Test Procedures to Determine the Mechanical Hazards - Sharp Points -
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| Product Safety Reference Manual
Book 5 - Laboratory Policies and Procedures |
Effective
2001-11-30
|
| Part B: Test Methods Section, Method
M-00.3 |
Amendment
#29
|
1 Scope
1.1 This method describes
a procedure for performing the Sharp Point Test on products or the
components of products described in item 13 of Part II of Schedule
I to the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) to determine if they meet
the applicable requirements set out in the Hazardous Products (Toys)
Regulations and to determine if the points on products or the components
are sharp and could cause injury to a child. Toys and other products
that by reason of their functional purpose require a point to be
sharp are exempt. Since the numerical values of performance measures
are based upon regulatory requirements, the tolerances for these
values have been chosen such that no test parameter is applied to
the product that results in a more severe condition than that specified
in the regulation.
2 Applicable Documents
2.1 The Hazardous Products Act (HPA).
2.2 Hazardous Products (Toys) Regulations and other HPA regulations
that include requirements for sharp points.
2.3 PSL Project Report 2001: 0625 New Method: TEST PROCEDURES
TO DETERMINE THE MECHANICAL HAZARDS - SHARP POINTS.
3 Sampling
3.1 The following test procedure should
be conducted on the number of specimens provided or received.
4 Apparatus
4.1 A Sharp Point Tester (see Figure
1) or other suitable test device yielding equivalent results
and having the following equivalent specifications:
- Gauging cap slot opening - 1.02 mm ± 0.10 mm by 1.14
mm ± 0.10 mm;
- Sensing head gap - 0.38 mm ± 0.01 mm ; and
- Sensing head spring resistance force - 2.22 N (2.12 ±
0.10 N).
4.2 A force gauge with a precision of 0.05
N.
5 Testing Procedure
5.1 The procedure shall be as follows:
5.1.1 Identify and locate projections,
corners and any surface deformations on the product that are exposed,
meet applicable accessibility1 requirements
and that may present a hazardous sharp point. Note the restrictions
or applicability of the testing procedure depending on the following
material and product characteristics:
Plastic (toys):
plastic points or corners that are suspected of
being potentially hazardous sharp points (except for the exemption
mentioned in 1.1) that are exposed initially
or prior to reasonably foreseeable use testing, and plastic points
or corners that are exposed under the conditions of reasonably foreseeable
use.
Plastic (non-toy articles):
plastic points or corners that are exposed only
upon initial visual and tactile examination.
Ends of wire:
wire ends that are exposed only under the conditions
of reasonably foreseeable use.
Metal (non-wire ends), wood and glass (all products):
points or corners of which that are exposed only
upon initial visual and tactile examination.
Cut edges of metal tubing (non-toy articles):
points or corners of which that are unprotected
and exposed upon initial visual and tactile examination, or are
located along cut edges of metal tubing that have become exposed
when protective caps have been removed by a force of up to 90 N
applied in any direction.
5.1 2 Adjust the sharp point tester or other suitable test device
in accordance with the manufacturer's operating instructions (Refer
to Standard Operating Procedure for the Sharp Point Tester).
5.1.3 Insert the test point of the product
into the slot opening of the sharp point tester and apply sufficient
force to trigger the sensing head (nominally 4.45 N) or a force
that won’t damage or deform the test point.
5.1.4 Observe whether or not the indicator
lamp lights up.
5.1.5 Repeat steps 5.1.3 and 5.1.4
for each projection, corner and surface deformation that was identified
and located in step 5.1.1.
5.2 Results
5.2.1 Record the location on the product of any points that
activated the Sharp Point Tester.
6 Quality Assurance/Quality Control Procedures
6.1 Ensure that all measuring instruments
are functional and are calibrated with traceability to national
or international standards.
6.2 Testing and the results obtained according to this method
include uncertainty associated with the:
- uncertainty of any or all calibrations by an accredited calibration
laboratory of the apparatus stated and used in this method,
- standard uncertainty or standard deviation of a series of
repeated
measurements with the force gauge (documented in the Equipment
Record binder),
- a coverage factor (k = 2) to express an expanded uncertainty
(U = kuc,
where uc is the combined standard uncertainty) for
a level of confidence of approximately 95%, assuming normal
distribution (Reference: General Guidelines for Evaluating and
Expressing the Uncertainty of Accredited Laboratories’
Measurement Results, CLAS Reference Document 5, May 1999).
7 Test Report
7.1 The test report should contain the
following information:
7.1.1 A description of the product to include brand, style,
country of origin, photo and UPC.
7.1.2 The number of sample elements tested.
7.1.3 The results of the tests (conducted in the sequence presented
in section 5 of this test method) with specific details for any
non-compliances or potential
problems observed.
7.1.4 The analyst's name and signature, as well as the name(s)
and signature(s) of the reviewer(s).
1
Refer to pages M12-46 and M12-47 of the Test Method for Cribs and
Cradles to determine accessibility of product occupants to sharp
points.
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