The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced recently that it is thinking of putting forth new regulations on flooring to help increase safety for elderly people on slippery floors. The idea came as a response to a petition submitted by safety advocates. The new regulation requires labels listing slip resistance of floors.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced recently that it is thinking of putting forth new regulations on flooring to help increase safety for elderly people on slippery floors. The idea came as a response to a petition submitted by safety advocates. The new regulation requires labels listing slip resistance of floors.
At present, flooring manufacturers don’t need to list the level of slip resistance on their products. The National Floor Safety Institute, filer of the petition, likens this move to nutritional labels that give information so consumers can “make more informed decisions.”
I was unaware that this was such a problem but, according to the National Floor Safety Institute, over 23,000 elderly people died from slip and fall accidents in 2014. The new labeling regulation would allow the elderly to make better decisions regarding flooring installed in their residences.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) would provide the standard for the slip resistance labeling, which would include a graphic indicating where given products were on the traction scale. The CPSC has opened the required 60-day comment period.
As our population ages, such safety measures are becoming more important. One researcher states that there are currently more individuals in the U.S. over the age of 65 than there are individuals under the age of 15. This makes sense, given that the Baby Boomers make up the largest demographic.
I suspect we’ll be seeing other proposed safety regulations in the future, as the Boomers’ concern for such issues increases. The American Association of Retired Persons (better known as AARP), which accepts members at age 50, is one of the most powerful citizen groups in the country in terms of lobbying strength. If the CPSC sets the precedent for such elderly-focused safety measures, it’s almost certain that AARP will take up the cause for other safety areas.
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