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CASP 2022 - Baby strollers



Objectives of the activity

The Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products (CASP) projects enable all the market surveillance authorities (MSAs) from European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA) countries to cooperate in reinforcing the safety of products placed on the European Single Market. This activity focused on baby strollers. The products were sampled and tested following the commonly agreed criteria in a European laboratory selected by participating MSAs.

Product scope

Pushchairs and prams up to 15 kg each including any integrated platform on which a child (up to 20 kg) can stand,as covered by EN 1888-1.

Main testing criteria

  • The testing plan included a selection of clauses from the European Standard (EN) 1888-1:2018 focusing on mechanical hazards and the durability of markings.
  • Additional tests under EN 1466:2014 were used to assess features such as a harness system or carrying handle(s) for strollers that can be converted from seats to pram bodies.

Results

  • Out of 73 strollers, 29 met all the technical requirements of the testing plan, with 44 samples not having met at least one of the technical requirements of the testing plan.
  • A considerable number of strollers did not meet the requirements of Clauses 8.1 Protective function (15 samples), 8.3 Hazards from moving parts (14 samples) and 8.10 Structural integrity (29 samples).
  • In total, 44 of the samples did not meet the requirements on warnings, markings and instructions.

Key recommendations

For consumers

  • Read the warnings and safety instructions, which must be in the correct national language(s).
  • Before using a stroller, ensure that the restraint system is secure and attached effectively.
  • Whenever possible, register a stroller and sign up to receive recall information. Stop using a recalled product immediately and follow recall instructions.

For economic operators (EOs)

  • Ensure that strollers are designed and manufactured in compliance with the provisions of the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) and the appropriate safety standards.

For national authorities

  • Be aware of the different testing requirements for convertible strollers with several configuration options

For standardisation organisations

  • To facilitate safety checks of convertible strollers, EN 1888-1 should include tests for features such as a harness system or carrying handle(s).

Conclusions

  • The test performed on strollers for this activity aimed at assessing the safety of both simple and convertible strollers, taking into account the additional testing requirements where necessary.
  • Despite the large number of samples that did not meet the requirements of the applicable standards, the failures detected regarding the strollers point predominantly to quality issues, however not resulting in serious safety risks.
  • Small design changes and a revision of the markings, warnings and instructions, in addition to internal structural integrity and stability testing, are recommended to ensure that products meet the testing requirements.
  • Risk assessments performed by the MSAs showed that 10 samples presented a serious risk, three a high risk, six a medium risk and 22 a low risk. Among the main measures taken in relation to the products that did not meet the requirements, 15 products were withdrawn from the market, one product was recalled from the end user and a stop of sales was imposed on two products. Measures are still pending for several samples that did not meet the requirements.