ASTM_F_462_-_79_2007.pdf

Designation:F46279(Reapproved 2007)Standard Consumer Safety Specification forSlip-Resistant Bathing Facilities1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F462;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of originaladoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.INTRODUCTIONThis consumer safety specification addresses the bathtub and shower accidents that are due in wholeor in part to the slipperiness of the bathing surface.In response to the accident analysis and assignment of causes developed and identified for the U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission by the Abt Associates,Inc.,final report,“A SystematicProgram to Reduce the Incidence and Severity of Bathtub and Shower Area Injuries,”June 4,1975,2this consumer safety specification provides a means to reduce accidents in bath and shower unitscaused directly or indirectly by the slipperiness of the bathing surface.3It is not possible to cover,in this consumer safety specification,bath and shower units that are usedin a manner for which they were never intended.Furthermore,children do not always act prudently,and the motions of the elderly and infirm are not always under complete control.These problems willbe covered in a consumer-education-type publication,designed to describe the hazards of the bathingarea,and suggestions concerning bathers conduct to reduce these hazards.This consumer safety specification is written within the current state of the art of bath and showertechnology.1.Scope1.1 This consumer safety specification covers the slip resis-tance of bathtubs and shower structures or combinations,usedfor bathing or showering,or both,herein referred to as bathingfacilities.1.2 This specification establishes definitions,methods oftesting the slip resistance of bathing facilities,and the in-useperformance requirements needed to minimize the accidentscaused by slipperiness during any reasonable use.1.3 This consumer safety specification is intended to de-scribe a means to reduce accidents to persons,especiallychildren and the aged,resulting from the use of bathingfacilities.1.4 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to thetest method portion,Section 8,of this specification.Thisstandard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is the responsibility of the userof this standard to establish appropriate safety and healthpractices and determine the applicability of regulatory limita-tions prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:4D459 Terminology Relating to Soaps and Other DetergentsD799 Specification for Liquid Toilet Soap(Withdrawn2000)52.2 Federal Specification:6PS-624g Soap,Toilet,Liquid and Paste3.Terminology3.1 Definitions:3.1.1 appliquea material affixed to the bathing surface orsump of a bathtub or shower for the purpose of increasing itsslip resistance.1This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F15 onConsumer Products and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F15.03 onSafety Standards for Bathtub and Shower Structures.Current edition approved Feb.1,2007.Published July 2007.Originally approvedin 1979.Last previous edition approved in 1999 as F462 79(1999).DOI:10.1520/F0462-79R07.2Available from U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC),4330 EastWest Hwy.,Bethesda,MD 20814,http:/www.cpsc.gov.3“Performance Characteristics of Sanitary Plumbing Fixtures,”available fromU.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission.24For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.5The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced onwww.astm.org.6Available from Standardization Documents Order Desk,DODSSP,Bldg.4,SectionD,700RobbinsAve.,Philadelphia,PA19111-5098,http:/www.dodssp.daps.mil.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 3.1.2 bathingthe act of subjecting all,a substantial part,ora specified part of the body to the action of water in a bathingfacility,with or without soap or bath oil,for purposes of healthor cleansing.3.1.3 bathing facilitya bathtub,shower structure,or acombination of a bathtub and shower,designed to restrict orcontain the flow of water,or both,usually for the bathing useof one adult or one child at a time.3.1.4 bathing surfacethe portion of the sump of a bathingfacility on which,by either common usage or design,a bathermight be expected to step,stand,sit,or come in contact withwhile bathing or showering.3.1.5 bath oila functional(emollient)or nonfunctional(cosmetic)formulation in the form of a liquid(clear oropaque),oil or nonoil,spray,powder,or encapsulated liquid.3.1.6 coeffcient of frictionth