Newly proposed amendments to the Hazardous Products Act target the safety of infants in their cribs, cradles and bassinets.

Parents seek to protect their children and keep them as safe as possible, and we would like to do everything we can to assist them with that task.

Canada’s safety requirements for cribs and cradles are among the most stringent in the world, but there is always room for improvement. There is no such thing as “too safe” when the life of a child is at stake.

Currently, these regulations do not extend to stand-alone bassinets, which remain entirely unregulated. The proposed legislation will change this.

We aim to make all cribs, cradles and bassinets sold in Canada even safer by strengthening regulations regarding construction, flammability, side height and pinching hazards.

Manufacturers will be required to eliminate toeholds in their products that could enable a young child to climb out of a crib and fall to the floor, causing injury.

Manufacturers and importers will also be required to maintain records relating to the sale, advertisement and testing of all crib, cradle and bassinet products for at least three years.

The proposed amendments will ensure side-height and performance standards are the same for portable and standard cribs, ensuring all products are as safe as possible with no exceptions. Each item must have a side-height barrier that is at least 230 millimetres high.

Cribs, cradles and bassinets with blind cord proximity, moveable sides and substituting parts will be subjected to additional thorough warning rules.

The total lead limit for these products will be reduced to 90 milligrams per kilogram, a clear definition of movable crib sides will be implemented, and the Canadian General Standards Board standard for flammability will replace the current standard pertaining to cribs and cradles.

Regulations concerning the safety of crib corner-post extensions and cut-outs will be aligned more with United States standards to allow for a greater range of design without jeopardizing safety.

Daycare centres and public accommodations such as hotels and motels are required to ensure they adhere to the Hazardous Products Act when providing cribs, cradles or bassinets for the use of guests or clients, so Canadians can trust their children are as safe as if they were sleeping at home.

The safety of Canadian families is a high priority for our government. We are amending our already-tough standards for cribs, cradles and bassinets to ensure no child is harmed due to a gap in safety regulations.

-30-