During the first week of November, ASTM held committee meetings for juvenile products, including the ASTM carrier standard F2236.
The meeting was brief. The main action point was creating a task force to explore modifying F2236 to create a single, cohesive standard for all non-framed baby carriers.
We have discussed this previously in the sling standards committee (F2907) after 6 years of work on creating a concise definition of “sling/wrap” vs. “soft carrier.”
If successful, the updated, combined standard could incorporate hip seats and other carriers that currently fall outside the scopes of existing carrier standards, eliminate confusion among labs, and ensure that carriers don’t get lost “between scopes” when it comes to product compliance.
The process of modifying ASTM standards is seldom fast, and you do not need to make any changes in anticipation of this potential change. We will ensure BCIA members stay up to date on any changes to the ASTM carrier standard with plenty of time to prepare for the shift.