal note:Coatings

3 Every playpen and accessory must be free from any surface coating material that contains any of the following substances:

• (a) more than 90 mg/kg total lead when the material is tested in accordance with a method that conforms to good laboratory practices;

• (b) any compound of antimony, arsenic, cadmium, selenium or barium if more than 0.1% w/w of the compound dissolves in 5% hydrochloric acid after being stirred for 10 minutes at 20°C; or

• (c) any compound of mercury when the material is tested in accordance with a method that conforms to good laboratory practices.

Marginal note:Stitching

4 All stitching that forms part of a playpen or accessory must be lock-stitching.

Marginal note:Shearing and pinching

5 A playpen or accessory must not have any part that is accessible to the child and that may cause injury to the child due to shearing or pinching.

Marginal note:Parts — textile or other pliable material

6 Any part of a playpen or accessory that is made of a textile or other pliable material and that is permanently affixed to a rigid structural component of the product must not, when the playpen or accessory is tested in accordance with Schedule 1, tear or become detached from the component.

Marginal note:Mesh — strength and integrity

• 7 (1) Any mesh that is made of a textile or other pliable material and that forms part of a playpen or accessory must not, when tested in accordance with Schedule 2, tear or become detached.

• Marginal note:Mesh — size of openings

  (2) The openings in mesh that is made of a textile or other pliable material and that forms part of a playpen or accessory must be of such a size that the hemispherical tip of a probe described in Schedule 3 is unable to pass through the openings when tested in accordance with that schedule.

Marginal note:Flammability

8 Any part of a playpen or accessory that is made of a textile or other pliable material must have a flame spread time greater than seven seconds, when tested in accordance with the Canadian General Standards Board standard CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 27.5, entitled Textile Test Methods: Flame Resistance — 45° Angle Test — One-Second Flame Impingement, as amended from time to time, in either of the following circumstances:

• (a) it does not have a raised fibre surface; or

• (b) it has a raised fibre surface and, when tested, exhibits ignition or fusion of its base fibres.

Marginal note:Posts

9 A post of a playpen or sleep accessory must not extend more than 1.5 mm — measured within 76 mm from the outermost surface of the post — above the lowest point on the upper surface of the higher of the sides that adjoin the post.

Marginal note:Openings — entrapment

10 When a playpen or sleep accessory is tested in accordance with Schedule 4, there must not be any completely bounded opening in the surfaces that define the occupant retention area through which a solid rectangular block that measures 60 mm × 100 mm × 100 mm is capable of passing in any orientation.

Marginal note:Parts — wood, plastic or similar hard material

• 11 (1) Every exposed part of a playpen or accessory that is made of wood, plastic or a similar hard material must be smoothly finished to eliminate sharp edges and points and be free from cracks, burrs and other defects.

• Marginal note:Parts — metal

  (2) Every exposed part of a playpen or accessory that is made of metal must be smoothly finished to eliminate sharp edges and points and be free from burrs.

• Marginal note:Metal tubing

  (3) Every cut edge of any metal tubing that is part of a playpen or accessory must meet one of the following requirements if the cut edge is accessible to the child:

  • (a) it must be smoothly finished to eliminate sharp edges and points and be free from burrs; or

  • (b) it must be protected by a cap that remains in place when the cap is subjected to a force of 90 N applied in any direction.

• Marginal note:Bolts

  (4) The threaded end of every bolt of a playpen or accessory must, if the end is accessible to the child, be covered by an acorn nut or a device that offers equivalent protection.

Marginal note:Small parts

12 Every part of a playpen or accessory that is accessible to the child and that is small enough to be totally enclosed in the small parts cylinder illustrated in Schedule 5 must be affixed to the product so that the part does not become detached when it is subjected to a force of 90 N applied in any direction.

Marginal note:Parts — openings

13 Every slot, notch, groove or other opening in a wooden, plastic or metal part of a playpen or accessory — or in a part of one made of a similar hard material — that is accessible to the child must meet one of the following requirements:

• (a) it must be of such a size and shape that, if it admits a probe that is 5.33 mm in diameter, it will also admit a probe that is 9.53 mm in diameter; or

• (b) it must have a depth that is not greater than the minor span dimension across its opening, if that minor span dimension is greater than or equal to 5.33 mm and less than 9.53 mm.

Marginal note:Cords and straps — length — general

• 14 (1) A cord, strap or other similar item that is attached by only one of its ends to a playpen or sleep accessory must not measure more than 188 mm in length when it is stretched by the gradual application of a force of 22 N.

• Marginal note:Cords and straps — length — change table accessory

  (2) In the case of a cord, strap or other similar item that is attached by only one of its ends to a change table accessory that is placed on or fixed to a playpen, the portion of the cord, strap or item that extends into the playpen’s occupant retention area must not measure more than 188 mm in length when it is stretched by the gradual application of a force of 22 N.

Marginal note:Cords and straps — loops — general

• 15 (1) When tested in accordance with section 1 of Schedule 6, a cord, strap or other similar item that is attached to a playpen or sleep accessory must not be capable of forming either of the following loops:

  • (a) a loop inside the occupant retention area that permits the passage of the small head probe illustrated in the figure to that schedule; or

  • (b) a loop outside the occupant retention area that permits the passage of that probe and that, when the loop is pulled into the occupant retention area, remains there.

• Marginal note:Cords and straps — loops — change table accessories

  (2) When tested in accordance with section 2 of Schedule 6, a cord, strap or other similar item that is designed to restrain a child in a change table accessory that is placed on or fixed to a playpen must not be capable of forming a loop that can be pulled into the occupant retention area of the playpen and that permits the passage of the small head probe illustrated in the figure to that schedule.

Marginal note:Pads

16 A floor pad or mattress pad that is supplied with, or that is designed or advertised to be used with, a playpen or sleep accessory respectively must, when it is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, meet the following requirements:

• (a) it must not be more than 38 mm thick; and

• (b) it must be of such a size that, when it is pushed firmly against any side of the playpen or sleep accessory, it does not leave a gap of more than 30 mm between the floor pad or mattress pad and any part of any other side.

Additional Requirements for Playpens

Marginal note:Stability

17 When a playpen is tested in accordance with Schedule 7, at least three support points, each of which is found below or as close as possible to a post and one of which is not in a straight line with the other two, must remain in contact with the inclined plywood sheet.

Marginal note:Height of sides

18 When the top rails of the sides of a playpen are placed in the manufacturer’s recommended use position and no load is applied to its playing surface, the upper surface of the top rail of every side must be at least 508 mm higher than the playing surface.

Marginal note:Side deflection

19 The upper surface of the top rail of every side of a playpen must

• (a) when tested in accordance with paragraphs 1(a) to (e) of Schedule 8, be at least 508 mm higher than the playing surface; and

• (b) when tested in accordance with paragraphs 1(f) to (k) of Schedule 8, be at least 460 mm higher than the playing surface.

Marginal note:Strength of sides

20 The top rail of every side of a playpen that has a hinge and the latching or locking mechanisms of the rail must not, when the playpen is tested in accordance with section 2 of Schedule 8, break or disengage.

Marginal note:Rigid top rails — folding playpen

21 A rigid top rail of a folding playpen that has at least two hinges that latch or lock when the playpen is placed in the manufacturer’s recommended use position and that permits the top rail to fold vertically downwards from that position when unlatched or unlocked must meet the following requirements:

• (a) when the top rail is tested in accordance with section 1 of Schedule 9, it must be possible to insert the probe described in that section into the space that is created by the folding of the top rail to a depth that is equal to or greater than the minimum distance between the opposite folded segments of the top rail; and

• (b) if at least one of the hinges can be unlatched or unlocked independently from any other hinge, when the top rail is tested in accordance with section 2 of Schedule 9, the interior angle that is formed by the folding of the top rail must be at least 75°, measured within a radius of 76 mm of the hinge that is unlatched or unlocked.

Marginal note:Non-rigid top rails

22 A non-rigid top rail of a playpen must not, when tested in accordance with section 3 of Schedule 9, deform so that the surfaces or points that are identified on the template that is illustrated in the figure to that section and that are set out in columns 1 and 2 of the table to that section are in simultaneous contact with the top rail.

Marginal note:Top rails affixed to brackets

23 A playpen that has brackets that are affixed to its top rails and that are located above its posts must, when the playpen is tested in accordance with Schedule 10, meet the following requirements:

• (a) the brackets must be free from any visible cracks;

• (b) the fasteners of each bracket must not pass completely through any bracket wall; and

• (c) any part of a fastener must not completely detach.

Marginal note:Latching or locking mechanisms — folding playpens

• 24 (1) A folding playpen must have a latching or locking mechanism that prevents the playpen from spontaneously folding up or collapsing when the playpen is placed in the manufacturer’s recommended use position.

• Marginal note:Latching or locking mechanisms — top rails that fold down

  (2) A latching or locking mechanism that is on the top rail of a folding playpen that has a hinge permitting the rail to fold downwards must latch or lock automatically when the rail is placed in the manufacturer’s recommended use position.