Crib Safety and the New Law

1. Crib Safety and the New Law Donald R. Williams, Jr., CIC Sr. Vice President Director, House of Worship Division HUB International Insurance Services Inc. 6701 Center Drive West, Suite 1500 Los Angeles, CA 90045 310-568-5960

2. Purpose of this Presentation • Inform you about a safety hazard that could cause injury or death to small children attending your church nursery, day care or preschool. • Offer information regarding actions taken by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission • Alert you that your church must be in compliance with new crib safety rules by the end of next year • Identify and communicate to you that there is a potential liability exposure you should consider

3. The Problem • Drop-side cribs generally have a tendency to be less structurally sound than cribs with four fixed sides. • Drop-side hardware is prone to break, deform or experience other problems during normal or foreseeable use. • The older the crib, the more problems can be expected. When drop-side hardware breaks or deforms, the drop side can detach in one or more corners from the crib. • If an infant or toddler rolls or moves into the space created by a partially detached drop side, the child can become entrapped or wedged between the crib mattress and the drop side and suffocate. Infants can also strangle in the “V” shape formed by a drop side that detaches in an upper corner.

4. Strangulation A baby can strangle in the “V” shape when the top portion of the drop side detaches

5. Suffocation When the drop side detaches at the bottom, a baby can fall into the resulting gap and suffocate between the mattress and the side rail.

6. Avoid Shortcuts Homemade repairs don’t work. They indicate you were aware of the problem but failed to correct it property, increasing your liability.

7. Act Now • Churches and daycare centers that use drop-side cribs are being encouraged to replace them by December 2012, when new federal safety standards take effect. • Detaching rails have been associated with at least 32 suffocation and strangulation deaths since 2000. An additional 14 reports of infant fatalities have been reported due to entrapment in cribs. • Faulty or defective hardware have led to other deaths and injuries, prompting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to pass stricter mandatory standards for cribs. After June 28, 2011, all baby cribs manufactured, sold, or resold in the U.S. must have fixed sides, sturdier slats, and stronger hardware and supports.

8. New Law • Childcare facilities, including family childcare homes, infant Head Start centers, church operated day care centers and preschools, are required to use cribs compliant with the new standards starting December 28, 2012. • Places of public accommodation, such as hotels and motels, also must comply. • The law doesn't apply to churches that provide non-paid, volunteer-staffed nurseries during church services, however…..

9. Voluntary Compliance is Encouraged • While the law doesn't require church nurseries to use compliant cribs, it's a good idea to consider it. Cribs that do not meet the new standards—even those in good condition—may pose a danger to children and leave a church open to liability. • The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled more than 11 million cribs since 2007, some of them that linked to deaths due to faulty or defective hardware. • Some manufacturers of recalled cribs are offering to provide immobilizers to secure the drop-side on cribs until a new crib can be purchased that is in compliance with the newly adopted standards. • Be aware that installing an immobilizer won't bring your crib up to the new standards. The new standards require stronger hardware and rigorous testing to prove a crib's durability.

10. New Standards • Prohibit the use of drop-side cribs in which the entire side rail moves up and down. • Change side rail height and toe hold standards. • Require better labeling and instructions to minimize potential assembly mistakes. • Increase slat strength. • Increase mattress support strength. • Eliminate wood screws from key structural elements.

11. Inspect Cribs to Determine Condition Until you have purchased cribs that comply with the new federal standards, the following tips can help improve but not guarantee their safety. • Every time you change the sheets, make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress. • Make sure all visible bolts and screws are tight. • With the mattress out of the crib, wiggle the crib to see how tight all the joints are. If the crib feels loose, wobbly, or structurally unsound, tighten all hardware. • If the crib remains wobbly after tightening, look for loose wood-to-wood joints that may be causing the problem. • Stop using the crib if loose wood-to-wood joints are found or if the crib cannot be made tight and structurally sound.

12. Disposing of Old Cribs Our recommendation is that you disassemble and discard the old cribs. It is illegal to sell, donate or give away cribs that are not in compliance with the new standards.

13. HUB is Here to Help • This presentation is available for you to use internally to help communicate this important message to your churches. • Your Customer Service Team at HUB is available to answer questions and can assist the local church in obtaining a list of all cribs that have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Thank you.